Throughout a high-profile career that has made her one of the most valued and loved personalities in UK entertainment, Dame Joanna Lumley has tirelessly championed many animal causes and has been our patron for over twenty five years.

“I am thrilled with the change of name of our brilliant charity. I have been on board for so long that it was easy to forget that not everyone knew of Dr Hadwen, or what he did. The new name of 'Animal Free Research UK' says what it does on the tin; and we can look forward to attracting a whole new raft of kind and compassionate supporters. I am so very proud to be part of this wonderful organisation.”

"Whilst medical research is essential in finding new ways of treating diseases and alleviating human suffering, charities such as Animal Free Research UK show that it is possible to carry out research without the need for animal testing. In this modern world, new scientific approaches can and do make a real difference and I urge people to give their support to Animal Free Research UK to achieve even more medical advancements without costing animal lives."

Carol Royle - leading actor on the stage and screen and champion of animal rights - has been a patron of Animal Free Research UK for decades. ‘Do unto others as you would have done to yourself’ is Carol’s guiding philosophy in life, which she wholeheartedly extends to animals.

“According to the Home Office records, nearly three million animals are used in experiments in Great Britain annually. Yet, in laboratories across the UK and the world, there are scientists – many funded by Animal Free Research UK – using cutting edge technologies such as 3D organ on-a-chip, human cell and stem-cell culture and artificial intelligence to research a slew of diseases and illness from cancer to dementia. These new methods give far more accurate conclusions compatible with humans. What’s more, they deliver results and data faster and cheaper than outdated animal-based experiments.”