Alison Wilkins
Business/Practice Manager
Alison joined Ryder-Davies & Partners in 2015, following a long career in the Dental profession. Previously to this she worked within GP practice so has many years’ experience working within the healthcare and HR management sector. While her children were growing up, they had horses and enjoyed pony club and competing. However, once her daughter went off to University, she decided it was time to change one type of horse power for another and now enjoys sunny weekends and holidays motor biking with her husband. Alison still has a variety of animals at home, which include her Labrador Bella, a Border Terrier Poppy, plus a menagerie of chickens.
Emma Hudson
Practice Manager
Emma started as office manager at the Ipswich Branch in July 2022. She has 7 years’ experience working in the veterinary industry previously being a head receptionist. Her favourite parts of the job are learning more about the medical aspects of the role and hugging all the animals.
Emma loves all species of animals and has previously been owned by hamsters, gerbils, a border collie, rottweiler, love birds, a cockatiel, fish, and budgies. She currently has 3 cute male budgies; Archimedes, Flit and Marahute who enjoy fresh fruit, causing trouble and singing.
In her spare time Emma enjoys movies, reading, live entertainment and anything Beyonce related.
Matthew Deans
Finance & Payroll Manager
Matthew recently joined the Practice as Finance & Payroll Manager following seven years working in a similar role within the waste industry. He is AAT qualified with many years’ experience of working in finance and accounting. He has a good head for numbers and enjoys the challenge of reconciling accounts.
He is passionate about the Suffolk coast and loves living in the area. He is often out in the field looking for and studying the wildlife of the area. He has a particular interest in bird-watching and is a committee member of the Suffolk Ornithologists’ Group – involved in the conservation of birdlife in the county – Barn Owls and Swifts amongst other species.
Elected a member of the Royal Entomological Society some years ago, Matthew undertakes surveys of insects (particularly moths) during the summer months at various localities in Suffolk. He often records moth species new to Suffolk and on one occasion new to Great Britain which was really special.
He also loves antiques, fine art, attending auctions, travelling, photography, drinking local ales, going out for meals and socialising with friends.
Fiona Hill
Office Manager at Woodbridge Surgery
Fiona joined the practice in 2015 with a long and varied career in the veterinary industry, originally working as an equine theatre nurse before moving into small animal and wildlife nursing then finally on to office management. At home husband James and children, along with a variety of pets (particularly the feathered sort) keep her busy. Other interests include cooking, painting and walking the Labrador ‘Breeze’ and Border terrier ‘Tarn’.
Rebecca Smith
Head Receptionist/ Administration Manager at the Woodbridge Surgery
Rebecca joined the Woodbridge reception team full time in December 2016. She is the proud owner of a British Blue cat called Pudding. She also owns a Netherland Dwarf rabbit aptly named Princess Snowdrop by the nurses who rescued her. In her spare time she enjoys crocheting and baking.
Denise Kennell
Deputy Receptionist at the Woodbridge Surgery
Denise has recently joined us in 2023 but has worked in the veterinary industry for over 16 years. Before that she worked with horses and prior to that she was an engineer in the telecommunications industry for 15 years. She has owned and cared for many animals from rats to horses and they all have a special place in her heart. She sings in a community choir which has raised over £50,000 for various charities. Her other interests are crafting and with her partner she also enjoys travelling, quizzing and trying to keep kit with walking, Tai Chi, HIIT and resistance training. She has two daughter, both grown up now and one with a son of her own.
Sophie Wood
Receptionist at the Woodbridge Surgery
Sophie joined the reception team at Woodbridge in 2019. She previously worked in customer services from a young age and went on to do care work before acquiring her role as a veterinary receptionist. She is a massive animal lover and has always had pets in her family – she currently has a cat and 2 dogs (one of which sadly had both her eyes removed but has adjusted very well to being completely blind). Sophie enjoys hiking and has an interest in travelling which she hopes to fulfil in the future.
Carrie Eve
Receptionist at the the Woodbridge Surgery
Carrie joined the reception team in February 2020 but has been a client of the practice for many years. She has two horses and regularly competes at eventing and dressage across the country, whilst also riding and competing for other people as well. She also has a dog who is the best companion for long trips with the horses. In her spare time Carrie enjoys running and physical exercise and takes part in obstacle races.
Kathryn Richeda
Receptionist at the Woodbridge and Rendlesham Surgeries
Kathryn joined the Ryder-Davies team in September 2019. Kathryn has previous experience working with animals as an RSPCA inspector in London and before that a veterinary receptionist in Norfolk. Kathryn had a break from working with animals to working with children as a teaching assistant while her 3 children were young.
She has 3 teenage children, a Labrador Ozzy, Cockapoo Lotta, two pot belly pigs, 2 cats and some goldfish.
In her spare time, Kathryn loves caring for her animals, horse riding, baking cakes and cooking meals, especially Italian ones.
Kathryn Simmons
Receptionist at the Woodbridge Surgery
Kathryn joined our Woodbridge surgery as a part-time receptionist in November 2019. Kathryn has worked with animals since leaving school and completed her Veterinary Nurse Degree in 2007. Kathryn previously worked as a trainee nurse at a busy veterinary practice in Cumbria and made the move down to Suffolk in 2017.
Kathryn shares her home with a tabby cat called Rossi and her four rescue guinea pigs. In her spare time Kathryn and her husband enjoy exploring the local area with their two children and are slowly renovating their home.
Connie Mann
Receptionist at the Woodbridge Surgery
Maddy Upton
Receptionist at the Woodbridge Surgery
Sally Peacock
Receptionist at the Woodbridge Surgery
Sally joined our Felixstowe surgery as a part time receptionist in 2005 and then in 2010 moved to our Woodbridge surgery. She has been married 30 years and has 2 grown up children. She is owner to 3 collies and a semi-permanent grand-dog!! In her spare time she enjoys walking, holidaying and cooking.
Laura Taylor
Office Manager at the Ipswich Surgery
Laura started her career working with children which was ideal whilst her two children were little. Now teenagers, she tried office based work for a few years but longed for a more flexible, rewarding (and enjoyable!) job which she has found at our Woodbridge surgery as part of our reception team.
Laura shares a love of horses with her daughter and has an 8 year old Hungarian Vizsla, Cooper, and likes nothing more than long walks in the Suffolk countryside and beaches with her husband and family.
Debra Filby
Head Receptionist at the Ipswich Surgery
Debra is our head receptionist at the Ipswich surgery. She started with us in the summer of 2010.
Debra had worked with animals in various different jobs before then and studied animal care at Otley College from 1999-2001.
She has a keen interest in most animals, especially tortoises and has five of her own that have all be rescued/rehomed.
Along with the tortoises Debra has a menagerie of animals – Vivi 15 year old dog Jack russell/lhasa/poodle, Gumball the cat (previously feral who has a Ragdoll dad!) Three Indian runner x ducks, Two dwarf lop rabbits Dexter and Lychee, An axolotl and salamander and a House gecko who was a stray from Felixtowe port!
They along with her two young children take up most of her spare time along with a love of gardening and the outdoors.
Cat Townsend-Bagley
Receptionist at the Ipswich Surgery
Cat joined the reception team at our Ipswich branch in January this year. She previously spent 33 years working in the equine industry. The last 7 years she travelled all up and down the country as an equine trainer coach. In 2021 she moved from Leicestershire back to Suffolk to be closer to her family. She now devotes her time to her son Harry and her two Labradors, Skye and Baxter. She particularly enjoys country walks with her three children.
Brittany Brett
Receptionist at the Ipswich Surgery
Brittany is a recent member of the Ipswich reception team. She studied Animal Management at Otley College and has always been very passionate about pets and wildlife. Her menagerie consists of a clowder of five cats, one dog, three chinchillas, one tortoise and a Spanish Ribbed newt. Brittany also has a family of smooth newts living in her pond and three hedgehogs that she over wintered from 2021 – 2022, as well as the odd fox that comes to visit her. She is known as the mad cat witch.
Sara Newton
Receptionist at the Ipswich Surgery
Sara lives in Stowmarket with her husband Pete and two cats, Millie and naughty Dylan! She has two daughters – Laura who is a veterinary nurse and is married to Ross and Clare who is in her last year at UEA and is studying to be a pediatric nurse.
Sara likes walking, reading and listening to all genres of music. She plays the flute but would love to learn to play the piano. She also enjoys meeting friends and eating out for a treat!
Mandy Dool
Receptionist at the Ipswich Surgery
Mandy joined the practice in September 2022, having previously worked at another vets. She is married with two daughters, seven grandchildren and three adorable cats;
Bella, Agnes and Hamish. Any spare time she has is spent doing fun things with the family, baking, cinema, gardening and keeping our three little fluffy kids entertained.
Jill Hillyard
Office Manager and Receptionist at the Felixstowe Surgery
Jill has been a general assistant at our Felixstowe surgery since 2007. She has a horse, a terrier, a cat and lots of rescued ferrets.
Diane Gilder
Receptionist at the Felixstowe Surgery
Diane works at our Felixstowe surgery as a general assistant and has been with us since 2011. She makes a very good cup of tea! She is mum to 2 pussy cats and 2 dogs. Outside of work she enjoys walking the dogs and the grandchildren!
Lucy Butler
Receptionist at the Rendlesham Surgery
Lucy joined our Woodbridge surgery in 2003 when her two sons were young, working on reception on a part time basis. When our Rendlesham surgery opened she moved there, undertaking the role of reception/admin. In addition to these duties she is responsible for the insurance claim forms for Woodbridge and Rendlesham surgeries. Lucy and her family have various pets, which include 3 rescue cats, 3 dogs, 2 rabbits, chickens and a cockerel who adopted them! Their Papillion dog Stan is Pets as Therapy Dog (PAT) and they visit a retirement home every week where Stan is very popular with the residents.
Sue Yates
Ambulance Driver / Kennel Assistant
Sue joined Ryder Davies in March 2022 after retiring from a long career in the NHS as a MacMillan Clinical Nurse Specialist.
She has always had a keen interest in animals, and she feels it a privilege that part of her role is to ensure that the poorly animals are transferred between our surgeries with all the care, comfort and attention that they need.
She lives with her husband and her cocker spaniel, Bailey who takes up a lot of her spare time, and definitely rules the household!