Princess Anne supported animal charity to close

An animal welfare charity supported by Princess Anne has announced it is to close after failing to find funding.

In announcing its closure the Animal Health Trust has said that it will begin being formally wound up next week. The move comes after failing to find long term funding.

The charity’s president is Princess Anne and its work involves clinical, research and educational work around preventing and treating animal diseases. According to the Charity Commission its annual income for the year ending December 2018 was £15.6m, while its spending was £17.5m.

Its statement says: “It is with deep regret that today we have announced to our colleagues that the Animal Health Trust’s Board of Trustees have concluded that the Trust needs to close and next week will formally begin the process to wind-up the AHT.

“The decision to cease operations has been reached after several months of trying to secure funding. Although substantial progress was made, the charity has been unable to secure the significant funds it needs to have a long-term viable future.

“Further announcements will be made in due course. However, at this point no further comment will be made.”

The charity was formed in 1942 and in 2017 celebrated its 75th anniversary. In March it announced that it would no longer receive case referrals from its clinics due to the Covid-19 pandemic.