Graduating from the Royal Veterinary College in 1979 it goes without saying that Robert has a wealth of knowledge and experience in small animal practice having set up and run his previous highly successful clinic for over thirty years.
In 2021 Robert and George Lightfoot set out on a new venture at Linkswood never really expecting it to leapfrog in the way it has to the twelve man vet practice with fifteen qualified nurses over the short period of four years. He cannot thank his exceptional staff enough for their commitment and hard work.
Robert has always cared passionately about all pets brought into the clinic and will always give his all to each and every animal. His thoughts are echoed by the whole team here at Linkswood.

After qualifying in 2005 from the University of Cambridge, George started working in a 50:50 equine/small animal practice. After three years, however, he decided small animal practice was the way for him, and has since gained two post-grad certificates, one in medicine and another in surgery, therefore enjoying most aspects of the work.
Having lived in London for ten years but grown up in Suffolk, a move back to East Anglia was needed, and he is now settled near Sudbury with his young family which takes up most of his time outside work.

We welcomed Jonathan to the practice in August 2023 and his popularity has certainly followed him.
With a keen interest in orthopaedics Jonathan has taken on most of our surgical cases in this field with undoubtedly great results. Jonathan also consults everyday and has very quickly built up a firm client base here at Linkswood.
He is a father to a boy and a girl and in his spare time ventures in the world of extreme sports.

Clare graduated from Cambridge University in 1996. After an initial spell in Equine Practice, Clare became an anaesthetic resident at Cambridge Vet School and gained her certificate in anaesthesia.
Claire then went on to work in a large RSPCA hospital in London before moving to East Anglia to bring up her three children and to continue working part time as a small animal vet. Clare joined Linkswood in September 2022 and loves all aspects of practice gaining as much pleasure in meeting new patients to treating those already faithful to her. Popular right from the start, we feel very lucky to have her on board.
In her limited spare time, Clare can be found walking her dogs, riding horses and teaching yoga.

Graduating from Madrid University in 2012, Carmen has worked in the UK for many years. Carmen joined the practice in 2022 as a highly experienced Veterinary Surgeon with a special passion for surgery. She successfully completed her certificate in Small Animal Surgery in 2018 and has brought to Linkswood her highly skilled expertise in laparoscopic procedures such as bitch spays and other procedures including BOAS surgery.
Carmen is a keen hiker and adventurous climber. Her love of the countryside takes her foraging for mushrooms with her German Shepherd dog Noa and her rescued Border Terrier Frieda. At home Carmen always gives any spare time she has to hand rearing puppies and kittens and gives her all into their health and recovery.

Rosina joined the Practice in August 2022. She qualified as a vet from The Royal Veterinary College in 2011 having spent all her childhood helping run her parents riding school and it was there that she first encountered Robert Lees on his regular visits to their horses. She maintains he inspired her ambition to become a vet and we are all extremely pleased that he did as Rosina is now one of our hugely popular clinicians at Linkswood.
Rosina now focuses on treating small animals with a particular interest in medical cases.
In her limited free time Rosina juggles embracing her two children’s passion for horses and motorbikes and looking after her many animals.

Rachel is a highly experienced vet with a wealth of small animal experience and we are delighted that she joined our practice in June 2024. Originally from Belfast, Rachel made up her mind at the age of 7 years that she would become a vet having always had a great love of all animals. She graduated from the University College Dublin in 2007 and moved shortly after to England working in local practices before coming to Linkswood.
Rachel is married to Adam and together they have two young and very active children, a lovely dog called Penny, numerous guinea pigs, axolotls and stick insects.
In her rather limited spare time Rachel enjoys working in her allotment, completing the occasional 100km walks and having the opportunity to bird watch.

Kieran graduated in 2023 from the University of Surrey and joined us in August 2024, having worked locally in small animal practice. Kieran loves all aspects of veterinary care with a special interest in soft tissue surgery.
He grew up in Somerset and played rugby for Surrey Vet School before moving to Suffolk. He has very quickly become a very popular member of our team. Kieran has a bouncy Springer Spaniel Peggy, and finds most of his spare time taken up with her training.

Tim joined Linkswood in the summer 2025. He graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2019, initially working in the North West as a small animal clinician before coming back to settle in his native Essex in 2021. Before training as a vet Tim worked in botany and conservation and has retained a passion in treating wild animals and exotic patients. He really enjoys the interaction gained in consultations with both owners and their pets, and pursuing medical cases. Tim also has a strong interest in dental surgical cases.
Away from work Tim is kept very busy with his young family and his numerous animals many of which he has rescued over the years.

Kaitlin graduated from The Royal Veterinary College in September 2025 and joined our practice as a really welcome addition to the team. She is keen to get fully involved in both the medical and surgical cases at Linkswood and has very quickly become popular with many of our clients.
Outside work Kaitlin has always enjoyed horse riding with a special interest in dressage and still owns Ollie her Fjord pony who now enjoys full retirement here at Linkswood.
Kaitlin also has a very bouncy Cockerpoo called Maple and enjoys plenty of energetic walks together.

Married to Robert, Avril has always been an instrumental part in the set up and running of their busy Practice. With 30 years of experience in Practice management, Avril has now helped Robert and George recreate the family feel of a genuinely Independent Practice at Linkswood and to nurture the ethos of a caring clinic for staff, clients and patients alike.

Becky is well versed in the administrative side of Veterinary Practice and has worked in this area since 2016. Joining us, Becky has taken on the role of Deputy Practice Manager and deals with all client’s administrative queries or concerns and is always a friendly point of contact should anyone have any concerns.
Becky is married to Andrew with two grown up children, Charlie and Lucy who are both a huge credit to her. In the past she was a keen horse rider and then a firm pony club mum. Becky has been a close friend to Robert and Avril for over twenty years and no doubt has a number of stories to tell.

Chloe, our lovely Head Receptionist is Robert and Avril’s niece. By coming to Linkswood and loving every sort of pet, Chloe feels her passion is fulfilled. Having worked for many years in customer care Chloe’s welcoming nature is guaranteed to make all coming to the clinic a positive and caring experience.
Chloe lives with her husband Leon who is equally passionate about all animals and Daisy, their exuberant and much loved Boxer dog.

Davinia has worked in the veterinary world for 23 years and has been Head Nurse in various Small Animal Clinics and at Referral Centres specialising in soft tissue and orthopaedics. She has a wealth of experience in all aspects of small animal nursing and a passion that has kept her in the industry for so long.
Davinia took a short break in 2020 to have her first child and has now come to Linkswood as Head Nurse and been fully involved in the set up and running of our clinic. Davinia is married to Georgina and together they have a lovely daughter, a high maintenance Yorkie and rather more placid tortoise.

Jess comes from a large farming family and has grown up immersed in helping her parents with their cattle and sheep. It was during this time she became well known to Robert during his farm visits there and so was offered a weekend job in the Equine clinic by him whilst still at school. Always having a passion for animals, Jess qualified as a Veterinary Nurse eight years ago spending a year in emergency and critical care. Since then she has always worked locally and joined Linkswood in May 2024 very quickly becoming a key member of the team and taking on the role of Deputy Head Nurse.
Jess and her husband Charlie have two very lively children, two dogs, some silkies and a house rabbit.

Kerry is a hugely experienced Veterinary Nurse having worked since 1999 in the profession. Kerry started her career training and qualifying at Woodgreen Animal Shelter and has always had a fondness for rescue animals. Over the years Kerry has not only worked in general practice but has also been involved in more specialised referral centres and laterally nursing for specialist Dental Surgeons. Kerry loves all aspects of the nursing for all animals but has a special interest in anaesthesia and dentistry and to further her skills she will be taking a Certificate in Anaesthesia in the near future. She also acts as stand in Head Nurse when the others are away.
Kerry is married with two children, a rescue bulldog, various cats, rabbits, snakes and her lovely horse Simba.

We were delighted to have Naomi join us in January 2022. Local and already well known to Robert and Avril, Naomi loves all aspects of nursing and has a particular interest in anaesthesia and radiology. Naomi is mainly responsible for all the precision of hip and elbow x-rays, and her high standards are always approved by The Kennel Club.
Naomi is a keen traveller and has back backed her way through Thailand and Vietnam experiencing life changing perceptions. She plans to continue her travels as time and finance allow. Naomi has followed in her mothers foot steps in her choice of career as a Veterinary Nurse, and we are so pleased to have her on board.

Kate is a hugely experienced nurse qualifying in 1998 and remaining in the industry ever since. Kate worked in small animal practice for several years before taking on a lecturers job for ten years at Writtle College teaching Animal Care and Veterinary Nursing. She then moved back into veterinary nursing locally before joining us at Linkswood. It goes without saying how lucky we are to have her on board.
Having grown up on a dairy farm Kate and husband Richard continue their love of the countryside having recently (and most successfully) opened up “Country Canines” which offers both day care and boarding.
Kate and Richard have two children Florence (who is following in her mothers footsteps) and Henry . The whole family are always kept busy with their menagerie of ponies and pets.

Natalie qualified in 2020 and joined us in June 2023. She fitted in immediately with the team and quickly proved her dedication being happy to work in all nursing roles within the practice. She loves the time spent with inpatients and like the others will always go over and beyond. Natalie is in charge of our laboratory being responsible for blood sample testing and microscopic analysis.
Outside work Natalie rides and competes locally on her own horse but equally enjoys walking her two dogs with her partner Anthony.

Molly qualified locally in 2020 and what a welcome addition to the team here at Linkswood she is.
Molly joined us in August 2023 at a time that was so busy the nurses hardly knew if they were coming or going and her huge personality coupled with her impressive nursing skills have been an enormous asset to the practice. Molly particularly enjoys anaesthesia, radiography and surgical nursing and intends to further her skills in the future by embarking on a certificate in advanced nursing.
Outside the practice Molly’s love of all animals extends to her two Labradors that she has thoroughly enjoyed training, her wayward Dachshund and her horse.

Abi joined Linkswood Vets in Spring 2025 and as with some of the other nurses actually begun her career path with Robert in 1995 at Ardmore Vets and subsequently qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1998.
Abi joined a local practice where she spent 20 years happily being part of a close-knit team. During that time, she enjoyed a variety of roles within general veterinary practice, always keeping the patient’s best interests at the heart of her work.
30 years later, Abi continues to enjoy the variety and fresh challenges that every day brings. She likes all aspects of nursing; particularly monitoring patients during surgery, undertaking radiography and caring for inpatients. Abi is delighted to be working at Linkswood Vets, alongside Avril, Robert and 2 other nurses who she originally trained with. She states it feels like returning home to her original work family.
Abi lives with her husband, 2 teenage children, 2 Sprockers and a rescue 3-legged cat. She enjoys gardening, yoga and training her dogs (or that could be the other way around!).

Sophie joined us in the summer 2025 and has very quickly has become a firm team member of Linkswood. She qualified in 2023 as a Veterinary Nurse but spent time before this studying zoology at university. It was not long before Sophie was volunteering at local Wildlife Rescue Centres becoming very involved in the hospital units treating and hand rearing hedgehogs, foxes and numerous birds.
Working now as a trained nurse Sophie still has a love for wildlife and a particular interest in exotic animals.
Outside work Sophie regularly plays netball for a local team, enjoys hiking and is a keen horse rider competing with her show cob Victor.

Rhiannon goes back a long way with Robert and Avril having lived with them twenty years ago for a couple of years. During this time she starting her training as a nurse and having qualified in 2001 has been dedicated to the profession ever since.
Rhiannon joined Linkswood in 2025 with a wealth of experience and knowledge and it seemed fitting that she should eventually come back to where she started her career in Veterinary Nursing. Rhiannon has a keen interest in dentistry, inpatient care and orthopaedics but embraces all the aspects of veterinary nursing.
Her spare time is spent on walking holidays with her husband and much loved Labrador Orla, although they both have a passion for the more exciting ventures of snowboarding and scuba diving.

Amelia qualified in 2020 having come from a firm veterinary background. Her father was hugely respected in the area as a Veterinary Surgeon and certainly one that Robert spoke highly of.
Amelia has always worked locally having firm roots in the area and joined us in September 2025 to be an immediate integral part of the Linkswood team. Although she has a particular passion for theatre and anaesthesia, she also loves the pre and post care of all pets coming in for surgery for the day making sure they are all cared for to a high standard.
Outside the practice Amelia is an avid gym enthusiast and trains for the occasional half marathon.

Debbie states she started nursing when dinosaurs walked the earth. With a bit of poetic licence Debbie in-fact qualified in 1996 and needless to say is highly experienced in all aspects of nursing. We were delighted to have Debbie join us in September 2023 following Veterinary Surgeon Jonathan Young who she had previously worked with as both his surgical and general nurse.
Debbie is passionate about cats and successfully gained a certificate in feline nursing. She would love to extend her passion later on and complete another certificate in feline behaviour.
Debbie is married with a teenage son and in her spare time looks after cats, rabbits and enjoys breeding chinchillas occasionally.

Charlotte was our first student at Linkswood to go through her Veterinary Nursing exams and successfully qualified in 2025 as a RVN. She is now fully immersed in all aspects of the practice but especially enjoys running nursing clinics and communicating with clients and their pets.
Charlotte also loves the intensive side of inpatient nursing providing the love and care to all those pets not only in post surgical recovery but also those staying in the clinic for longer term medical reasons.
Charlotte has to be one of the most upbeat members of our team and can lift anyone’s spirits at any time. Her enthusiasm for all tasks however mundane are met with equal positivity and her dedication to all aspects of nursing is exceptional.
Outside work Charlotte competes her lovely horse Eric and is passionate about her two Border Terriers.

Having worked in the beauty industry for 4 years Emma never lost her passion for animals and subsequently followed her heart joining a local Veterinary Practice to start her training as a Veterinary Nurse. She then came to us in 2024 to complete her qualifications and qualified in March 2025.
In her spare time Emma is a keen traveller with her husband and an enthusiastic rider although she loves the time spent with her working Spaniels River and Misty.

Nicola joined us in October 2023 having previously worked at a large veterinary referral centre. Although a passionate horse rider she has chosen to come into the world of small animal veterinary nursing and is currently training with us to become a registered veterinary nurse.
Nicola has rapidly become an integral part of the team and is keen to learn all aspects of the clinic concentrating at the moment in helping take care of daily inpatients.
She still has her horse but no longer competes. Outside the clinic Nicola also helps on her boyfriends farm and looks after her ferrets and two Labradors.

Florence joined the Practice in June 23 following in her mother’s footsteps and has become our second trainee to start her training towards becoming a Registered Veterinary Nurse here at Linkswood.
Florence is such an enthusiastic student loving all pets that come into the clinic and going over and beyond to take care of any inpatients.
In her spare time she is not only a keen horse rider enjoying local equine events but also a valuable help in her busy family run doggie day care business.

Grace is without doubt the ultimate ward manager. She religiously takes care of all inpatients that come into the clinic for surgery and can be totally depended upon to tend to all patient needs both pre and post operations. Grace treats all pets as her own and her care for all is scrupulous whilst under her care.
Grace also constantly raises staff moral by making the most fabulous cakes on a regular basis. An exceptional person with exceptional caring skills.

Ella has come to us to follow her passion for all animals. She is responsible for many of behind the scenes working of the practice and is a valuable member of the Linkswood team. Ella has a special love of cats and intends to spend as much time as possible in the cat recovery wards. She also loves exotics and would aim to possibly do more work with them.
Her time in Thailand afforded her a fascination in different cultures and an everlasting love of elephants.

They say to never work with children or animals, well Thea has now spent her working life working with both! She joined Linkswood in August 2025 as a Kennel Assistant and is keen to jump right in and learn all there is to know behind the scenes.
Outside of work Thea likes to explore and experience anything and everything, travel the world, be outside in nature and immerse herself in all things art and music based. She lives with her wonderful husband Alan and her sweet baby girl, and a miniature Dachshund called Laika.

Alison has been involved in the veterinary care world since 2008 and is without doubt the unsung heroine behind the scenes. Alison keeps the machines and equipment in the practice running efficiently. She is also a dedicated nursing assistant helping recover patients and adding to the TLC given to all patients whilst in the clinic with us.
Alison married Carl in 2016 and together they enjoy socialising with friends, gardening and short breaks in the country.

We were so lucky to have Craig join us in January 2023 to take full control of our ever increasing pharmacy. Craig qualified in 2017 with his MVQ level 3 but has been in the profession for over 12 years working in both the NHS and private pharmacy.
At Linkswood Craig loves being part of our ever increasing team and is reliably unbeatable in his efficiency at keeping our pharmacy smooth running and up to date.
Outside the practice Craig is married to Marnie and the very proud father of his beautiful daughter Arwen born in April 2023. As a family they have two cats, a dog and a number of tropical frogs.

Alix has been a friend to Avril and Robert for many years and has now come into the practice with her social media and administrative skills. Her talent for keeping all clients well informed is probably already recognised by all those following our Facebook and other media sites. Alix is also a cheerful friendly face on reception and will always receive clients calls with care and compassion. We are so grateful to have her as an integral part of the team.
Alix has very limited spare time but what she does have is spent with her charming horse “Billie” who lives here and in her delightful garden.

Lucy joined our practice in August 2024 having been in administration for the last 5 years. Daughter of Becky our Deputy Practice Manager, Lucy is now responsible for most small animal insurances, but also deals with most administrative tasks. Lucy and her partner Jake love travel and in her spare time she enjoys the family life with Jakes two children.

Annika has worked for us at weekends and in university holidays since September 2023 whilst studying for her degree in Equine Sports Therapy. She will qualify in 2026 and until then we continue to fully appreciate her flexibility and skills in so many areas of the practice.


Annika is a keen traveller and enjoys leisure riding together with many outdoor pursuits
Her ultimate aim is to work in animal rehabilitation and we all wish her the best for her future career.

Having worked as a teaching assistant for thirteen years Lyndsey initially joined Linkswood as a weekend receptionist. She quickly developed a passion for the job and when a full time position came up we were delighted to offer it to her. Working alongside Chloe the two make possibly the most caring, warm and genuine reception team anyone could wish for.

Lyndsey is married and keeps equally busy being a top mum to her two teenage children and a devoted pet lover to her German Pointer Dexter.

Sophie joined our reception team in the summer 2025 and works mainly at the weekends but also fills in on a regular basis during the week. She has been an upbeat friend and neighbour to Robert and Avril for many years and is well known for a particularly wicked sense of humour although her care and compassion is second to none.

Sophie has a grown up son who not only has been employed as a stunt man but also instructs snowboarding in Japan. Equally brave in the show jumping world, Sophie has finally cut down on her horses and concentrates on helping her husband Jason in his business when time allows from Linkswood.