The Vegan 2020 Issue 2

2020 Issue 2

£3.00

VEGAN WEDDINGS

Couples share their stories

WELLBEING DURING COVID-19

Lockdown tips and advice

RECIPES

Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats

Editor’s Letter & Contents

EDITOR’S LETTER Welcome to Issue 2 of The Vegan. It is apparent how vastly different our lives have all become in the intervening months since Issue 1.

From everyone at The Vegan Society, we wish health and safety for you and your loved ones. On page 18 you can find some thoughts and advice on maintaining mental and physical health during the pandemic.

Our main feature this quarter is all about vegan weddings. Kaya Gromocki explores the topic on page 8. Fiona Oakes – athlete, four-times world record holder and Vegan Society Ambassador – is featured on page 27.

If you’re unaware of Fiona’s achievements to

date, prepare to be impressed beyond measure by her dedication and commitment to veganism.

You may notice that this edition of the magazine has a new and improved look. This is the result of a redesign, which we are very pleased with. Please do get in touch and let us know what you think!

We’ve been coming up with ways to include you, our members, more in the magazine. Turn to page 16 to see what we have in mind and to find out how to share your ideas.

Elena Orde, Editor

CONTENTS 03

Highlights

06

In the news

08

Vegan weddings

Essential updates on Vegan Society news

The Vegan Society in the press

When vegans decide to tie the knot

12

Recipes

16

Membership

18

Pandemic wellbeing

21

Nutrition

23

Rights

From Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats

Updates, discounts, your views and the AGM

Tips and advice to keep you healthy

Healthy habits during lockdown

24

Trademark

27

Sport

28

Volunteers

08

Three decades of the Vegan Trademark

Featuring ultramarathon runner Fiona Oakes

Community Network and volunteer of the season

33

Fundraising

35

Buy online

36

Shoparound

40

Events

12

Ideas on supporting our work

The latest books and merchandise

New products to look out for

27

Vegan shows and festivals

Rights of vegans legally protected Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 1

From the CEO Editor Elena Orde Assistant Editor Pedro Fernández Martín Cover image In Tune Photography Designer Violeta Pereira Staff CEO George Gill Head of Communications Sam Calvert Head of Campaigns, Policy and Research Louise Davies Head of Business Development Chantelle Adkins Research and Policy Advisor Amanda Baker Communications Manager Danielle Saunders Communications Manager (interim) Lauren Williams Senior Supporter Services Coordinator Stephen Sanders Supporter Services Coordinator Kaya Gromocki Senior Web and Digital Marketing Officer Adam Duncan Digital Communications Officer Jen Jones Web Officer Hayley Kinnear Senior Communications and Campaigns Officer Elena Orde Graphic Designer Violeta Pereira Communications Assistant Pedro Fernández Martín Media and PR Officer Matt Turner Fundraising and Partnerships Manager Ruby Jones Campaigns Manager Mark Banahan Campaigns and Policy Officers Sabrina Ahmed, Tim Thorpe Insight and Commercial Policy Officer Louisianna Waring Office Manager Kat Anderson Sales and Merchandise Manager Dave Nicholson Sales and Merchandise Officer Beth Dandy Trademark Team Manager Kyla Townsend Trademark Team Leaders Ella Marshall, Natacha Rodrigues, Katharina Eist Trademark Account Manager Lisa Williams Business Development Officers Sheridan Rudge, Gabriela Chalkia, Hannah Trimble, Sophie Glenn, Zoe Lomas, John Andrews, Caroline Bolton, Cheryl Pierpoint Business Development Assistants Kate Petruk, Serin Price Trademark Marketing Manager Abigail Stevens Trademark Events and Communications Officer Neneh Buswell Trademark Digital Marketing Officer Nishat Rahman Finance Officer Allan Oakes Research Officer Dr Lorna Brocksopp Dietitian Heather Russell Vegan Rights Advocate Dr Jeanette Rowley Receptionist Jodie Coghill

FROM THE CEO The past few weeks have been strange and surreal for all of us. I want to reassure all of our members that, despite Covid-19, we are still working on our mission to support people to go and stay vegan. Like many organisations in the UK, our people are now working remotely, and many of our activities are unaffected.

We are still available to support you and will continue operating with as few disruptions as possible. We can be contacted by email as usual, but all phone calls should be directed to our general enquiries line (0121 523 1730) for the time being.

Unfortunately, our AGM on 30 May will no longer take place in Glasgow. We were looking forward to bringing the AGM to this wonderful city and using it as an opportunity for members, staff and supporters to socialise.

However, we are looking at a Glasgow AGM in 2021. For now, we have taken the decision to postpone this year’s meeting. Further information can be found on page 17.

We have been working on an exciting new campaign, which we hope will help nonvegans to rethink their relationship with, and use of, other animals. Some fantastic work has gone into planning this compassion-focused campaign, and we are excited to share this new content with you, our supporters, as soon as is appropriate. We are now planning a launch date slightly later in the year than originally scheduled; however, we are using this time to continue working on the campaign to ensure that it is as effective as possible.

I wish all of you the very best and hope that, despite the pandemic, you have found some points of light and hope amid the crisis. Perhaps there have been some small perks in your new daily routine, whether you are confined to your home or navigating the quieter outside world due to work commitments. Thank you for your continued support during this time of uncertainty. Now, more than ever, we must remain true to our values of compassion and togetherness.

George Gill, CEO

Staff updates We are very pleased to have Lauren Williams, our Interim Communications Manager, as part of our Communications Team. Our Communications Team has grown as we have recruited a new Web Officer, Hayley Kinnear.

Sadly, Dominika Piasecka has left to begin a new job. Domi was often the face of the society, and we thank her for all of her excellent work and wish her well in her new role. We are pleased to welcome a new Media and PR Officer, Matt Turner.

The Trademark Team has expanded: joining us are Katharina Eist, our new Trademark Team Leader, and Serin Price, a Business Development Assistant.

Council Menna Jones (Chair) Jenifer Vinell (Vice-Chair) Stephen Walsh (Treasurer) David Gore (Assistant Treasurer) Salim Akbar, Graham Neale, Ali Ryland, Robb Masters, Eshe Kiama Zuri The views expressed in The Vegan do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or of The Vegan Society Council. Nothing printed should be construed to be The Vegan Society’s policy unless so stated. The society accepts no liability for any matter in the magazine. The acceptance of advertisements (including inserts) does not imply endorsement.

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Donald Watson House 34–35 Ludgate Hill Birmingham, UK B3 1EH

0121 523 1730 info@vegansociety.com www.vegansociety.com

© The Vegan Society Registered Charity No. 279228 (England and Wales) and SC049495 (Scotland).

Printed on recycled paper

Highlights

HIGHLIGHTS

Our Veganuary pop-up at Mare Street Market

Veganuary During January we partnered with Veganuary to encourage more people to ditch animal products for a month. We hosted a pop-up at Mare Street Market in Hackney where we welcomed hundreds of people and signed them up to the challenge. Those who signed up received a number of samples from our trademark holders, including Northern Bloc ice cream, Dolma Perfumes and Brave Peas.

We hosted Matt Pritchard of Dirty Sanchez fame, who made an appearance and signed copies of his book Dirty Vegan.

Rich Hardy, Veganuary’s Campaign Manager, came along to sign copies of his book Not as Nature Intended, an undercover journey into the secret world of animal exploitation.

Vegan Eatwell Guide

Using the latest research and information available, we put together a vegan version of the NHS Eatwell Guide many of you will be familiar with. The guide also includes additional information on healthy eating tips, nutrients that deserve special attention and sustainability tips.

We have put this easy-to-use resource together to help vegans to get everything they need from their diet without the use of animal products. We have already been contacted by several healthcare providers who are delighted that there is a vegan-specific resource available that they can use when working with vegan patients.

Find the guide in the nutrition section of our website.

The most trusted vegan label According to consumers, The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark, which turns 30 this year, is both the most recognised and most trusted vegan label within every dietary group analysed in a recent survey funded by us.

As more and more people adopt a vegan diet and lifestyle, vegan products are being developed at an unprecedented rate, with multinational and non-vegan brands investing huge amounts of money and technology into them.

And with the market share of vegan products growing, so is the number of registrations with the Vegan Trademark.

But consumers don’t just want the word ‘vegan’ stamped on packs to signal a vegan-friendly product; they are increasingly demanding the authority and credibility behind our trademark.

Keep up with all the exciting new products being registered and celebrate 30 years of the Vegan Trademark with us on Instagram and Twitter by following @vegantrademark. Read more about the Vegan Trademark on page 24.

Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 3

Highlights

Nutrition outreach Vegan Society Dietitian Heather Russell delivered a talk on childhood nutrition at Plant Powered Expo to an audience of 40 people, including some fellow dietitians. The talk covered topics such as the use of fortified foods and supplementation, balancing food groups and the wider reasons for choosing a vegan lifestyle.

This quarter we also delivered a health awareness talk to health, social and childcare students at City and Islington College; spoke about protein status in later life at British Dietetic Association study day; and educated dietitians about veganism and nutrition at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The Vegan Pod

In light of the current Covid-19 pandemic, these episodes have been postponed. Instead, we are repurposing the podcast as a platform to provide support for the vegan community. Many of us are physically isolated from friends and family, and encountering new struggles in our everyday lives. Listening to The Vegan Pod can be a small way to feel closer to other vegans and to pick up some tips and advice to help you to weather this strange period we are living through together.

The podcast can be found on all of the usual platforms, including iTunes and Spotify. Please do rate and review the podcast, which will help us to raise its profile and find more listeners, and send in your comments, suggestions and questions to podcast@vegansociety.com.

Catering for Everyone Catering for Everyone is our campaign to get a vegan option on every public sector menu, every day. We want to see tasty, nutritious plant-based options on menus across hospitals, schools, care homes, universities and public sector workplaces in a bid to improve inclusivity and awareness around the many benefits of vegan food.

We were recently able to speak about our Catering for Everyone campaign at an NHS Sustainability Day in Manchester, which has resulted in ongoing conversations with sustainability and procurement leads within the NHS in support of the campaign. We have also been liaising with councillors in various regions to support their initiatives to introduce vegan options in public sector settings as a means of tackling the climate crisis effectively.

Introducing The Vegan Pod – The Vegan Society’s new podcast!

The podcast has been created as a means to explore some of the fascinating and divisive topics within the vegan community. We plan on covering issues such as whether veganism is for the privileged and whether we should support non-vegan fast food outlets when they bring out plant-based options.

4 | The Vegan Issue 2 2020

Highlights

Veganism and healthy bones Our Pathways to Veganism research showed that there are people with certain pre-existing health conditions who would like to choose a vegan diet but need extra support and advice to help them make a plant-based diet work for them.

This year our campaign Vegan and Thriving is focusing on speaking to people with pre-existing health conditions and providing support to help them to choose a vegan diet. So far we have worked with the Royal Osteoporosis Society to share the message that those with osteoporosis can meet all of their requirements from plant foods.

We shared a number of high-calcium vegan recipes with the Royal Osteoporosis Society and contributed an article to their quarterly magazine Osteoporosis News.

year Asda shared the love by adding a vegan starter, main and dessert to their Valentine’s Day options. Asda also provided a total of ten vegan Easter eggs and chocolate products over the Easter period.

Respect for beliefs when eating in care

Vegan shopping – easy and affordable The Vegan Trademark has reached new heights over the past couple of years. With over 42,000 product registrations, we are breaking new ground in terms of making veganism more accessible and affordable than ever before.

The Trademark Team have continued their work with Asda over the past few months. Asda have been increasing their plant-based offering by expanding their ranges – not just in their Free From lines but also in their Extra Special line. This

We all want to be sure that our relatives in care are treated with respect. But people with religious or philosophical beliefs can face difficulties when care providers don’t respect their dietary choices, especially when experiencing cognitive losses.

In some cases, lifelong vegans have been treated as if their ethical convictions no longer matter and fed in a way that contradicts their beliefs.

This has been a hidden problem, but the charity Vegetarian for Life has been holding an inquiry into this issue through the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vegetarianism and Veganism (VegAPPG), a cross-party group coordinated by The Vegan Society.

Vegetarian for Life has taken evidence from care providers, experts and those receiving care, and the VegAPPG held an oral evidence session in the presence of MPs in January. The inquiry report, along with recommendations, is due to be launched at an event in parliament.

Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 5

News

IN THE NEWS

Employer handbook hits the front pages The Vegan Society received global press attention after releasing our new guidance for employers in the wake of the Jordi Casamitjana case, which concluded that ethical veganism is a protected belief under the Equality Act (2010).

Our booklet received front page coverage on The Times and was featured in most national news outlets. The team was kept busy, with our legal expert Dr Jeanette Rowley and our Head of Communications Sam Calvert doing over 15 radio interviews in just 24 hours.

airwaves on BBC Radio 4 to remind the public that while the harsh reality of animal agriculture must be spoken about and confronted, we are always open to working with farmers as part of our Grow Green campaign. It is our aim to help farmers adapt to and benefit from the increase in demand for plant-based food.

Februdairy and the plant milk boom Februdairy, the dairy industry’s response to Veganuary, was an ill-fated campaign that received little media traction.

However, the unintended outcome was that more outlets were interested in comparing the ethical and environmental impacts of dairy milk and the many plant-based alternatives.

Our new Media and PR Officer, Matt Turner, has been working hard to highlight the benefits of plant milk during the Februdairy campaign. As well as writing a column for The Ecologist comparing the environmental impact of different plant milks, he was interviewed by The Times for an informational video on why plant-based milks are the future.

Tofu and the environment

The NFU takes aim at Joaquin Phoenix After vegan celebrities took center stage during awards season, the National Farmers’ Union hit back and claimed that the collective mental health of British farmers is suffering due to these interventions. The Vegan Society doesn’t want conflict with farmers – we are keen to collaborate and advocate for policies that help farmers transition to a more sustainable and compassionate system. This is why our Campaigns and Policy Officer Tim Thorpe took to the

6 | The Vegan Issue 2 2020

Misinformation about the environmental impact of tofu was swirling around media outlets following a questionable study that claimed it was worse for the environment than some meats. Matt Turner was on hand to dispel this myth, reminding the public that the vast majority of soya production is still used to feed farmed animals. Matt cited a 2018 study from the University of Oxford, alongside numerous other reports, which have concluded that greenhouse gas emissions created by 1 kg of tofu are far less than that of meats. While there are better plantbased options for the planet than tofu, eating a vegan diet is still one of the best things you can do to reduce your environmental footprint.

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Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 7

FEATURE

Danielle and Chris 8 | The Vegan Issue 2 2020

Feature

VEGAN WEDDINGS Before the coronavirus lockdown, Kaya Gromocki chatted to six vegan couples who made their vegan values the heart of their wedding.

Choosing to make your big day vegan is an exciting but also daunting prospect. There is a lot to consider, from the food, to the clothing, to the venue. I spoke to six couples who celebrated their love with a vegan wedding. Read on for their experiences, from the most enjoyable to the most challenging, along with the tips they would give to other couples who are planning their special day.

Planning Arguably the most stressful part of any wedding is the planning. If the wedding is going to be vegan this will bring some extra considerations, although it will also provide a wonderful opportunity to share your lifestyle with those you love. All of the couples I spoke to were in agreement that being true to your own beliefs is crucial to planning a day that you will enjoy.

Your wedding can provide a wonderful opportunity to share your lifestyle with those you love Dustin and David, who had their BBQ-themed wedding in Brooklyn, New York, added, “Set boundaries and be firm on what is important to you as a couple. It’s your day, so throw a party that you would want to be a guest at. Forget about tradition if that’s not important to you.”

Clothing One of the areas that may require a little more planning is clothing. Val and James, who married in London in November 2018, did a great job of summarising the points that couples will want to look out for: “If you haven’t been vegan for a long time, remember to check for things like leather, silk and wool when looking for your dress or suit.”

Other materials that you will want to be aware of include horse’s hair in jackets, mother of pearl on buttons and goat’s hair in cloth. In dresses, whalebone corsets are now unusual, but it’s worth checking if you are opting for a vintage dress.

Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 9

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Some tulle, chiffon and satin can also be made of silk.

There are of course a variety of options available. Danielle and Chris, who married in July 2018 in Essex, also highlighted the importance of playing to your strengths when it comes to the details. Danielle explained, “As a vegan makeup artist, I had my own full kit available for myself and all of the wedding party to use.” Using your own skills, or those of your friends or family members, is also helpful if you are on a tight budget.

Some couples, such as Lisa and her wife Bekky from Southsea, who were married at Folly Farm Centre in Bristol, managed to find exactly what they were looking for. Lisa says, “Our challenge was twofold, as we were holding a queer and vegan wedding. Bekky really wanted a suit that fitted her sense of style, and luckily we were in the fortunate position that we could order a bespoke suit from King and Allen, who made us feel welcome from the start and had great options. They even have a fully vegan made-to-measure women’s service.”

Amy and Kiya (pictured on the cover) from Australia found that they had to compromise: “When looking for dresses, we wanted them to be second-hand to reduce the environmental impact.

Unfortunately, we didn’t find what we wanted, so we just ensured they were made from vegan materials, which was cheaper anyway.”

Dustin and his husband Chris decided to break from tradition, which they felt made choosing their outfits much easier: “We didn’t wear suits. We both wore dark jeans with dress shirts and a waistcoat.

This was purposeful as our theme was casual, colourful and fun.” They explained that this allowed them to piece the outfits together while being sure that every item was vegan.

Food The couples I spoke to all took different approaches to

It’s your day, so have it your way Dustin and David 10 | The Vegan Issue 2 2020

their catering, but they all had one thing in common – they wanted to impress their guests and show them how delicious vegan food is.

Meagan and Spencer (pictured on the Contents page), who married in a forest venue in San Francisco in 2019, explained how they veganised the traditional food of their own cultures, much to the admiration of their guests: “We set out to create a vegan menu with traditional dishes that would be familiar to our guests. With both of our families rooted in the South, it was only fitting that our wedding reflected our roots with Cajun, southern and Creole inspired dishes.”

The pressure to impress can be more pronounced when you are serving a vegan menu to non-vegans, but Dustin

and David had no trouble with this: “Most of our guests were not vegan, so I relied on two of my colleagues, Chef Taryn Clayton and Chef Trish Brancale. Together we created a menu that we thought non-vegans would love. Clementine Bakery in Brooklyn, one of my favourite vegan bakeries, supplied the cupcakes and cake. The guests devoured them.

Think about your favourite foods and food that generally appeals to the masses so your guests aren’t saying ‘yeah it’s OK, but it’s vegan’.”

Val and James said, “Our favourite part was being able to share our lifestyle with our closest family members and show them that vegan food is totally delicious and far from boring.”

All of the couples I spoke to were excited to share the different ways that they incorporated veganism into their wedding. Meagan explained, “We wanted each and every small detail to show our guests that veganism is more than a diet, but also a culture and way of being. We were excited to plan a ceremony where we could share our version of love, but most importantly, we wanted to showcase our passion for promoting health and wellness in the Black community.” Overall, there was a strong feeling of gratitude and generosity, as couples enjoyed the opportunity to share the very best of their veganism.

Tips When looking at your wedding with the benefit of hindsight, it’s not unusual to wish you had done things a little differently.

With this in mind, I asked the couples about the advice they would give to others planning a vegan wedding.

Danielle and Chris advised couples to use vendors that live a vegan lifestyle themselves, rather than just providing a vegan service as an alternative. Danielle said that although this wasn’t a necessity, “it’s a nice feeling to know those involved in your day share your values.” Chris added, “I’m a DJ and I get an extra buzz from playing at vegan weddings!”

Val and James stressed that they would encourage couples to stick with what they want: “It’s your day, so have it your way. We’ve heard many stories of people who have had family members refuse to attend if non-vegan food isn’t available. We think that if you have guests who don’t respect your lifestyle enough to eat a plant-based meal at your wedding, do you really want them there?”

Meagan made the important point that couples should remind themselves of the reasons why they went vegan when planning their wedding, to ensure they remain true to their principles. She added that she would encourage couples to get creative and “not to be afraid of breaking traditions to make the wedding a reflection of you, your spouse and your love story.”

Amy and Kiya added a practical tip, encouraging couples to select a venue that allows outside catering. This can help to avoid using the caterer provided by the venue, who may have only limited vegan options. They added, “The goal should be wowing your guests with incredible vegan food!”

Thank you so much to all of the couples who shared the stories of their special day with us. Sadly, in light of coronavirus many couples have had to put their own weddings on hold. Our thoughts are with those people – and we wish you joyful celebrations in a safer time.

Val and James Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 11

RACHEL AMA’S VEGAN EATS Tasty plant-based recipes for every day

12 | The Vegan Issue 2 2020

Recipes

ROASTED BEETROOT AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH TAHINI Serves 4

Ingredients 2 large raw beetroots, peeled and chopped 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped Leaves from 2 rosemary sprigs, chopped 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp maple syrup 1 × 400 g tin of brown lentils, drained and rinsed 200 g mixed rocket and other salad leaves 200 g cherry tomatoes, quartered 4 tbsp sunflower seeds Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped 4 tbsp pomegranate seeds Salt and black pepper

For the tahini vinaigrette 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp tahini 1 tsp maple syrup 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1–2 tsp balsamic vinegar (to taste)

A hearty salad that combines maple-glazed squash and beetroot with salad leaves, tomatoes and nutritious lentils, all drizzled in a creamy tahini dressing. If you’re not a fan of balsamic vinegar, you can substitute it for fresh lemon juice. I like to use light tahini for a smooth dressing.

Directions Preheat the oven to 200 °C fan.

Place the beetroot, butternut squash and rosemary in a large baking tray or roasting tin and toss in the olive oil, maple syrup and some salt and pepper until evenly coated. Spread out the vegetables in a single layer and roast in the oven for 40–50 minutes, stirring once halfway through the cooking time, until tender and slightly crisp.

Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the tahini vinaigrette together in a bowl, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Place the lentils and salad leaves in large bowl with the cherry tomatoes and a small drizzle of the tahini vinaigrette and toss until evenly coated.

Transfer the dressed salad to a serving dish and add the still-warm roast vegetables in layers with the sunflower seeds, parsley and pomegranate seeds. Finish with a generous drizzle of vinaigrette.

Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats: Tasty Plant-based Recipes for Every Day by Rachel Ama. (Ebury Press, £20) Photography by Haarala Hamilton

Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 13

Recipes

AFRICAN PEANUT STEW Serves 4

Ingredients 1–2 tbsp peanut oil 500 g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 1 × 400 g tin of black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed ½ fresh red Scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded and kept whole (optional) 3 tbsp tomato puree 1 × 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes 500 ml vegetable stock 125 g natural smooth peanut butter 200 g spinach, chopped 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped 2 spring onions, finely chopped 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced Salt and black pepper

For the paste 2 onions, roughly chopped 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped Thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 1 tsp paprika 2 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground turmeric 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground fenugreek ½–1 fresh red Scotch bonnet chilli (to taste), deseeded and roughly chopped Pinch of salt

14 | The Vegan Issue 2 2020

My mum spent many summers in Sierra Leone, where her dad comes from, and this peanut stew was one of her favourite dishes. She usually had it with chicken, but when I made this plant-based version for her to try, she had the biggest smile on her face. This recipe is a definite winner in our house, perfect for when you want a really hearty and comforting dinner with a nice touch of spice to set your taste buds tingling. My favourite way to eat this is with plantains and coleslaw or a light fresh salad.

Scotch bonnet chillies can be really hot depending on where they’re from and how ripe they are. For a more gentle heat, you can place half a Scotch bonnet – deseeded but not cut up – into the stew to cook, then simply remove it before serving. This way the chilli flavour can infuse the stew but without adding too much heat. This is a great option if you are new to this quite fiery chilli pepper.

Directions Place all the paste ingredients in a food processor and blitz into a coarse paste.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or shallow frying pan. Add the paste and sauté over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little more oil if the paste starts to stick to the pan.

Add the sweet potatoes, black-eyed peas, Scotch bonnet chilli (if using) and tomato puree and mix to combine. Pour in the tinned tomatoes and vegetable stock, add the peanut butter, season with salt and pepper and stir in well. Cover the pan with a lid and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach, leaving it to wilt in the pan for 5 minutes. To finish add the lemon juice, coriander, spring onions and sliced chillies and check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed.

Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 15

MEMBERSHIP We want to hear from you!

We want to include you, our members, more in the magazine going forwards.

We love hearing your thoughts and views on topics raised in The Vegan, or about the wider vegan movement.

Maybe you’ve made one of our recipes and would like to share a picture of how it turned out. Perhaps you have a comment on one of our features, or an idea for a future topic or interviewee. Maybe you’ve visited a fantastic vegan cafe or restaurant and would like to send in a review. Perhaps you have adopted a companion animal and would like to share how you have changed each other’s lives.

From Issue 3 we will be awarding a Star Letter prize to one member who contacts us with a comment for inclusion in the magazine. The prize will be donated by one of our fantastic Vegan Trademark holders. We are very excited to say that the first prize will be a special bundle from the wonderful One Planet Pizza, including a four-pack of pizza and other goodies. We look forward to receiving your views!

We are also considering new features to include and are keen to hear your input. What would you like to see more of in your members’ magazine?

• Animal stories, for example featured sanctuaries • Profiles of members • Profiles of Vegan Society staff • Your questions answered – for example nutritional or rights queries Please send your answers, and any additional ideas, to editor@vegansociety.com, or by post to our usual address.

Discount list

Would you like to see more sanctuary stories in The Vegan?

16 | The Vegan Issue 2 2020

In return for supporting The Vegan Society and our campaigns, we offer all of our members over 130 discounts.

These include 10% off at Holland & Barrett, 50% off Vegan Food and Living magazine and 10% off our VEG 1 supplement. You can find all of these in the Members’ Area of our website at vegansociety.com/my-account/shop-discounts.

We are continually trying to improve the offerings to our members, and we update the discount list weekly. New discounts include 15% off Green People skincare, 10% off WUKA period pants, 10% off Brave Foods and 10% off Munchy Seeds.

Are there any vegan products or brands that interest you?

We would love to hear from you on any suggestions you might have on improving the discount list. You can email us at membership@vegansociety.com or call on 0121 523 1730.

Alternatively, do you run a business that would like to offer a discount to your fellow members?

Contact discount@vegansociety.com or apply online at vegansociety.com/your-business/discount-list.

Membership

AGM 2020 – postponement

Employer booklet

The 2020 AGM was planned to be held on Saturday 30 May. As many of you know, the plan was to hold the AGM at The Lighthouse in Glasgow. The Vegan Society was very excited about the prospect of taking the AGM to this wonderful city and had plans to bring members, staff and trustees together with the AGM itself as the centrepiece of the weekend.

Under the current very challenging circumstances, however, we have reluctantly had to make the decision to cancel these plans, and so we will not be holding our AGM on this date. At the time of preparing this issue, we are continuing to look at all options for rearranging the AGM as soon as circumstances allow. We are also focused on ensuring that all members will be able to fully participate in the democratic process that surrounds the AGM. Online facilities, using a platform that would enable members who join from home to participate fully in discussion and voting are being explored. However, Council could not be confident that our postal service and voting processing services would be able to collate and count members’ votes within the tight timescale of preparing for an AGM at the end of May. We will be sure to inform you of the new plans to hold the AGM as soon as those details are available. In the meantime, if you have any queries, then please send them to the Chair of Council, Menna Jones (chair@vegansociety. com), or the CEO, George Gill (ceo@vegansociety.com), by email or by post (Donald Watson House, 34–35 Ludgate Hill, Birmingham B3 1EH).

We do hope that our members, supporters and all those involved with our organisation remain safe and well. Council would like to extend our very best wishes to you all during this time which will be challenging for many.

We have created an employer booklet to help employers meet the needs of vegan employees.

We posted news about this on our Facebook page, and this is what you had to say: Katrina Dombkowski: “Very helpful! Passed this on to my company’s HR dept.”

Lucas Seuren: “My department has been better than most.

We’ve got oat milk in the fridge, everybody’s very interested in my beliefs and ideas, there’s a lot of commitment to veganism from the green impact committee and prize-winning bakes are always vegan! OK, the last is not policy, just because vegans are better bakers :).”

Gracie MG: “We have a dedicated vegan microwave in our communal kitchen.”

Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 17

Wellbeing

WELLBEING DURING COVID-19 Staying well and healthy during lockdown

Keeping focus

Community

The past few weeks have been unsettling to say the least.

During this time, it is particularly important for us to focus on keeping ourselves as well as possible, both mentally and physically.

We are all feeling the effects of being separated from most of our friends and family. If you have access to the internet but haven’t yet explored options such as Facebook and Skype, now is the perfect time to try. If you find navigating technology daunting, a friend or family member may be able to help you, even if it’s over the phone.

If you are aged 50 or over, the charity V for Life runs an excellent befriending service that can link you up with vegan phone friends or pen friends. If you’d like to find out more about this, call 0161 2570887.

Exercise Physical activity can help to lift our mood, as well as adding a welcome structure to our day and resulting in a better night’s sleep. At the time of writing, outdoor exercise is permitted once a day, either alone or with one other member of your household. Getting outside can do wonders for our state of mind, whether it’s a walk around the block or a lunchtime bike ride.

Exercise indoors can also be very effective. There are countless YouTube channels that provide free home workouts, from Pilates to boxing to yoga.

Entertainment Now could be a great time to explore your kitchen cupboards and see which ingredients you haven’t experimented with yet. Getting creative in the kitchen can be a great de-stresser, while helping you to get the most out of the items you have to hand. You can also explore the recipes available on our website to see if any provide inspiration.

Have any of the recent vegan-themed films and documentaries passed you by? Maybe you’ve yet to see Cowspiracy, Okja or The Game Changers. Take a look on any streaming sites you have access to or on the film’s website.

18 | The Vegan Issue 2 2020

Keeping positive We are living through a very stressful and uncertain period, and it is OK to feel anxious and afraid. Sharing these worries with those close to us can help us to feel more peaceful.

Despite all the chaos, we can still try to focus on points of hope and contentment. Perhaps you are enjoying spending more time at home with your companion animals, or maybe you have picked up a craft or hobby you’ve been meaning to try for a while. Please do write in with any small silver linings you have found, and any tips for living in isolation which have been helping to keep you well.

For those of you who are struggling to stay positive, you may find that meditation or mindfulness helps. You can find information on how to get started on the NHS website. The Vegan Society is also here to provide support wherever we can. You can email us on info@vegansociety.com or call us Monday–Friday 9am–5pm on 0121 523 1730.

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Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 19

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Nutrition

REFLECTIONS ON RESTRICTED FOOD SHOPPING

In March this year, food systems across the world started coming to terms with the unprecedented pressure of the coronavirus pandemic. Here are some of my thoughts on making the most of a vegan diet during this difficult time.

Being prepared Before you hit the supermarket, it’s worth spending a bit of time thinking about your usual diet and revisiting the basic principles of healthy eating. The guidance at vegansociety. com/nutrition may come in handy. If you can’t buy some of your usual choices, it’s good to have an idea of how to replace them with similar sources of nutrition.

Frozen finds Look out for frozen foods that count towards your 5-a-day.

Garden peas can be used to add good quality protein to a variety of meals. It’s important to consider how to maintain a daily intake of greens, and choices like frozen broccoli and spinach could be part of the solution. If you don’t find them as tasty as the fresh stuff, try lightly frying them or adding wholegrain mustard. Fruit is another valuable addition to your freezer, useful for making smoothies, porridge toppings and nutritious puddings.

Protein picks If you can get hold of them, dried beans, peas and lentils are compact sources of nutrition, and you may have more time on your hands for soaking and cooking them. Red split lentils don’t need to be soaked and their cooking time is relatively short; a half-kilo bag provides about ten servings of good quality protein.

Stocking up on peanuts, cashew nuts and pumpkin seeds will help you to get enough protein and healthy fats while you’re staying at home. Although walnuts aren’t a good source of protein, they are rich in omega-3 fat.

Plant milk popularity Market data suggests that most people using plant milk aren’t vegan, and it’s easy to understand why there’s been demand for long-life products during this crisis. Remember that you might be able to diversify the rich sources of calcium in your diet by picking up fortified yoghurt alternatives, calcium-set tofu and soya and linseed bread fortified with extra calcium.

Kale, watercress and tahini can also provide useful amounts of this mineral.

Home habits Think about storage when you get home. For example, apples might last longer in the fridge, and root vegetables, like potatoes, sweet potatoes and onions, have a relatively long shelf life if kept somewhere cool, dark and dry.

You may enjoy discovering new recipes and developing your cooking skills while staying at home. Meal planning will help to make your shop last. Start by identifying the most perishable items and ensuring that they are consumed or used in batch cooking before they go to waste. Homemade frozen ready meals will come in handy if you become unwell.

Food for thought In some ways, restricted shopping may be more challenging for vegans. However, many of our plant-based staples have relatively long shelf lives, and, hopefully, everyone will have greater appreciation of their nutritional value going forward.

Heather Russell, Dietitian If you, or someone you know, is encountering severe problems accessing the vegan food they need, please call us on 0121 523 1730 and we will try our best to help.

Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 21

Rights

VEGANS PROTECTED FROM DISCRIMINATION BY LAW

On 4 January 2020, an employment tribunal confirmed that a genuinely held belief in ethical veganism meets the legal test for the protection of equality law. This ruling also subsequently confirms that both the public and private sectors are under a legal duty to give due regard to the needs of vegans, for example in education, hospitals and in wider health care, the workplace and as consumers of goods and services.

Our Vegan Rights Advocate, Dr Jeanette Rowley, regularly invokes law in her work supporting vegans in need. Jeanette was involved in the case and provided evidence in support of the legal status of veganism.

The judge, having examined the submissions the previous day, reached his decision in little more than an hour. The strength of the evidence presented clearly showed veganism to be a way of life that is cogent, important and worthy of respect. As such, vegans hold what is referred to as a ‘protected characteristic’ for the application of the Equality Act 2010.

Equality Act The Equality Act 2010 provides protection from direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation. A vegan could be a victim of direct discrimination if they were treated worse than someone else simply because they are vegan. Although there are sometimes occupational requirements that result in the exclusion of some applicants, an example of this type of discrimination is where vegans are explicitly excluded from

applying for a job. Indirect discrimination can be caused when an apparently neutral policy is disadvantageous to vegans. An example of this could be where an employer has a policy that requires all employees to select safety equipment from the company catalogue. If the catalogue does not contain any vegan-friendly safety boots, the policy fails to accommodate vegans and causes them a disadvantage. In such a situation, a vegan can speak to a relevant person at work and request that the policy be amended. The employer, being under a duty not to discriminate against those with protected characteristics, must amend the policy unless it can be objectively justified.

Guide for employers In terms of harassment, employers must take care to ensure that workplace banter is not offensive. Vegans in the workplace are entitled to a safe and harmonious workspace, and this includes not being the subject of unreasonable comments and jokes about veganism.

If a vegan has an equality matter that they wish to discuss with their employer, they must not be treated badly for doing so. If they are, this could result in a claim of victimisation. It is also important to note that vegans can be protected by equality law even if they are new vegans, still learning and getting used to a new ethical lifestyle.

Our new publication Supporting Veganism in the Workplace: A Guide for Employers can be found at www.vegansociety.com/employer-booklet.

For more information and support, please contact Jeanette Rowley by emailing us at knowyourrights@vegansociety.com.

Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 23

30 YEARS OF THE VEGAN TRADEMARK This year we celebrate 30 years of The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark. We introduced the trademark in 1990 and have been working tirelessly ever since, providing a trusted mark to help consumers easily spot vegan products. Each product labelled with the trademark has been checked by our experts to ensure that it contains no animal ingredients and that it has not been tested on animals.

Where it began While we have made great progress recently with ethical veganism being ruled as a protected belief, there is still no legal definition of ‘vegan’ when it comes to product labelling.

Products are therefore open to being mislabelled – either by companies misunderstanding the definition or wanting to gain access to a vegan audience without doing the groundwork. Prompted by this lack of clarity in labelling, in 1990 we introduced the Vegan Trademark – the world’s first vegan product labelling scheme of its kind. Every day the Vegan Trademark helps vegans to find items that don’t compromise their ethics.

While it’s a little easier to instantly spot which ingredients in a food item are suitable for vegans, this is not always the case when it comes to other items like cosmetics, toiletries, household cleaning products or the materials, glues, dyes and treatments often used in our clothing. The Vegan Trademark is crucial in giving consumers the comfort and assurance that we have covered all grounds and thoroughly checked ingredients and processes.

The Trademark Team also works collaboratively with companies that are ready to reformulate their products to meet our standards. We closely regulate the use of the trademark, and our registration process is arguably the most thorough in the world. Each raw material is carefully evaluated by the Trademark Team and even the unlisted raw materials are scrutinised. We have seen some amazing changes made by manufacturers over the years to ensure their products are free from animal exploitation.

Why the sunflower?

Our internationally recognised sunflower trademark was hand-drawn and taken from The Vegan Society’s original charity logo. The Vegan Trademark has not changed since 1990 and is seen as a trusted mark by consumers the world over.

It has seen us through the days when The Vegan Society delivered soya milk to vegans with limited access to the present day, where the high street and 24 | The Vegan Issue 2 2020

Trademark

supermarket shelves are teeming with amazing and varied vegan products. For the past 30 years, the Vegan Trademark has communicated a simple message to vegan and vegancurious consumers – this product is suitable for vegans!

Our impact today Today the Vegan Trademark is a large source of funding for the charity, allowing us to do so much more and to reach a wider audience with our educational campaigns than we ever have previously.

With over 42,000 products registered globally, the Vegan Trademark has helped to catapult veganism into the mainstream. Talk of vegan ethics and culture-shifting vegan products has been on the lips of A-list celebrities, graced the front of newspapers and broken year-on-year online search records.

This year, our official partner Veganuary signed up a record 400,000 people (compared with 250,000 in 2019), showing us that more people than ever are adopting a vegan lifestyle and choosing vegan products. The Vegan Trademark is proud to be a part of this incredible growth by making vegan products more visible than ever.

Where we are headed As more and more people adopt a vegan diet and lifestyle, vegan products are being developed at an unprecedented rate, with multinational and non-vegan brands investing huge amounts of money and technology into them. This is despite

the continued challenges from the meat and dairy lobbies, which are observing a very real threat to their industries.

With the market share of vegan products growing, so is the number of registrations with the Vegan Trademark.

At present, The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark is both the most recognised and most trusted vegan label within every dietary preference analysed in a recent survey by The Vegan Society. Consumers don’t just want the word ‘vegan’ on their packaging to signal a vegan product – they are increasingly demanding the authority and credibility behind our trademark.

How you can support the Vegan Trademark Supporting companies that label their products correctly and contacting them to praise their efforts is a great start.

It is worth supporting smaller businesses that actively seek to create vegan products, as well as larger companies that include vegan options in their ranges. By buying these items, you are showing retailers that there is a demand for animalfree alternatives. This not only increases the number of products that they will offer, but labelling will improve as a natural result. Approaching companies and asking them to consider using the Vegan Trademark can ensure they label products correctly, allowing millions of consumers worldwide to shop with confidence and peace of mind.

You can also follow @vegantrademark on Instagram and Twitter and share your favourite Vegan Trademark registered products on social media using our anniversary hashtag: #30yearsofvegan.

Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 25

Sport

FIONA OAKES Elena Orde interviews ultramarathon runner, four-times world record holder and founder of Tower Hill Stables Animal Sanctuary Fiona Oakes about her motivations, lifestyle and the rise of plant-based diets in sport.

What do you think about more athletes adopting plant-based diets?

You have mentioned that you get up very early. How much sleep do you get?

I think it’s excellent. Any move towards plant-based living has got to be better for the planet. It’s certainly going to be better for the animals.

People buying plant-based products in general is great, but I think they need to be clear that if you just buy processed products, it’s not necessarily going to be an awful lot healthier for you.

I want to encourage people to look more into the ethical side of it, not just the fact that an athlete is thriving on this diet. The ethics behind it are very important. And it’s very important that we don’t lose sight of that.

For me, it’s crucial that when I do anything, I know that nothing else has been compromised or suffered for me to do it. So that’s the strength veganism gives me. I don’t know about physical strength. All I can say is that I’ve been plantbased, vegan, for nearly five decades, and look at me, I’m still doing it!

About five hours a night. I’m quite fortunate that I function on quite little sleep. I never rest in the day; I’m always doing something. I try to work my day out so that there will be something sedentary following something quite physical: at some point the computer needs looking at, or we have to unwrap the donation of food and produce that comes from the supermarket, which is quite a sedentary activity. I plan my day so as to alternate physical activities with sedentary ones.

It’s very wide and wily the way I work my day out to be able to juggle everything I’ve got to do, but it seems to work!

What about food and nutrition?

Nutrition is not hard for me. It’s always been very basic: whole grains, seasonal food. I haven’t got a lot of money because I’ve got the animals to think of, and they come first.

I don’t buy any of the processed products that are available today. I’ve never felt the need for them.

What keeps you going through the hard times, both in life and sport?

I just remember the good I’m doing. I’m not doing it for myself; I’m doing it for others. I think sometimes it’s very much easier to do something when there is someone else’s welfare at stake rather than your own. It’s easy to put yourself last. At the end of the day, one person makes an effort and 500 animals at the sanctuary, or those who aren’t at the sanctuary, benefit. It’s a bit of a no-brainer for me; it’s obviously a win-win situation.

When times get tough in races, I always remember at any point I can put my hand up and say, “I’ve had enough. I want to go home.” But those that I’m hoping to give a voice to can’t. That’s honestly what keeps me going: they’re my focus.

Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 27

VOLUNTEER HUB Kaya Gromocki Supporter Services Coordinator (Volunteering, Engagement and Outreach)

At the beginning of the year I was pleased to see our team of office volunteers expand.

However, due to Covid-19, this collaboration is currently suspended. We are grateful to all of our office volunteers, and I hope to see our current volunteers again in calmer times in the near future.

In this issue of the magazine, we shine a light on our Community Network. We are making every effort to move the work of the Community Network online and exploring ways to continue to campaign effectively during the pandemic. As staff we are using this time to plan future actions for the network so that it remains strong and active. We hope that the network continues to grow during this time.

The Community Network The Community Network is a group of people who volunteer across the UK to promote the work of The Vegan Society and our campaigns. Volunteers spread the word about our work in their own communities, and this helps us to reach people who we wouldn’t otherwise have contact with.

The network is made up of two types of volunteers: Community Organisers and Community Advocates.

Community Organisers are the points of contact for their local group of Advocates, and it is their responsibility to keep in touch with Vegan Society staff through email or phone calls.

We send regular tasks to the Organisers, who then communicate these to their Advocates and support them in undertaking the tasks. The type of action network volunteers might undertake ranges from contacting their MP about a Vegan Society campaign such as Play Fair with Plant Milk, to giving a short presentation on the climate crisis and veganism to people in their area.

28 | The Vegan Issue 2 2020

Volunteers

Meet the Organisers Ronnie Lee I’ve been campaigning for animal protection for almost 50 years, with my emphasis now being very much on vegan education.

I am a coordinator of my very active local vegan group, Wyre Forest Vegans, which covers Kidderminster and nearby towns and villages in North Worcestershire. As a Community Organiser, I would like to help and encourage many more local vegans to become involved in outreach.

John Awen I’ve gone from raising animals for slaughter to becoming an animal activist and joint owner of Beneath the Wood Animal Sanctuary. In my role as Community Organiser, I would like to grow the number of vegans in my community and instill within others heartfelt compassion and empathy towards all other beings.

Carol Lee I live on the Isle of Arran, off the west coast of Scotland. My husband Jules and I run the Arran Vegan Group and a vegan B&B. Together we organised the first Arran VegFest in March 2020.

I am passionate about making information and facts about the many benefits of living a vegan lifestyle available to all.

Louise Cormack For me, being a Community Organiser is a positive step to bringing people together and making new friends. I became involved in The Vegan Society as I wanted to ensure I am able to help people transition by showing them how easy it is to be vegan, and to host events knowing I have the support of an established vegan organisation.

Chris Mclaren As a Community Organiser, I’d like to work with other vegans locally to promote and improve the general public’s awareness of veganism. There are three areas we can use to encourage people to change: the environment, health and animal rights.

Personally, I believe the philosophical and practical stance taken by vegans encompasses so much more than the above, and tends to include other ecological practices as well as compassion, kindness and a better way of living on our shared planet. This therefore needs to be promoted, especially when considering the current climate crisis.

Evie Sier I went vegan 22 years ago after a friend gave me a copy of The Vegan, and I joined The Vegan Society soon afterwards. More recently my husband and I have been doing vegan outreach stalls at local events and in the town centre.

We have a diverse vegan community in Eastbourne, with people taking part in different types of activism. Whenever we have a stall, there is always someone available to help. I usually write to a vegan food producer requesting food samples to have on the stall for people to try.

Hopefully the local Community Network will grow in this area, so we have more people available to campaign with us.

Join the Community Network We all share a common aim – that gives the Community Network the potential to bring about real change. To make that change as impactful as possible, we need the number of our enthusiastic and passionate Organisers and Advocates to increase. If you think you have what it takes to be an Organiser or an Advocate, please read the role descriptions on our website and apply. If you have any questions, please email volunteer@vegansociety.com or call 0121 523 1730.

Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 29

Volunteers

VOLUNTEER OF THE SEASON Introducing Hayley Kinnear, a volunteer in our Digital Communications Team

Tell me about why you decided to volunteer for The Vegan Society Having fairly recently become vegan, I began thinking that I would like to do more to help non-human animals. I thought a good place to start would be to volunteer with The Vegan Society to help others consider a change in lifestyle (although I had hoped there would also be an office dog!)

You already had a specific skill set, which made you perfect for this role. Can you tell me a bit more about that?

I was first introduced to programming through a book on Python computer programming during a period of sick leave from my last job. While going through this, I realised I had an aptitude for learning programming, and really enjoyed the logical nature of it. This experience catapulted me towards a career in technology, and since then I have been learning web development in my own time.

What new skills have you learned since volunteering?

Having specific projects to work on with experienced guidance from Vegan Society staff has really helped me to develop my problem-solving skills. More generally, I have learnt about the world of HTML emails and all their interesting quirks, using content management systems and Google Analytics.

What motivates you to volunteer every week?

It has been a wonderful mix of volunteering for a great organisation that I really believe in and also getting to develop my skills in an area I would like to eventually get a full-time role in. The support and guidance I’ve received has

30 | The Vegan Issue 2 2020

made it a great place to volunteer, and it’s a wonderful feeling to be on the same page as the people you’re working with, rather than having to justify your lifestyle choices every day.

Can you tell me about the app you are developing?

Having worked with young people and in the field of mental health for several years, I decided I would like to create a resource for young people to learn the basics of mental health.

From my experience, we are not teaching young people how to understand their own emotions and manage them appropriately. Because of this, I decided I wanted to create an app to fill this gap. I have a fleshed-out idea and I have been invited to do a pitch of the project to a programming training cohort to have a prototype created.

The idea is to have a series of guided interactive activities on a variety of topics such as sleep, diet, mood and relationships.

It will also give users the opportunity to apply what they have learnt to their day-to-day life through reviews and monitoring tasks such as a mood diary.

What would you tell others who were thinking of volunteering for The Vegan Society?

That there is a really friendly and welcoming environment, you’ll learn a lot and probably get the odd free tasters of new products! But above all, if you are also vegan, it’s just nice to be around so many people who also care so passionately about other animals.

Since completing this interview, Hayley has been appointed as Web Officer in the Communications Team. This means she is no longer a volunteer and that we will be working alongside her every day instead. Congratulations Hayley!

Classifieds

Want to advertise here?

For advertising in The Vegan, contact Wendy Kearns at: advertising@vegansociety.com

Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 31

Classifieds

32 | The Vegan Issue 2 2020

Fundraising

FUNDRAISING Support The Vegan Society at your wedding

Your wedding is a great time to let your friends and family know about the causes that mean the most to you. We will be honoured if you choose to include The Vegan Society in your special day, and your support will make a big difference to our important campaigning work.

Use the opportunity to thank your guests for attending by giving them Vegan Society badges as favours. Make a donation to the charity and we can send you some of our beautiful enamel sunflower badges or another gift of your choice.

You could also ask for donations to The Vegan Society in place of wedding gifts from your guests. Set up an online fundraising page and share it with your guests ahead of the wedding. We can also provide collection boxes to allow people to donate on the day.

Donate without spending a penny We understand that weddings can be expensive, and there are plenty of ways you can support our work without it costing you a thing. You don’t have to be getting married to take advantage of the below, and they are all simple ways to donate.

Give as you Live If you prefer to shop directly from brands, you can register with Give as you Live (giveasyoulive.com), and they will send The Vegan Society a proportion of your purchase prices from sites such as Marks & Spencer, Boots, Ticketmaster and Trainline. There are lots of brands enrolled in the scheme, so if you do a regular online shop or are making a one-off purchase, it’s always worth checking to see if your retailer is on the site.

Spring clean Whether you are making space at home ahead of your wedding or just need to clear out some of your old possessions this spring, you can use this opportunity to support The Vegan Society’s work. You can sell old clothes and other unwanted items and you can donate a proportion of your profit to The Vegan Society.

Payroll Giving

Amazon Smile

Find out if your employer is enrolled in the Charities Aid Foundation Give as you Earn scheme. You can pick The Vegan Society as your chosen charity and have a donation come through to us automatically from your paycheck each month.

If you shop using Amazon, you can support The Vegan Society through your purchases. Simply type smile.amazon. co.uk in the address bar, select The Vegan Society as your chosen charity and Amazon will donate a percentage of your purchase price to us, at no extra cost to you.

If you have any questions about making a donation or fundraising for The Vegan Society, please contact Ruby via email (ruby.jones@vegansociety.com) or phone 0121 523 1730.

Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 33

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Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 35

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36 | The Vegan Issue 2 2020

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Issue 2 2020 The Vegan | 37

Promotional feature

CLIMATE CRISIS: IS VEGANISM THE ANSWER?

One of the main benefits of a vegan diet is the positive impact it can have on the environment. According to researchers at Oxford Martin School, widespread adoption of a meat-free diet could see greenhouse gas emissions drop by 63%, and 70% for a vegan diet.

So, could veganism really stop the climate emergency?

Climate breakdown and global heating The temperature of the earth is rising at nearly twice the rate it was 50 years ago. We’re increasingly aware of the impact that carbon emissions from fossil fuels have on the planet. Food production accounts for over a quarter of all global carbon emissions, and almost 60% of that carbon is a result of animal products, so animal agriculture is responsible for at least 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

There are many environmental impacts of farming non-human animals for food – not just greenhouse gases, but land use, water use and global acidification.

Joseph Poore, the researcher behind a new study by Oxford University, said, “Agriculture is a sector that spans all the multitude of environmental problems.

Avoiding consumption of animal products delivers far better environmental benefits than trying to purchase sustainable meat and dairy.”

Does your diet save the planet?

According to the WWF’s Livewell report, choosing a vegan diet is one of the biggest ways you can cut your personal carbon emissions – with vegans having the lowest carbon emissions of all dietary types.

The recent study from Oxford University also found that the carbon emissions of a meat-heavy diet (someone who eats more than 100 g of meat a day – or about one chicken breast) produces around 7 kg of

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carbon dioxide a day. In comparison, a vegan diet produces 3 kg of carbon dioxide a day – that’s less than half the carbon.

What more can you do to save the planet?

Around 85% of an individual’s carbon footprint is made up of energy, transport and food. According to research from the Committee on Climate Change, 40% of the average household’s carbon footprint comes from energy use. There’s no denying that the lowest carbon diet is a vegan one, but switching to 100% renewable energy is one of the simplest and biggest things you can do to reduce your household’s carbon footprint.

There are two main sources of non-vegan energy generation in the UK: anaerobic digestion (AD) and biomass. Both AD and biomass energy production can involve the use of factory farmed animals, slaughterhouse waste, fish parts and animal slurry.

This means that despite being ‘green’, many energy companies supply electricity that has been generated using non-human animals and animal by-products. The fact that an energy supply is green doesn’t necessarily mean it’s vegan.

Ecotricity is the only energy supplier in the UK that has registered its green electricity and green gas with The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark. The Trademark Team has verified all of the energy sources that go into making Ecotricity’s electricity and gas to ensure that they aren’t inadvertently using animal products in their energy supply.

Ecotricity produce green electricity using power from the wind, the sun and the sea – and they plan to start generating their own vegan green gas from grass too.

Read more at ecotricity.co.uk/vegan1, where you can also find a link to switch to Ecotricity while supporting The Vegan Society. Alternatively, call 0808 123 0123.

Events

EVENTS Covid-19 disclaimer: the following information is accurate at the time of printing. Please refer to the website for each event for the latest updates and always follow government advice.

Dorking VeganFair Rescheduled: Saturday 26 September 2020 (11am–4pm) (Original date: Saturday 23 May) Dorking Halls, Reigate Road, Dorking, Surrey RH4 1SG veganfair.co.uk

Balance Festival Rescheduled: Friday 2 – Sunday 4 October (Original dates: Friday 17 – Sunday 19 April) The Old Truman Brewery, 15 Hanbury Street, London E1 6QR balance-festival.com

Just V Rescheduled: Friday 16 – Sunday 18 October (Original dates: Friday 3 – Sunday 5 July) ExCeL London, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, Royal Docks, London E16 1XL justvshow.co.uk/london

Vegan Life Live Rescheduled: Friday 16 – Sunday 18 October (Original dates: Saturday 14 – Sunday 15 March) Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY london.veganlifelive.com

Om Yoga Show Friday 16 – Sunday 18 October Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY london.omyogashow.com

Portsmouth Vegan Festival Rescheduled: Sunday 1 November (10.30am–4.30pm) (Original date: Saturday 9 May) Portsmouth Guildhall, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth PO1 2AB vegansociety.com/whats-new/events/portsmouthvegan-festival-4

VegfestUK London Saturday 14 – Sunday 15 November Olympia Grand, Olympia Way, London W14 8UX london.vegfest.co.uk

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