A COLLEGE event has been honoured with a national award.

Kingston Maurward College has been awarded National Pet Month’s Best Educational Establishment Event for 2014 for its Animal Festival Day which was held in the spring.

The event, which was run mainly by students, had a theme of ‘celebrating all things animal’ and was attended by around 700 people.

Guests were able to take part in fun animal activities and raise money for local charities including Julia’s House, Margaret Green, RSPCA, East Dorset Bat Rescue, RSPB and Purbeck Ferrets.

Christine Rolfe, an animal technician at Kingston Maurward, said: “Some of our activities were fundraisers for charity, while others helped demonstrate crafts that can benefit our pets.

“We had herb planting for example, to show the benefit to our rabbits’ and guinea pigs’ diets. And some events were pure fun, such as ferret racing!”

“Visitors were able to learn handling skills, and meet and greet some more unusual pets. We were pleased to have the benefit of the advice from a number of charities and very pleased that our event raised around £700 to be divided amongst them, to support their vital work.”

The event was picked out from events held across the country to receive the award and the college was presented a certificate by the National Pet Month chairman Phil Sketchley.

He said: “The National Pet Month trustees liked the balance of fun and educational activities arranged at Kingston Maurward. They helped promote responsible pet ownership while fitting in with our 2014 25-year celebrations.

“This was a true celebration for National Pet Month. We cannot wait to hear about plans for their 2015 event.”