Founder of Burns Pet Food, John Burns, has been made an Honorary Fellow of University of Wales Trinity Saint David, in recognition of his service to the community.
Chief of Staff for the University Shone Hughes presented John with his Honorary Fellowship for his support of charities and innovation. Upon receiving the award, John said he was “honoured.”
“I’m very honoured to receive this award today – it really is a great surprise to be here as well as a great pleasure, and I’d like to endorse the advice that was given today,” says Mr Burns. “They do say that genius is 10 percent inspiration and 90 perspiration; I think it’s important to work hard when you have an idea.”
Burns Pet Food has been trading for nearly 30 years, is an accredited Living Wage UK Employer and became the first UK petfood business to pay the Living Wage. The company currently employs over 140 people across the UK and Ireland, including 13 members of staff who work for the charity Burns in the Community, which provides support for individuals who have the potential to be socially excluded.
John Burns launched his charity The Burns Pet Nutrition Foundation in 2007, after a long history of donating to charities. The charity aims to improve lives of people and pets across the UK as well as enhance the lives of disadvantaged people by offering recreational facilities and life skill opportunities. In addition to this, it supports rescue dogs and cats by supplying them with natural petfood at rescue centres across the UK.
Burns By Your Side is Burns’ flagship reading with dogs project, and using trained volunteers and pets, is aimed at children of all ages to help support them with reading and communication skills. The project has been operating since 2015 with a network of 65 volunteers across Wales and Ireland.
Burns Pet Food also runs the Better Tomorrow programme which helps children and adults at risk of social isolation, and in 2021 helped 130 people to gain employability and useful life skills. They were provided with work experience at the company’s factory, head office, market gardens, shops and warehouse.
In a Which? Consumer survey that sought to establish Britain’s best loved dog food, Burns Pet Food ranked top, and was recognised as one of the best options for dog owners with pets with sensitive stomachs.
For more information on Burns Pet Food visit their website, HERE.
