Pet professionals’ trade body honoured at Downing Street

The Animal Focused Alliance, the UK trade association for pet professionals, has been recognised at Downing Street.

Founder Vicky Skinner was invited for a reception hosted by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, celebrating the contribution of the UK’s 5.7 million small businesses to the economy, society and communities.

Skinner attended the special event which brought together recent winners and finalists of The Small Awards, organised by Small Business Britain, which celebrates the UK’s ‘smallest and greatest’ businesses.

The alliance, which was founded in May 2025, was a finalist for the New Kid on the Block Award for best business start-up title, an award which commends businesses that started in the past 18 months and have demonstrated considerable progress to grow and develop.

Skinner said: “To be recognised in a national award in our first year is incredible in itself, but to then be invited to Downing Street was huge.

“We set up the alliance because pet professionals so often run their businesses alone, without anyone to turn to on welfare, licensing or the law – and meeting people facing the same challenges was a real reminder that we’re all in this together. Whether you’re a groomer, a baker or a builder, the day-to-day reality of running a small business is remarkably similar, and that shared experience is what makes events like this so valuable.”