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British Veterinary Association

British national veterinary medicine organization

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) is the national body for veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom, and is a not-for-profit organisation. Its purpose is that of knowledge dissemination, which is important in the veterinary profession to prevent a knowledge divide; and not professional validation or academic competence.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1919Founded1
  • HeadquartersLondon1
  • Websitewww.bva.co.uk
  • Legal formPrivate Limited by Guarantee3
  • LEI213800S18GRO5X3X2H143
  • StatusActive3
  • LEI statusIssued and current3
  • Registered address7 MANSFIELD STREET, W1G 9NQ London, United Kingdom3
  • Registered withCompanies House, 002064563

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The British Veterinary Association (BVA) is the national body for veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom, and is a not-for-profit organisation. Its purpose is that of knowledge dissemination, which is important in the veterinary profession to prevent a knowledge divide; and not professional validation or academic competence.2

The story

National Veterinary Association

A preceding organisation started out as the National Veterinary Association in 1882, after the first ever British National Veterinary Congress in July, 1881. A vet, George Banham, had suggested the idea of a national veterinary association. George Fleming, the principal vet to the Armed Forces, was the first elected president. The association was open to any vet, no matter which country they were from, on the payment of half a guinea. Other previous veterinary associations still co-existed though. It had an informal organisation and meetings across the country were arranged on an ad hoc basis. This style of organisation did not suit many vets, because they wanted an organisation, where they could discuss matters which did not or could not be discussed by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). In 1909, at a meeting of the Scottish Metropolitan Veterinary Association, Professor Orlando Charnock Bradley of the Edinburgh Veterinary College, called for a 'one single British veterinary association.' The idea was generally accepted, but the First World War proved to be a hindrance.

National Veterinary Medical Association

On 31 October, 1919, the National Veterinary Medical Association was formed to subsume smaller, informal veterinary associations. Orlando Charnock Bradley became its first president.

In 1952, it became the BVA.

In 1984, it founded the BVA Animal Welfare Foundation.

From Wikipedia’s article on British Veterinary Association, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Timeline

  1. 1919Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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