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Meet the Staff at Withy Grove Veterinary Clinic

Veterinary Surgeons

Michael Clarke BVetMed MRCVS (Senior Partner)

Michael qualified from London University in 1984 and is the practice owner. He is particularly interested in skin disease. Outside of work he has four pet cats, one Golden Retriever and a rabbit.

Amanda Skinner BVMS MRCVS (Partner)

Mandy decided that she wanted to be a vet when she was 10 years old. Thirty years later she hasn’t changed her mind. She qualified from Glasgow University in 1989 and can’t quite work out where the last twenty years have gone! She has been in the practice since May 1994 and lives with seven cats, two dogs, husband Neil and step daughter Lynn. She is also well known for being able to walk and read at the same time!

Suanne Bly BVSc MRCVS

Suanne qualified as a veterinary surgeon from Liverpool University in 1999. She specialises in cruciate ligament repair surgery and endoscopy. Outside of work she enjoys caring for her two dogs and playing badminton.

Ian Wright BVMS BSc MSc MRCVS

Ian has worked in practices in Hull and on the Fylde before coming to Withy Grove. He is particularly interested in internal parasites of small animals and gives lectures and does research on the topic.

Kirsty Johnston BVSc MRCVS

Kirsty has been working in small animal practice since she qualified from Liverpool University. Outside of work she enjoys horse riding, swimming, playing badminton and walking her two rescue dogs, Jake and Lottie.

Practice Manager

Barbara Wright

Barbara has worked at Withy Grove as a nurse, receptionist and now Practice Manager since the clinic began at its old site, Withy Grove House in the 1980′s.

Qualified Veterinary Nurses

Alison Le Page-Bridge VN (Head Nurse)

Alison qualified as a Veterinary Nurse in Blackburn in 1991, she then moved to work in Preston in 1996 and, after a brief spell on the Fylde, joined us in 2009. She is particularly interested in pet behaviour, training and nutrition. Outside of work she looks after her pet parrots, an umbrella cockatoo called Snoops and two Kararikis, Amos and Kumani, as well as 4 dogs, 4 rabbits, a Chinchilla and tropical fish. As if that wasn’t enough, she also assists her husband who keeps Koi Carp!

Naomi Starkey VN

Naomi joined us as Head Veterinary Nurse (R.V.N.) in June 2008, after 8 years experience in 2 other veterinary practices. She gave up the head nurse role when her son was born. Her special interests are critical care, canine and feline behaviour, nutrition and ferrets. Naomi was born in Surrey, and moved to Lancashire in her teens. In her spare time, she enjoys training and racing her 3 much-loved whippets; Maddie, Olive and Richie, weekends away in her caravan, and running.

Louise Cornforth VN

Louise joined the practice in June 2008. She has a background of learning disability nursing but has always had a keen interest in small animals and horses. Louise is married with three children and loves to go out walking with the family and “Alfie” the dog or out riding on her horse “Fliss”. Louise is currently fostering for the local cat rescue. She qualified as a Veterinary Nurse in January 2012.

Kathryn Postance VN

Having always loved animals and being around them, being a veterinary nurse was the only job that made sense for Kathryn. She spent six years making this a reality, firstly by doing her A levels and then onto Myerscough College to do a degree in Veterinary Nursing. Her favourite small mammals are rabbits but she enjoys working with all pets. She has a rabbit called Rascal and a cat called Merlin. As well as animals her interests include arts and crafts, sailing, reading and karate.

Michaela Kent VN

‘Michaela (pronounced Mikyla) qualified locally as a VN in 1997,  she likes to spend time with her family and enjoys gardening when  not pandering to the needs of her four cats and two guinea pigs.’

Senior Nursing Staff

Olwyn Crook (Deputy Head Nurse)

Olwyn has been working at the practice since she was a teenager. She was head nurse before taking time out to have a family then returning in her present position.

Anne Sumner

Anne is Head Receptionist as well as doing some work on the accounts side of the business. She is a proud mum, grandmum and pet owner!

Maria ‘Pups’ Aston

Maria worked at Withy Grove as her first nursing job, she then worked at several other veterinary clinics before returning to Withy Grove in 1996. She lives with her partner, Andrew, and her 3 children. Life is very busy at her house, as well as work, she fosters cats and kittens for a local charity and also has a cat pen in the garden which Andrew built for her – she always seems to have a cat or kitten in it! Maria has 3 dogs, 4 cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, birds, fish and a lovely pygmy goat called Petal. She runs the Puppy Parties at Withy Grove on a Saturday morning which she finds very rewarding. She is one of the Senior Nurses and would like to think that’s because of her time served and not her age!

Nursing Staff

Matthew Parkinson

After leaving high school in 2002 Matthew studied at Preston College in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. He then went on to Myerscough College and studied Animal Management for 2 years which led to him working at Withy Grove. When not at work he spends most of his time with his 2 cats, Mr J and Seymour and his dog, Seth. He also enjoys computer gaming, cooking and wine tasting!

Charlie Willcocks

Charlie has been veterinary nursing since 1998. She is particularly interested in working with exotic pets. Outside of work she enjoys playing games with her dog “Cake”, caring for her pet frogs, dancing and card making.

 Kirsty Procter

Veterinary nursing was always what Kirsty wanted to do and the only thing she could see myself doing, so after school she studied at Myerscough College for 2 years, as well as working in kennels, then joining Withy Grove in 2004. She has a Golden Retriever called Oscar, and a cat called Lily. Outside work she enjoys spending time with family.

 Toni Madden

Toni left Fulwood High School in 1995 and attended Preston College, gaining an NVQ in hairdressing. Animals were, however, always her first love and she has been caring for them since she was a child. She was a volunteer at Preston RSPCA for two years before coming to Withy Grove. Whilst there she helped the vet and staff with the care and cleaning of the animals as well as getting involved with fundraising for new veterinary equipment. She studied Animal Care level 2 at Myerscough College, enjoying every minute, but it has always been her dream to become a veterinary nurse. In her spare time, Toni enjoys being taken on long walks and snuggling up on the sofa with the love of her life, a boxer dog called Ruby Tuesday.

Physiotherapist

Donna Griffiths

Donna Griffiths, an Animal Physiotherapist, runs a clinic at our practice. She is a Chartered Human Physiotherapist with ACPAT qualifications in Animal Physiotherapy. She has been practicing physiotherapy for 11 years. Her interests outside of work are agility with her dogs, martial arts at competition level and more recently bringing up her baby daughter.

Her website is: http://www.dygphysio.org.uk