VetPartners chief goes extra mile for charities

A North Yorkshire business leader has gone the extra mile to raise more than £14,000 for two charities supporting people close to her heart.

VetPartners chief executive Jo Malone completed the 58.4km 5 Valleys Ultra in the Lake District, tackling 2303 metres of ascent and finishing in eight hours and 54 minutes.

The founder of the York-based veterinary group raised £9000 for Vetlife and Macmillan Cancer Support, with donations from colleagues, friends, family and the wider veterinary community.

VetPartners doubled the amount raised for Vetlife, its chosen UK charity for 2026, and contributed an additional 20 per cent of the sum raised for Macmillan, taking the overall total to £14,400.

Jo has supported her mum, Jenny, through cancer twice, with Macmillan nurses providing care on both occasions.

She is also an advocate for wellbeing within the veterinary profession, with Vetlife providing confidential mental health and wellbeing support to veterinary professionals.

Jo said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have made it across the finish line. 

“It was an incredibly tough day, but also one I’ll remember for a very long time. 

“There were definitely moments when I wondered why I had signed up for it, particularly on some of those climbs! 

“But knowing that we were raising money for two causes that mean so much to me kept me going. 

“Macmillan is incredibly special to me because of the support my mum received when she went through cancer. 

“I’ve seen first-hand the difference their nurses and wider team can make, not just to the person going through treatment but to their family too.

“Vetlife is equally important to me. 

“Through my work in the veterinary profession, I’ve seen how much pressure people can be under and how important it is that there is somewhere they can turn for confidential support when they are struggling.

“I’m incredibly proud that we’ve been able to raise £14,400 between the two charities. 

“A huge thank you to everyone who donated, encouraged me, followed my training and cheered me on. I genuinely couldn’t have done it without them.”

The challenge is the latest long-distance event completed by Jo, who founded VetPartners with three veterinary practices in 2015 and has since grown the business across the UK and Europe.

In June, she completed the Lakeland Trails half marathon in Coniston alongside two colleagues, raising £3750 for Vetlife.

Donations to Jo’s latest challenge can still be made here.

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