The vegan 2017 Issue 1

The Vegan 2017 Issue 1

The Vegan Society magazine

VIRTUAL REALITY How new technology can help veganism

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES with elite obstacle course racer Anna Solomon

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Editor’s Letter & Contents

Editor’s Letter

A

s the vegan movement grows, it is fascinating to witness and be a part of its progress. Advances in technology mean that we’re seeing a whole host of new and innovative ways to bring veganism to different audiences every day. With this theme in mind, I had the opportunity to speak to Animal Equality’s Toni Shephard about the organisation’s use of Virtual reality (page 10). This technology is used in an original way, to share the truth of what happens in factory farms and slaughterhouses.

If you’re looking to make some positive changes in the New Year, we have plenty of inspiration.

Whether it’s applying for a Vegan Society grant

to introduce new people to veganism (page 22), or leaving a legacy to The Vegan Society in your will (page 26), we have you covered. If you’re interested in taking up a radical new sport, look no further than Overcoming obstacles (page 18), where the plant-fuelled elite obstacle course racer Anna Solomon shares her story.

Wishing you a happy and healthy 2017 from everyone at The Vegan Society. May this year bring as many great strides forward in veganism as the last!

Contents 03

Achievements

08

Media highlights

10

Virtual reality activism

14

Recipes

18

Sport

22

Grants

28

Active vegans

33

Nutrition

34

AGM 2017

36

Shoparound

39

Veganism and dementia

10

Essential updates on Vegan Society news

The Vegan Society in the press

Animal Equality’s iAnimal campaign

Hearty recipes from Smith & Daughters

14

Elite obstacle course racing

Three inspiring stories

Keeping up with our amazing volunteers

The role of fortified food and supplements

18

Plus results of our member consultation

New vegan products to look out for

Knowing your rights as an older vegan Issue 4 2016 | The Vegan 1

From the CEO Editor Elena Orde Art Director Lia Cumming Contributors Smith & Daughters, Anna Solomon, Tony Harris, Amanda Woodvine, Peter Dickinson, Natalie Baker Cover image: Animal Equality

From the CEO Exploring new avenues for outreach

Print kingsdown.uk.com Submissions We welcome articles on a range of topics relating to veganism, as well as photographs, images, and illustrations.

Please email editor@vegansociety.com for more information.

Staff Interim CEO & Head of Business Development George Gill Head of Communications Peter Smith Chief Finance Officer Stephen Hirst Head of Campaigns & Policy Louise Davies Senior Advocacy & Policy Officer Amanda Baker Volunteering & Engagement Manager Alex Douglas Supporter Services Officer Andy Davidson Supporter Services Assistant Debbie Latham Admin Assistant Katherine Anderson Web & Digital Communications Officer Ali Ryland Communications & Campaigns Officer Elena Orde Campaigner Tom Kuehnel Office Manager & Fundraiser Sarah Cook Sales & Merchandise Manager Dave Nicholson Sales Assistant Dean Bracher Trademark Assistant Manager Laura Faliveno Business Development Officer Paul Philbrow Trademark Relations Officer Abigail Stevens Business Development Assistants Charlotte Bracken, Emma Blockley, Jess Olley, Stephanie Reed Business Operations Manager Paul Tomlinson Finance Officer Allan Oakes Research Officer Dr Lorna Brocksopp Dietitian Heather Russell Council Stephen Walsh (Chair) Jenifer Vinell (Vice-Chair) Menna Jones (Treasurer) Salim Akbar, David Gore, Constantin Imbs, Graham Neale, Sagar Shah, Patricia Tricker 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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I

hope everyone had a great World Vegan Month. At The Vegan Society we launched several exciting new projects, including an interactive web app which showed users how many animals they have saved since going vegan. The Veganalyser also calculates how many animals a person could save if they went vegan today. It was wonderful to see many people so happy about the difference they had already made by following a vegan lifestyle, and keen to share this news with their friends and family.

We also launched the Vegan Society podcast for World Vegan Month. This has been very well received, and is a great way to keep in touch with members, voice different views and share our reactions to recent vegan-related news items.

The past few months have been extremely busy in terms of events. Staff and volunteers have attended many outreach events. Every single person who got involved did a fantastic job educating the public about veganism and answering their questions. We have also attended many trade shows, where we spoke about the need for accurate vegan labelling, and made contact with a number of companies who wished to register their products.

There has also been a marked increase in the number of talks and presentations that have been requested of Vegan Society staff. Our Dietitian Heather Russell has given many talks and appeared on multiple panels, where she has delivered great advice on plant-based nutrition. We have also given talks on third sector careers, inclusive activism, and our environmental campaign Grow Green.

This year The Vegan Society will continue to expand, to build on existing campaigns, and move forwards with exciting new projects. We look forward to your continued support and encouragement. Every one of our members plays a vital role in the success of The Vegan Society, and we appreciate all of your contributions.

George Gill, Interim CEO

Staff updates Our Media and PR Manager, Jimmy Pierson, moved on to another exciting opportunity. Sally Murray-Fella has left to continue her career in the third sector, while Rhiannon Delo is pursuing an exciting business venture. We wish all of them the very best, and know that they will go on to achieve great things.

Louise Davies joined us as our new Head of Campaigns. With a strong background in political campaigning, we are delighted to have her on board. We have also taken on two new Business Development Assistants, Jess Olley and Stephanie Reed, and a new Sales and Merchandise Manager, Dave Nicholson.

Donald Watson House 21 Hylton Street Birmingham B18 6HJ UK

0845 45 88244 0121 523 1730 info@vegansociety.com www.vegansociety.com

Š The Vegan Society Registered Charity no.279228 Company Reg. no.1468880

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Achievements

Achievements The Vegan Society Podcast

Veganalyser graphics by Adam Duncan

Veganalyser For World Vegan Month we launched our Veganalyser – a web app which shows how many animals a person has saved since going vegan, and how many animals a person could save if they went vegan today.

It was our most popular World Vegan Month page, with over 60,000 people interacting with it in November. Thousands of you posted it on social media, many of you overjoyed to share your results with your friends and family.

While 55% of those who interacted with the Veganalyser were already vegan, 45% were not.

It is clear that the non-vegans (27,000 people in November alone) have already started to question their lifestyle. This is made more apparent by the number who then went on to view our ‘How to go vegan’ and ‘Vegan Pledge’ pages: that’s 15,000 people. Thanks to the Veganalyser, 25% of all people who took part have gone away more educated and better informed than they were before.

But it doesn’t just end at World Vegan Month.

The Veganalyser is a long-running campaign that demonstrates the numerical reality of the meat, dairy and egg industries. While no reliable figures have been found yet, future launches hope to include the wider impact of living a vegan lifestyle, such as how many animals are saved by not wearing leather or wool, and avoiding toiletries that have been tested on animals. For now, it remains a great way to persuade nonvegans to question their diet and ethics. Try it at vegansociety.com/veganalyser.

On World Vegan Day we launched the first ever Vegan Society podcast – a radio-style show hosted by staff members which is available to download.

The first episode discussed the revelation that vegan cheese should be renamed ‘Gary’, following an online rant from a non-vegan which went viral. Supporter Services Officer Andy Davidson also interviewed the public at the Big Animal Rights March about their thoughts on veganism, and whether the march was influencing them to think twice about their lifestyles.

Following on from this, our second episode investigated new vegan outreach methods as well as providing a lighter side with tips on how best to cook potato waffles. Since the launch, the podcast has gone from strength to strength, attracting over 2000 listeners each time.

To make sure you never miss one, head to vegansociety.com/podcast and subscribe via the links provided.

Issue 1 2017 | The Vegan 3

Achievements Forest Green Rovers A trip to Forest Green Rovers to celebrate the start of World Vegan Month is becoming tradition for the society. Rovers are celebrating a full year as the world’s first vegan football club and our Head of Communications, Peter Smith, was there to promote veganism and to discuss our Grow Green campaign with Helen Taylor of green energy company Ecotricity.

This year’s match saw an exciting one-all draw with promotion rivals Dagenham and Redbridge.

Rovers are top of the league and we all hope they will be promoted as champions at the end of April.

A new member signs up at London Vegfest

Great outreach Autumn and winter are the busiest seasons for The Vegan Society’s events team, and with new vegan events springing up left, right and centre this year was no different.

Alex, Elena and Heather attended London Vegfest in October. Web and Digital Communications Officer Ali Ryland gave a presentation about pro-intersectional activism, where she explained the importance of inclusion and the need for awareness on how issues such as race, ability and class affect people’s ability to access veganism. On Sunday afternoon we were very excited to be joined by our ambassador Benjamin Zephaniah, who made an unexpected visit to our stand.

Scotland Vegfest in Glasgow was just as fruitful.

The second year the event has been held, it was wonderful to be visited again by so many people who we met the previous year, many of whom had become members. Volunteering and Engagement Manager Alex Douglas gave an interactive presentation, providing advice on how to get involved in creating a vegan community.

Staff and volunteers also attended the West Midlands Vegan Festival in Wolverhampton, an event so successful it has grown to cover the whole weekend, and two different buildings in the city centre.

Thanks go to all our volunteer fundraisers 4 The Vegan | Issue 1 2017

Helen Taylor of Ecotricity receives our Grow Green report

Volunteer-run events We have been overwhelmed this season by the number of volunteers willing to run events on behalf of The Vegan Society. Vegan Society staff would love to be able to attend every vegan event – from the oldest and most established, to the newest up-and-coming shows. However, as this isn’t possible we are very fortunate to have such dedicated and responsible volunteers we can call on.

Event Volunteer Ann attended the Northern Vegan Festival in Manchester, signing up five new members and raising money in sales and donations. Ann says, “The event was wonderful – everyone who visited was so generous.”

Local Contacts and volunteers have also run stalls on our behalf at the London Animal Free Festival, the Animal Aid Christmas Fair, and the Scottish Vegan Festival, as well as events in Dundee, Cambridge, Ipswich, Colchester, Derby, Newcastle and Breckland.

Achievements Strathclyde Climate Summit Campaigner Tom Kuehnel and Engagement Manager Alex Douglas were invited to exhibit at 2050 Scotland’s Youth Climate Group’s ‘Youth Climate Summit 2016’. The aim of the conference is to engage, educate and empower Scotland’s future leaders to take action on climate change.

We had a busy day talking to the 300 young delegates about veganism and climate change.

We also spoke to them about our Grow Green campaign, which recommends a steer towards plant-protein agriculture, away from animal agriculture, with the aim of tackling climate change.

This year was the first that the 2050 Group’s menu has been exclusively vegan – a fact that sent a clear message about the food we eat and its environmental impact.

We found that a great many of the delegates were already vegan, however we managed to sign many non-vegans up to our 30 Day Vegan Pledge. With the incredible vegan food on offer, half of our job was done for us! It was inspiring to see the next generation of leaders coming away from the conference feeling empowered about how they can lead Scotland to a more sustainable future.

Be a voice for the environment On 29 November, The Vegan Society launched the ‘Be a voice for the environment’ thunderclap campaign. Everyone who signed up to support the campaign had an automatic message shared on their social media platforms at the same time.

The message was to raise awareness of the tenth anniversary of the publication of Livestock’s Long Shadow. This is a seminal report citing the hugely

A truly inspiring team

negative effects of animal agriculture on the environment. Since its launch the government has not responded with policies or initiatives to effectively combat these issues – something we wish to call them to account on.

The campaign was a huge success, reaching nearly three quarters of a million people via social media. Together, The Vegan Society and our supporters called on the government to stop incentivising farming that is detrimental to people, the planet, and other animals. Over 350 people participated in spreading the message far and wide, while thousands more visited our website that day to find out more about the Grow Green campaign.

Read more at vegansociety.com/growgreen.

Issue 1 2017 | The Vegan 5

Achievements

Engaging with sociology students Staff members Alex Douglas and Dr Lorna Brocksopp were invited to speak to first year sociology students at Nottingham Trent University, forming a workshop that explored the connections between academic work and animal rights activism.

Lorna prepared a presentation about her role as Researcher for The Vegan Society, and the work of our Research Advisory Committee, while Alex spoke about her background in activism and how this led to a role at The Vegan Society.

The key aims of the workshop were to show how sociologists can and do work with the third sector, to educate about how the third sector engages with academics and makes use of academic research and expertise, and to encourage interested students to think about research projects they might want to undertake later in their degree.

Vegan festive recipe videos

Nutrition for children Dietitian Heather Russell has hit the ground running in her first few months at The Vegan Society. Heather has begun to update our online nutritional resources for infants, children and adolescents – an extremely valuable topic, as many parents and carers still lack the support they need from health professionals when raising their children as vegan. These resources will be completed in the coming months.

Heather gave a talk at the Leicester Vegan Fair on food tips for vegan children. This was an interactive session held in the family room, at which she discussed the food groups in balanced vegan diets, the role of fortified food and supplements, and the advantages and challenges of raising vegan children in a non-vegan world.

This was also a good opportunity to raise awareness of our advocacy services. Many people are still unaware that schools are obliged to cater for vegan children, especially if children are entitled to free school meals. Please contact advocacy@vegansociety.com if you are experiencing issues with this.

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In the run-up to the festive season, The Vegan Society created three recipe videos with the help of a vegan chef, Day Radley. Featuring a delicious starter, main and dessert, Day showed that vegan cooking can be easy and fun.

Our thanks go to Day, who was a delight to film with. Check out her work at yeschefday.com.

We are also very grateful to Trademark holders Vegusto who lent us the use of their beautiful set, and kept us well stocked up on snacks throughout the day!

You can check out the videos on our YouTube channel, and at vegansociety.com/festivemenu.

Editor Elena Orde with Vegan Chef Day

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Media highlights

Media highlights

In the press and on the airwaves

Non-vegan £5 note scandal

Kaye Adams Show

Many vegans were distressed at the news that the new £5 notes, which have been in circulation for several months, contain tallow – a kind of rendered animal fat. Following the news, Elena Orde wrote a piece for the Independent explaining how unnecessary the use of animal fat in this product is. Elena then spoke on LBC about the topic, while Ali Ryland spoke on BBC Radio 5 Live in a clip that was then re-used several times across the BBC. A petition asking the Bank of England to reformulate the notes has garnered thousands of signatures, and prompted a response stating that the bank is investigating other materials.

On World Vegan Day, 1 November, Volunteering and Engagement Manager Alex Douglas was invited to speak on the Kaye Adams show on BBC Radio Scotland. One of the team’s staff was taking our 30 Day Vegan Pledge, so got in touch to find out how to get the most out of the experience. Alex reassured him that he would still be able to find delicious food at his convenience, and was a friendly and engaging guest. Alex was invited back a week later to chat to the Pledger and offer him further tips and advice. As someone who grew up in Glasgow, Alex suggested that he tap into the wonderful vegan community the city has to offer.

Don’t make this about halal

The London Economic

Jimmy Pierson was invited by the Independent to write a piece on halal meat. His article was titled ‘Don’t make this about Islam – there is no such thing as humane slaughter’. It explained that the controversy around halal slaughter can fuel islamophobia, and detracts from the real conversation we should be having – that slaughter cannot be made acceptable due to the methods used, but it in and of itself is always an immoral act. His piece was shared over 13,000 times on the Independent, and was picked up by several other news outlets.

Editor Elena Orde wrote several pieces for The London Economic this quarter. She wrote two articles on dairy, one focusing on the failing nature of the industry and one drawing the link between the dairy industry and the badger cull.

She also wrote a piece entitled, ‘Farmed animals are more intelligent than we think – but this is missing the point’. This explained that, while it is good that the public and scientific community are beginning to acknowledge the intelligence of other animals, we should care for all animals regardless of intelligence.

8 The Vegan | Issue 1 2017

Outreach

Virtual reality activism Exploring the iAnimal experience with Animal Equality’s Toni Shephard

10 The Vegan | Issue 1 2017

Outreach

A

nimal Equality are known for their work bringing factory farm and slaughterhouse farm and slaughterhouse footage to the public. footage to the With public. the creation With the of iAnimal, of creation a virtual iAnimal, reality a virtual headset, the wearer reality headset, is transported the wearerinside is transported the video.

Elena Orde inside the video. speaks Elena to Animal Orde speaks Equality’s to Animal Executive Executive Equality’s Director Toni Director Shephard Toni Shephard about the impact about the impact of thisof technology this technology on theon vegan the movement. vegan movement.

Where did the idea for iAnimal come from?

One of the founders of Animal Equality, Jose Valle, is very into technology and has been following the progress of virtual reality over the last two years. He realised that it would be feasible to take out to events and onto the high street, to give people that experience of actually being inside the farm and the slaughterhouse. We wanted people’s first experiences of virtual reality to be of factory farming, because then it’s going to stay in their brain forever.

How was the footage created?

We had to go out and take new footage, specifically for iAnimal. This is because we needed 360 degrees – you need to film absolutely everything so that when you watch it through the headset you actually feel like you’re standing in the room.

At first we had to experiment with cameras. We started off using a custom built rig with six GoPro cameras in a hexagon shape. Then we took the footage from the six cameras, and stitched it together using specialised software. Since then, we’ve progressed to using some of the custom built, very wide fish angle lenses, so we’re down to using just three cameras now. We can still catch the whole environment, but we end up with fewer files and so it takes less stitching together.

I suppose every kind of new technology requires a learning phase.

Absolutely. We needed to learn how to use the cameras, and how to best position them. For example, when filming the sows that were in cages, we could put the camera on a monopod quite near to them, out of the pigs’ range. But then we tried to film the fattening pens, which contained a group of pigs. Ideally we wanted to put the camera right in the middle of the pen, but we couldn’t because the pigs would knock it over straight away. So we actually had to suspend the cameras on a wire above the pen, in order to get the shot that we really wanted. So, it’s a lot of experimenting.

Why is the virtual reality experience so much more affecting than watching a film?

Personally I think there are two parts to it. Firstly, virtual reality blocks everything else out. Our headsets are top of the line – you don’t see anything else when you put it on, so you’re literally immersed in that environment. We also use noise cancelling headphones, so you’re audibly immersed as well. People do genuinely lose sense of where they are while they’re watching it. They can be in the middle of a noisy Vegfest but they feel as though they’re on the farm.

The second reason I think it’s so powerful is because it attracts a whole new audience – people who might not necessarily watch a traditional film of factory farming footage. These are often people who think they’re not really interested in animal suffering. So for that reason we catch the attention of a lot of people who are more interested in the technology, rather than the message. So it’s often the first time they’ve ever seen that kind of footage, and it has an even stronger impact, because they see it in that immersive format.

Image: Kat Von D, vegan tattoo artist, musician and businessperson, supports the iAnimal campaign

Issue 1 2017 | The Vegan 11

Outreach

You can tell that so many people are in shock because they just want to talk. Their body language shows that they’re emotionally drained, and they just ask question after question

How did it feel when you used the iAnimal for the first time?

I was actually really surprised by how real it felt.

I’ve been inside loads of factory farms myself and they’re so disgusting, so depressing, so horrible.

When I watched the pig video for the first time, I was actually in a meeting with all of my colleagues. I could hear the murmur of the conversation in the background, but I was transported to that farm. I was still crying by the end of it.

That seems to be a common response, from what I’ve seen at events.

The people who haven’t seen that kind of footage before react with shock.

The people who have seen similar footage before tend to say, “I’ve seen worse than that.”

The reason for this is that we try to use bogstandard legal practice in the video. That in and of itself is such a selling point. When we’re at universities and places where the audience is fairly sympathetic, we can say, “Everything you can see in that film is standard practice. We have not picked out the bad apples. This is literally as good as it gets in factory farming.”

Is there a disclaimer you give out before people put on the headset?

We always tell people what they’re going to see. A lot of people come up and say, “Oh, virtual reality, I’ve been dying to try it!” and they try to take the headset out of our hands. We always tell them, “What you’re going to watch is the life story of factory farmed pigs, from birth to death. It does end in the slaughterhouse, but everything you’ll see in that film is standard legal practice. This is just routine life for animals on a factory farm.”

12 The Vegan | Issue 1 2017

Do people stick around and ask questions afterwards?

Yes – you can tell that so many people are in shock because they just want to talk. You can almost feel what they’ve taken on. Their body language shows that they’re emotionally drained, and they just ask question after question.

Particularly meat eaters – they are who we get the strongest emotional reaction from.

When we take iAnimal to universities, the students often explain that they go for free range or organic. They tend to say that they don’t have a problem with eating meat, but that animals shouldn’t be treated in the way they’ve just seen.

We then respond by saying that however the animal is raised, the slaughter is exactly the same, and that there is no legal definition of ‘free range’.

At the end of the conversation you often find they come round to your point of view. They might say that they like the taste of veggie food or that they know farming animals is also really bad for the planet. Then they’re on our side, and it’s just a case of pushing them further up the path.

Tell me about the best feedback you’ve had.

Every time we use iAnimal, at any event, we get comments afterwards from people who write or email. People will say, for example, “I’ve tried to get my husband to go vegetarian for years. He would never do it, but he saw your video at the weekend and said he’s never eating meat again.”

Every time we return to the same university or event, people come up and say, “‘I watched this when you were here last time and I’ve been vegan since”, or, “I haven’t eaten meat since.” Getting that kind of feedback honestly makes me want to be out there every day doing it.

Outreach

What are you working on for the future?

Our first film showed the life and death of pigs.

We recently launched a chicken film, which I hope will have a great impact. Some people watch our pig video and say, “I’m so glad it just shows pigs, I only eat chicken.” So we hope to have a huge impact on people who think that somehow eating chicken isn’t as bad as eating another animal. Chickens have the worst lives of any factory farmed animal.

This year, we’re also releasing a dairy video.

This will be really interesting for people who can’t understand the cruelty in dairy. We’re all just so brainwashed from the time we’re born to think that cows make milk, without thinking of them being pregnant. We don’t even question how, just like me, they have to have babies first.

How can people get involved with iAnimal?

We have a few groups who we’ve worked with over the years who have actually fundraised for their own headsets. We’ve also got about a dozen headsets available to loan to different groups around the country. If people are interested in borrowing our headsets for events then they can just get in touch and we’ll send them out the information – email info@animalequality.net.

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Recipes

Hearty recipes from Smith & Daughters

Shannon Martinez and Mo Wyse opened their own vegan restaurant in Melborne, Australia in 2014. They have just released their first recipe book, featuring some of their best-loved favourites. Here are just a few of them.

Ingredients Sauce 35g plain (all-purpose) flour 15g nutritional yeast ¼ tsp ground turmeric ¼ tsp sweet paprika ¼ tsp black salt (optional, but worth getting) 250ml soy milk 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp vegan margarine Scramble 1 tbsp vegan margarine 1 tbsp olive oil ½ onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed ½ jalapeno, finely chopped (seeds removed for a milder taste) 500g extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled into biggish chunks Small handful of your favourite herb

The best tofu scramble Directions To make the sauce, combine the flour, yeast, spices and black salt (if using) in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Slowly add the soy milk, whisking constantly until you have a smooth sauce. Add the mustard and vegan margarine and whisk until thick and creamy.

Reduce the heat to as low as possible and simmer, whisking often, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside while you make the scramble.

Heat the vegan margarine and oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Toss in the garlic and jalapeno and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add the drained, crumbled tofu and gently stir to coat in the onion mixture. Without stirring, fry the tofu until it browns slightly on one side. If you find that your tofu is letting out too much liquid and it’s starting to stew instead of fry, tilt the pan and remove the liquid with a spoon.

Add the reserved sauce and gently fold through the tofu. Be careful not to break up the tofu too much or you’ll end up with some kind of weird eggy tofu soup.

Finish with a scattering of your favourite herb and season to your liking.

Serves 4-6

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Recipes

Fresh guacamole Ingredients 3 avocados ½ red onion, finely chopped Small handful of mint, chopped, plus extra leaves for garnish Small handful of coriander, chopped 1 tsp salt flakes ¼ tsp cracked black pepper Juice of 1 lime 1–2 tsp of your favourite hot sauce (we prefer to use a green hot sauce) Pepitas (pumpkin seeds), for garnish Olive oil, for drizzling Tortilla chips, to serve

Guacamole is guacamole – it’s standard worldwide – but adding mint gives a freshness to it.

Directions Mash the avocado in a medium-sized bowl until almost smooth but with still a few chunks in it.

Stir in the remaining ingredients and adjust the seasoning, to taste.

If not eating straight away, cover the surface of the guacamole with plastic wrap to keep oxygen from discolouring the avocado.

Garnish with a few pepitas and mint leaves, and drizzle over a little olive oil. Serve with tortilla chips for the perfect starter, but obviously put this on everything.

Serves 4–6

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Recipes

16  The Vegan | Issue 1 2017

Recipes

Paella Ingredients Sauce 1.25 litres vegetable stock 1 large pinch of saffron threads 60ml olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped ½ green pepper, diced ½ red pepper, diced 1 tsp fine salt 2 large tomatoes, tinned or fresh, diced (only use fresh if tomatoes are in season) 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tsp sweet paprika 1 tsp smoked paprika 400g bomba or medium-grain rice 185g cooked podded broad (fava) beans or substitute peas Cooked seasonal veg, such as asparagus and peas in spring or pumpkin (squash) and olives in winter Garnish Lemons, cut into wedges Extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt flakes Flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Sure, you’ve had paella before, but this happens to be Shan’s Gran’s fifth (maybe more) generation recipe and has travelled all the way from Andalusia, Spain.

Directions Place the stock in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to the boil.

Remove from the heat and drop in the saffron. Set aside to infuse for at least 5 minutes. You will see the stock turn bright yellow.

Heat the oil in a 30cm (12-inch) – or slightly larger – paella pan or ovenproof casserole dish over low heat. Add the onion, peppers and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft and almost jammy. Add the tomato and garlic and cook for a further 15 minutes or until the sauce becomes thick.

Add the paprikas and stir to combine, then add the rice and broad beans and coat with the sauce. Cook for 1–2 minutes, or until the rice begins to turn translucent.

Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F).

Pour the stock over the rice and turn up the heat to high. Stir to make sure the rice is evenly spread across the pan, then simmer for exactly 5 minutes. Do not stir.

Transfer the paella to the oven and cook for 12–15 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.

Remove from the oven and stir through the cooked peas and seasonal veg. Cover the pan with a clean tea towel and set aside for 5 minutes.

Place lemon wedges sporadically but evenly throughout the paella, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt flakes and chopped parsley.

Serves 4-6

Eat Vegan Smith & Daughters by Shannon Martinez and Mo Wyse (Hardie Grant £15) Photography by Bonnie Savage

Issue 1 2017 | The Vegan 17

Sport

Overcoming obstacles Elite obstacle course racer Anna Solomon shares her love for the sport

1 My first race

Training tips

I had been wanting to do an Obstacle Course Race (OCR) for several years, and none of my girlfriends would go with me. So finally I found one that seemed less intimidating called the Dirty Girl Mud Run. It was female-only, there were no chipped times, and half of the obstacles were inflatable, so I managed to convince a couple of friends to enter it with me.

It got me immediately addicted. I wondered why I hadn’t been doing it for my entire life – the best thing about it is that you basically get to be a kid again. But I also realised that I have a competitive side. I really wanted to beat everyone! Since then, I’ve probably done over 60 races. It’s varied year to year, but I usually do at least two a month.

Everyone laughs at me when I say my favourite obstacle, but I love the underwire crawl. I practice a lot of yoga, so I can get my hips really low to the ground and charge right through. In the US, the men’s elite heat goes before the women’s – so I always end up passing a ton of guys on those.

That’s a good feeling!

I probably train about 20 hours a week in total. I consistently run about 40-50 miles a week. Since I do triathlons I bike probably another 5 hours a week or so. I’m a big believer in plyometrics, which are basically jump training exercises. They really work those fast-twitch muscle fibres that help with the transition from running to obstacle to running.

If I sometimes feel like I don’t fancy getting out and exercising, my rescue German Shepherd Fini definitely helps with that. Every morning we get up and go for a walk or a run, or go and play in the park where I can practice on the monkey bars. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining – I really don’t get to choose whether I go out or not!

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Going vegan I’ve been vegan for the entire time I’ve been into OCR. When I was at university, I took a class on environmental studies, and by the end of it I realised that I had to go vegan. Global warming is destroying the world, and the best way for me to counteract it personally is to stop eating animal products.

1 Yoga is a key part of Anna’s routine 2 Anna’s peers warned that she would lose muscle ... they were wrong 3 Rescue dog Fini accompanies Anna on her adventures 4 Monkeying around in the sun

2

3 I didn’t have a transition period – I literally woke up and that was that. I was a fitness instructor at the time. I wasn’t worried that going vegan would affect me athletically until all of my peers started making comments. They said I would lose muscle, I wouldn’t have any energy, I would get sick. They made me really want to stick with it, out of stubbornness!

Obviously they were wrong. I experienced a lot of positive changes, instantly. Now, every time after I go to bed after a hard workout I wake up already recovered, so I’m very rarely sore.

Compared to eating animal products, it’s so much easier for your body to break down plants and utilise that to rebuild your muscles.

Future goals I’ve got a lot of goals I’m working towards this year. I want to work on my mental grit – I think that’s a mindset you really need as an Obstacle Course Racer. It’s really easy to feel defeated if you find yourself in 30th place. But then, you can see people well ahead of you get stuck on an obstacle and it can all change in the blink of an eye.

4

Global warming is destroying the world, and the best way for me to counteract it personally is to stop eating animal products In terms of OCR specifically, the last two years I’ve qualified for the Spartan World Championships and the OCR World Championships on the elite level, but one thing or other has kept me from going. So this year I want to go to them. My OCR team is also looking at doing World’s Toughest Mudder together.

Actions speak louder As a vegan athlete I think the important thing is that actions speak louder than words. People get tired of being preached to, but how I do on the racecourse has people asking me what I’m eating and how I’m doing it.

Keep up with Anna’s antics on plantpoweredanna.com.

Issue 1 2017 | The Vegan 19

Politics

A vegan voice in parliament Putting veganism on the political agenda

T

he Vegan Society, along with the Vegetarian Society and Vegetarian for Life, has co-sponsored an allparty parliamentary group (APPG) on vegetarianism and veganism – the first of its kind.

The APPG is a great first step in starting a dialogue within parliament on the benefits of veganism and the problems facing an evergrowing proportion of the population. The fact that veganism now has a voice in parliament is a huge step forwards. The meat and dairy lobby have had a head start, having been supported in parliament for decades. We can finally make sure that we can provide a counter to their overpowering voices.

The APPG also gives us the opportunity to host parliamentary events. For instance, we would like to hold an event that celebrates vegan businesses, screen documentaries, and invite speakers on various topics.

Four parliamentarians have taken office – vegan Labour MPs Christina Rees and Kerry McCarthy, vegetarian Conservative MP Henry Smith, and the Green Party peer Baroness Jenny Jones.

The inaugural meeting took place on 6 December in the Houses of Parliament. Around 50 people attended, representing many different vegan and vegetarian organisations, but also including leaders in industry, experts, and parliamentarians.

The topic for this first meeting was, ‘what does Brexit mean for vegetarians and vegans?’

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Speakers included Stephen Pugh, EU food labelling specialist, who spoke about the future of guidance for vegetarian and vegan labelling.

Stephen believes that Europe is looking to the UK as the gold standard for food labelling, and that we are leading the way. Although we have come a long way, vegans know all too well that labelling could be improved.

Dr Kinesh Patel, who co-authored a British Medical Journal paper on the labelling of medicines, also spoke about how Britain’s exit from the European Union would affect vegans and vegetarians. Dr Patel talked about how 73 of the 100 drugs they surveyed contained animalderived ingredients, a shocking fact when we know that these can often be replaced with a vegan alternative.

Jeanette Rowley, Founder of the International Vegan Rights Alliance, talked about veganism as a protected belief. The Equality and Human Rights Commission says that human rights legislation ‘protects a wide range of non-political beliefs, including veganism’. This is based upon article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights – right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

There will be three more meetings in 2017, each covering a different topic. We hope to discuss institutional catering provisions for vegans, the environmental impact of the animal farming industry, and also the growth of the vegan market.

Keep up to date with news at vegAPPG.org.uk.

Full Page Legacy ad September 2015 copy.pdf

1

15/09/2015

Events

15:57

Events Cardiff Viva! Vegan Festival Sunday 4 February, 10:30am – 5pm Cardiff City Hall, Gorsedd Gardens Road, Cardiff CF10 3ND viva.org.uk/festivals/cardiff-2017 North East Vegan Festival Sunday 12 February, 10:30am – 5pm Stadium of Light, Sunderland SR5 1SU northeastveganfestival.co.uk

Beneficiaries for Life

Portsmouth Vegan Festival Saturday 25 February, 11am – 5pm Portsmouth Guildhall, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth PO1 2AB facebook.com/Portsmouth-VeganFestival-346415229030657/ Vegfest UK Brighton Saturday 11 March 11am – 6pm, Sunday 12 March 10am – 5pm Brighton Centre, King’s Rd, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 2GR brighton.vegfest.co.uk

Please remember The Vegan Society in your will For a Legacy Guide please call us on 0121 523 1730

Live A Better Life Fair, Liverpool Saturday 25 March, 10am – 4pm St George’s Hall, St George’s Plateau, Liverpool L1 1JJ labl.org.uk

www.vegansociety.com

A TREAT FOR YOUR FEET IF YOU DON’T EAT MEAT!

Northern Vegan Festival Saturday 1 April, 10am – 6pm Manchester Central, Windmill St, Manchester M2 3GX northernveganfestival.com VeggieWorld London Saturday 8 April 10am – 7pm, Sunday 9 April 10am – 5pm Kensington Town Hall, Hornton St, Kensington, London W8 7NX veggieworld.de/en/event/london-en/

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Issue 1 2017 | The Vegan 21

Engaging new audiences The Vegan Society is proud to have awarded grants to some fantastic organisations this quarter

O

ur grants programme ‘Engaging New Audiences’ has given out thousands of pounds in support to some incredible projects over the past year. Thanks to the generous contributions of our members we are able to give money to grassroots organisations around the world to help them spread the vegan message.

Here are just a few of our recent favourites.

Thanksgiving for turkeys – and pigs!

On 19 November we were very happy to support our friends at Catskill Animal Sanctuary in Saugerties, outside of New York, to offer a very special Thanksgiving to turkeys, pigs and humans alike. The annual ‘Gobble and Grove’ event involved chefs creating vegan Thanksgiving meals, and music from a local band.

Over the course of the day, visitors had a tour of the sanctuary and helped feed the 11 different species of animals their own Thanksgiving meal.

The tour guides helped people understand the realities of agribusiness and told them stories about how the animals came to be at the sanctuary. And of course, the best representatives were the animals themselves, who shared their personalities with the guests.

By the end of the day, several turkeys had fallen asleep in visitors’ laps.

22 The Vegan | Issue 1 2017

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Grants 1 A well-fed turkey at the annual Gobble & Grove event 2 Happy waiting staff at the first vegan cafe in Palestine 3 Sudfeh is already an important part of the community

Feeding refugees in Nigeria This summer, the Nigeria Vegetarian Society worked in camps for displaced people who have lost their homes following war. In September 2015, the International Organization for Migration estimated that over 2.1 million people were internally displaced in northern Nigeria. While most live in host communities, there are many families still living in camps. These are often overcrowded, with inadequate access to food and sanitation.

The conflict between the military and the armed group Boko Haram has resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians and over 2 million internally displaced people at the end of the year.

Demolitions of informal settlements led to the forced eviction of thousands of people.

Over the course of a few days, volunteers and staff at the Nigeria Vegetarian Society prepared nourishing vegan food, visited the camps and gave out food as well as kind words and support to the refugees.

2

The first vegan cafe in Palestine On 10 October vegan cafe, Sudfeh, opened its doors for the first time. Located on the campus of Al Quds (Jerusalem) University, the cafeteria is not only the first of its kind in Palestine, but also in any university in the Arabic-speaking world.

In its first month, Sudfeh provided over 1600 vegan meals to students on campus, and the feedback has been hugely positive. Initially sceptical, students soon realised that the dishes on offer are familiar Palestinian cuisine that are vegan by default. For example, hummus, foul (beans), soups, stuffed vine leaves and (of course) falafel, are delicious dishes that form a large part of the Palestinian diet and have always been vegan. Add to this traditional favourites that can be veganised very easily, such as maqluba (upside-down rice), and the Sudfeh menu is encouraging many students to return.

Ahmad Safi, Executive Director of the Palestinian Animal League, says, “Sudfeh has become something of a household name in the University. We already have a growing loyal customer base who come and eat with us every day. We are so delighted that Sudfeh has become a reality and would like to thank everyone who made the project happen.”

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About our grants programme We are always looking for new projects that reach out to non-vegans and encourage them to make the change. We offer up to £500 for each project.

For more details and to apply please go to vegansociety.com/take-action/grants.

Issue 1 2017 | The Vegan 23

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24  The Vegan | Issue 1 2017

Discount List

Discount List The Vegan Society’s Discount List is a network of vegan and vegan-friendly businesses who offer a discount to Vegan Society members and The Vegan subscribers.

To see the full list of over 100 discounts and to access the discount codes, login or register at vegansociety.com/my-account.

Our newest participants include: Cafes and restaurants • Itadakizen – Japanese restaurant in Kings Cross, London – 10% off • The Herb Cafe – Located in Powys, Wales – 5% off • Veggie Rae – Restaurant located in Bury, Greater Manchester – 10% off

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Household products • Greenscents – Ethical and sustainable cleaning products sold online – 10% off

Salon • Hibiscus Hair and Beauty – Salon located in Worcester – 10% off

2017 Calendar • Gryndstone & Fusspot – Find this vegan calendar online – 25% off

Your favourites 10% off Holland & Barrett in UK stores only 10% off VEG1 using code KH83D4G53T at vegansociety.com/shop Do you have a great vegan-friendly business near you?

Why not ask them to join the Discount List? They can find out more at vegansociety.com/your-business/discount-list or email us at discount@vegansociety.com.

Issue 1 2017 | The Vegan 25

Legacies

Tony’s legacy Tony Harris shares his vegan story and his decision to leave a legacy to The Vegan Society

I

’ve been a vegan since I was 15. I’m 48 now, so it’s been about 33 years. It was very strange and bewildering going vegan at that age. I was the only vegan at my secondary school.

As a teenager back then, it was a lot more difficult than it is nowadays. It’s probably far easier to become a vegan today than it was to even become a vegetarian in the early 80s.

People often overthink veganism. It’s like learning to play a musical instrument or how to do a new job. It’s going to feel weird at the beginning, but unless you pick the guitar up or go into the office and start bashing away at it you won’t find your feet. It’s exactly the same for veganism. It may feel strange for a short time, but it will be much easier if you join a vegan group, go to fairs, and join The Vegan Society and other organisations. Try and find loads of vegan and veggie friends. There is so much now that’s available.

I have just written a will. First time! I’ve been thinking about it for two years. I thought, “This is something I really need to do.” I want to leave a lot of my money to organisations, and I can’t give it to them whilst I’m alive. I want my money to do the most good.

I basically tore up the first idea of my will and decided to write it for what I really believe in.

The beauty of it is the nice feeling it gives you while you are alive. It’s great to know that you have done something to give others the chance, like I’ve had, of having some relative happiness, relative freedom and ability to experience life. I want to give others, non-human animals in particular, the benefits of experiencing those things.

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Dying is not something any of us want to think about, but it is going to happen. I guess people put off making a will because it’s kind of a sad thing, a very depressing thing to think about. But I don’t think it needs to be. It’s something we all know about. As vegans we celebrate all natural things, and as part of that we know that the end result is that we go and we give way to new life.

It’s a really nice feeling once you’ve made your will. You don’t need to think about it anymore, and you know that you’ve done one extra thing that’s going to help achieve social justice for animals.

For a legacy guide, please call us on 0121 523 1730.

Tony ‘Tofu’ Harris and companion Barney

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Volunteers

Active Vegans Alex Douglas, Volunteering & Engagement Manager The time of year around World Vegan Month is my favourite, as there always seems to be so much going on. We’re lucky to have had our incredible volunteers run stalls for us at local events, as well as staff attending many national events. Students, event volunteers and Local Contacts across the country have helped us to sign up thousands of people to take the 30 Day Vegan Pledge. It’s been a great time for vegan outreach! Tell me what you’ve been doing to promote veganism recently by emailing alex.douglas@vegansociety.com.

We ran a vegan cookery class on Indo-Oriental fusion cuisine on World Vegan Day, which went very well. It was run in conjunction with the Jewish Vegetarian Society, and hosted by a Jewish community centre in London called JW3.

There were ten enthusiastic participants, the majority of which were non-vegan. We distributed Vegan Society flyers at the class which were all gratefully received, and the session doubled up as vegan outreach because there were many vegan-related questions from those taking part.

Attendees asked questions about vegan nutrition for children and vegan breakfast options, as well as questions related to vegan cooking, of course.

Nishma and Mahersh, volunteers in London and owners of vegan catering company Shambhu’s Recently, several people from the Lincoln Animal Rights Group managed a Dairy Awareness Stall in the centre of Lincoln. It was a great success – we distributed so many leaflets, and we also had cookies to give to passers-by. We were there all day, answering questions from a vast number of non-vegans, including someone who had been vegetarian for 40 years. Lots of people showed an interest in transitioning to veganism.

28 The Vegan | Issue 1 2017

We had soya and almond milk and some soya desserts for people to try. Lincoln City Council are excellent and are quite happy for stalls in the high street, so the Lincoln Animal Rights Group are intending to do this again with a different theme each time.

Amanda Kingston and Ann Henderson, Lincoln Norwich Vegans had a very busy season, with lots of events going on. All were really successful, I’m pleased to say! We put on a buffet and invited Tony Wardle from Viva! to give a talk about dairy.

This was a real sell-out, with over 50 people attending, including both vegans and non-vegans.

Tony’s talk was very engaging, and afterwards plenty of people went up to ask more questions.

We have heard feedback since from people intending to go vegan, and others deciding to use more vegan alternatives. Hopefully we will receive even more positive feedback.

Emily Moran Barwick, who runs a vegan outreach and information website called Bite Size Vegan, came to visit us on her recent UK/Ireland tour. We were very lucky to be one of the few groups she visited. Emily spoke to an audience of 160 people and, despite her hectic schedule, stayed around afterwards chatting and having lots of photos taken.

For this event we offered homemade pizza, sausage rolls, filled rolls, a selection of cakes, Bakewell Tarts and fudge for all the hungry mouths.

There are only four of us who make all the food for the events. It’s hard work, but the comments we always get (and the way it disappears!) makes it worth it. Plus it proves that being vegan doesn’t mean missing out on anything you ate before.

Penny Franiel, Norwich Vegans and Local Contact for Norwich Find your Local Contact or get involved with your local group by visiting: vegansociety.com/ resources/local-and-group-contacts To order leaflets from us, email leaflets@vegansociety.com

Volunteers

1 Norwich Vegans hosted a delicious buffet for 160 people 2 Passers-by were delighted to receive vegan cupcakes from the Lincoln Animal Rights Group 3 Nishma from Shambhu’s ran a cookery class on World Vegan Day with her husband Mahersh

1

2

3

Inspiring vegan organisations: featuring Vegan Outreach Vegan Outreach works to promote the vegan lifestyle and educate the public on the horrors of factory farming. Our main program involves giving out booklets to college students. We currently reach several million students a year at schools and concerts with booklets. We are active in the USA, India, Canada and Mexico. We are hoping to start new programs in Europe and South America soon.

In addition to handing out booklets, we are starting to get involved in virtual reality outreach, give humane education presentations, use internet ads to reach more people online and create petitions for more vegan options. We also have a Community Engagement Initiative reaching out to communities of colour with this vital message.

For more information on how you can join the Vegan Outreach family of donors or volunteers, visit us at veganoutreach.org. With just a few short hours of your time leafletting, you will change several dozen people’s lives forever, and exponentially increase the amount of animals that are saved on top of your own personal veganism.

Happy New Year, young readers! We’re so looking forward to what TeenVGN has in store, predominantly our third annual VGN Summer Camp this August at the wonderful Margam Discovery Centre in South Wales.

Tickets went on sale in December and we have already sold over 75% of available spaces, so if you don’t want to miss out, book now to avoid disappointment.

What we love about VGN Summer Camp is that you can create the most wonderful friendships, and learn about how you can express your compassionate hearts in creative and active ways.

A sneak peek into the itinerary this year includes: festival days, morning walks and hikes, craft days, cooking workshops, activism talks, special guests and plenty of free time to get inspired by nature and the beautiful deer at Margam.

To secure your spot at VGN Summer Camp 2017, all you need to do is pay a £100 deposit and complete a booking form. All information can be found at teenvgn.com/camp.

Issue 1 2017 | The Vegan 29

Volunteer of the season

Meet Nicky Woods, a fantastic events volunteer who has inspired us all with her enthusiasm.

Nicky went vegan on World Vegan Day 2015

How and when did you go vegan?

I went vegan on 1 November 2015. I was raised vegetarian by my parents and had wanted to go vegan since finding out about the horrors of the dairy and egg industries, and the environmental impacts of animal agriculture. I found out 1 November is World Vegan Day and decided there was no better time to fully make the commitment!

What inspired you to get involved with The Vegan Society?

After becoming vegan I quickly realised I wanted to dedicate my life to helping the animals and the planet. I found out The Vegan Society were based in Birmingham and got in contact firstly because I was looking for some promotional material for the University of Birmingham’s VegSoc. I made a trip to the office, and after chatting to Alex I realised I really wanted to get involved.

Tell us about being an events volunteer The first event I took part in was the Green Party Conference, and I absolutely loved it. I had a lot of conversations with people where I highlighted the environmental impacts of animal agriculture, and I gave people tips on how to transition to a vegan diet.

I also volunteered both days at West Midlands Vegan Fest. I had fun giving more advice to

30 The Vegan | Issue 1 2017

people who wanted to go vegan, as well as telling people about the work of The Vegan Society, and encouraging people to sign up as members.

I also volunteered at the Mind Body Spirit festival. This was great because I got to speak to a lot of non-vegans who were interested in living more compassionately. I enjoyed talking about why veganism is the best choice for the animals, and educating people about what really goes on, especially in the dairy industry.

Tell us about your work with your university’s VegSoc I’m president of the University of Birmingham’s Vegetarian and Vegan Society. We mostly exist as a social group, allowing students to meet likeminded people and make friends. We organise a lot of food socials, including a free pizza night which over 100 people attended.

We also hold film screenings, host speakers, and organise joint events with groups like the baking society. We try to do outreach and fundraisers too – we’ve had iAnimal (see page 10) on campus a few times, and last year we organised a gig to raise money for Happyfields Farm Animal Sanctuary. I love doing VegSoc because it’s a great way to meet people and to spread the vegan message on campus.

Do you have any tips on promoting veganism?

I think one of the best ways to inspire people to go vegan is to set a good example. I like to cook for my friends and family, offer them my vegan snacks to try and engage in conversations about it whenever the opportunity arises. I also like to do a lot of activism via my social media accounts.

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  Issue 1 2017 | The Vegan 31

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32 The Vegan | Issue 1 2017

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Nutrition

The role of fortified foods and supplements in a vegan diet Vitamin B12 Any discussion about vegan diets, fortified foods and supplements should include vitamin B12. It is produced by microorganisms, and is not found in plant foods. Every vegan should ensure that their diet contains a reliable source. Here are some options: A. Fortified foods • Vitamin B12 is added to some plant milk and yoghurt alternatives, vegan spreads, nutritional yeast flakes and breakfast cereals • Include fortified foods in at least two meals, providing at least 3mcg (micrograms) daily B. Supplement options: at least 10mcg once daily or 2000mcg once weekly Cyanocobalamin is the recommended type of vitamin B12.

W

henever possible, aim to get your nutrients from whole foods, such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, chickpeas, lentils, nuts and seeds. This is because your body benefits from the wide range of nutrients and fibre obtained from these foods. However, there are good reasons for vegans and non-vegans alike to include fortified foods and supplements in their diets.

Calcium Fortified plant milk and yoghurt alternatives are valuable sources of calcium because both the content and absorbability are good. For instance, 400ml fortified plant milk could provide around two thirds of your recommended daily intake, which is 700 milligrams for most adults in the UK. Iodine Every vegan needs a reliable source of iodine in their diet. Plant foods (apart from seaweed) tend to contain a low amount of iodine. The amount of iodine in plant food varies depending on how much is in the soil the plant is grown in. Also, some types of seaweed contain too much iodine, and some types are contaminated. Arguably, the best option is to use a supplement. In the UK, the recommended iodine intake for adults is 140mcg per day.

Vitamin D Everyone in the UK should consider taking a daily 10mcg vitamin D supplement during autumn and winter. Some groups should consider year-round supplementation, including people who do not regularly expose their skin to sunlight, and those with darker skin. Vitamin D3 from lichen and vitamin D2 are vegan-friendly.

Take-away tips • Including calcium-fortified plant milk and yoghurt alternatives in your daily diet will help you to hit your calcium target • Ensure that most of your meals contain foods fortified with vitamin B12 or use a supplement • Ensure that your diet contains a reliable source of iodine (consider supplementation) • Take a vegan-friendly 10mcg vitamin D supplement every day during autumn and winter (year-round supplementation is recommended for some groups) • A vitamin and mineral supplement designed for vegans, such as VEG1, might be a convenient way of ensuring that your diet contains a source of vitamins B12 and D and iodine • Please discuss the use of supplements with a health professional to ensure that they are suitable for you If you have a nutrition question, please email info@vegansociety.com. If you would like an individual nutrition assessment, please ask your doctor for a referral to a Registered Dietitian.

By Heather Russell, Dietitian Issue 1 2017 | The Vegan 33

AGM 2017 Plus feedback from our consultation with members This year’s AGM will be on Saturday 20 May at 1pm (registration from 12:30), at the M Shed museum, Princes Wharf, Wapping Rd, Bristol BS1 4RN (10 minutes’ walk from Bristol VegFest).

Election of Council Members Members are invited to apply to join The Vegan Society’s board of trustees. The deadline for application is 6 March. Candidates must have been full members of the society for at least a year by the date of the AGM, submit a written nomination signed by a proposer and seconder who are both full members, submit a personal profile and be willing to sign the Trustee Code of Conduct.

The trustees are ultimately responsible for The Vegan Society – setting policy, ensuring that the society’s objects are pursued effectively while complying with all relevant legal requirements and remaining true to its values. The role includes attending meetings, preparing and voting on governance proposals, reporting back to members, and reviewing and adjusting the society’s strategic direction and policies. Further information can be found at gov.uk/guidance/ charity-trustee-whats-involved and in the candidate pack.

Candidates should support the society’s objects and mission. The most important qualities for trustees are commitment and enthusiasm, the ability to communicate and work well with others and the ability to consider issues thoughtfully. To

34 The Vegan | Issue 1 2017

ensure an effective and diverse board, members from a wide range of backgrounds and with a broad base of skills and experience are sought.

Experience in successfully managing expanding organisations is particularly welcome.

The time commitment is about nine days per year for face-to-face meetings and training, plus about three hours a week for contact via email, post or phone. The role is voluntary, but reasonable expenses can be claimed.

Members’ proposals for the 2017 AGM We welcome members’ proposals to the AGM. These should: • Be proposed and seconded by full members • Not exceed 300 words, including any supporting material • Propose a single form of action (not a composite proposal and not simply a statement of opinion).

For Special Resolutions proposing a change to the Articles, the text of the changes is not counted in the 300 words. A 75% majority is needed for such resolutions to be passed.

For a candidate pack or further information about becoming a trustee or submitting a proposal, please contact chair of council Stephen Walsh (stephenwalsh7@gmail.com) or CEO George Gill (ceo@vegansociety.com) by email or by post (21 Hylton Street, Birmingham, B18 6HJ).

Nominations and proposals must be received by 4pm on Monday 6 March. Documents can be scanned and submitted electronically.

Membership

Feedback from members’ consultation

Membership involvement

Constitutional At the time of writing, the consultation has just closed and council is considering detailed feedback from 122 members. This will be very helpful in preparing proposals for the AGM. As at last year’s AGM, most people wanted to retain and enhance member democracy and involvement while improving overall effectiveness.

Here the clear winner was “Run campaigns to help manufacturers veganise products and to make suppliers of goods and services aware of vegan needs and the Vegan Trademark” with 51 participants ranking ranking this as priority No. 1. Next came “Provide resources and contacts to encourage a vegan group at every university, college and catering school”, with 62 ranking this between 1 and 3. Giving more support to members running stalls and events and providing school talks also ranked highly.

More than three-quarters of all respondents were AGAINST: • Becoming a Foundation Charity with members no longer having a direct say in the running of the society (95% against) • Council being able to veto new candidates for council (88% against); • Setting up a separate company at this time (82% against).

Very many thanks to all who took part in the consultation. Your comments and priorities will help to inform and guide our work. Most also expressed a personal willingness to help with the work of the society, and we aim to make it easier for individual members to participate in promoting our shared goals.

More than 75% of respondents SUPPORTED: • Giving proposers of AGM motions a right of reply to an initial counterargument from council (90% in favour) • Allowing removal of a trustee by three-quarters of all council members (81% in favour) but only with an effective right of appeal (76% in favour) • Requiring trustees to be committed to a vegan lifestyle, not just a vegan diet (78% in favour).

71% of respondents supported reserving some council positions (generally two) for co-option, 61% believed that in future a majority of threequarters of all council should be required for council to comment on a candidate while just 51% supported a minimum time between leaving society employment and becoming a trustee.

71% of respondents OPPOSED allowing candidates with less than a year’s membership, and 64% OPPOSED reducing the maximum number of trustees.

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Shoparound

London Falafel We’ve been searching for a long time to find an ‘eat at home’ falafel that packs a crunch, without compromising on flavour or requiring a vat of oil to fry it in. We’re excited to confirm that London Falafel have cracked this, recently launching their full-flavoured traditional-style falafel. Recently trialling the product at vegan festivals and shows across the UK, their feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. London Falafel is gluten-free, dairyfree, yeast-free, sugar-free, nut-free, egg-free, soy-free and free from all artificial ingredients, allergens and additives.

Find out more at falafel.london.

Shoparound Shop with confidence for products registered with our trusted Vegan Trademark

RIVOLI L’Alternative Set If time is taking its toll on your skin and you’re looking for a solution to reduce the signs of ageing, RIVOLI have formulated products to help. Their L’Alternative Set is the perfect introduction to their concept of ‘Intelligent Beauty’. Without the use of needles, RIVOLI’s L’Alternative Set allows your skin to benefit from an anti-ageing boost of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid that helps to revitalise your skin cells. All RIVOLI products are 100% Swiss-made and available to buy online at rivoli.ch.

36 The Vegan | Issue 1 2017

PHB All-In-One Mascara If you are in the market for a new mascara, look no further than PHB’s award-winning All-in-One Natural Mascara. It ticks all of our boxes with a lengthening, thickening and volumising formula that is water resistant and long-lasting. Containing botanical oils, it’s ideal for sensitive eyes. The All-in-One Natural Mascara comes in both black and brown, and is available to purchase online. PHB Ethical Beauty is a family business that donates 20% of their profit to charity, and all PHB products are vegan and certified halal. See the full range on their website phbethicalbeauty.co.uk.

Shoparound

Poptang Tango Flavoured Popcorn Think of all of your favourite cinema snacks: popcorn, fizzy drinks, anything with copious amounts of sugar. Now imagine they were all rolled into one portable snack – fizzy Tango flavoured popcorn! Yes, you heard that right, the geniuses behind Ten Acre have created a tangy, sweet popcorn that packs Tango’s fruit flavoured fizz. They come in two flavours, Tango Orange and Tango Apple. You can find them in individual-sized 20g bags, as well as 70g bags that are ideal for sharing. The popcorn is gluten-free, dairy-free, MSG-free, kosher and halal. Read more at poptang.co.uk.

Bali Nutra Coconut Syrup Bali Nutra’s Coconut Syrup is an alternative sweetener that contains no artificial sugar.

This organic plant-based sweetener won a Best Taste Award in 2016. We recommend mixing it into homemade salad dressings, swirling it into your cereal or blending it into your favourite smoothie recipe. With a low glycemic index of 35 (much lower than other natural sweeteners), it can be enjoyed by diabetics, too. Bali Nutra also donates 10% of their profits to rebuilding infrastructure in Bali. The product can be purchased on Amazon or at balinutra.com.

Faith In Nature Lavender & Geranium Range Whether you’re a bubble bath fan or not, Faith In Nature’s range of Lavender & Geranium products will be sure to soothe you to sleep. This fragrant collection has a blend of lavender and geranium that is gentle enough for all skin types. The range includes a shower gel and foam bath, body lotion, hand cream, shampoo, conditioner and more. All of the products are vegan and free from artificial colours and fragrances, with no parabens or SLES. Find the full Faith In Nature range in your local health food store or online at faithinnature.co.uk.

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Membership

Your views Remembering Harold

New vegan cafe

Harold Hillman, animal rights campaigner, founding member of Amnesty International, and eminent biological scientist, has sadly passed away aged 85. Harold was uncompromising in his vegan views, refusing to wear leather shoes and researching techniques to help improve the lives of humans and animals. He wrote six books and published hundreds of papers during his lifetime, and played an active part in many humanitarian causes.

His dedication to making the world a better place for humans and non-human animals alike will not be forgotten.

I would like to alert fellow vegans to a lovely, recently opened cafe. PlantBased is located at 15 High Street in Exmouth, Devon. The quality of the food is excellent and the prices very reasonable.

I thoroughly enjoyed my pizza slice with salad, and the freshly made banana and cinnamon smoothie.

Exmouth is a good place for a visit, even `offseason’, but this cafe, with its amiable and cheery staff, raises it several more notches in our view.

We certainly plan to return soon.

Emily Wolfe

A role model for human and animal rights: Joan Court 1919 – 2016 After a rocky start – her mother was an alcoholic and her father killed himself when she was 13 – Joan’s achievements were breathtaking.

Nursing with Gandhi, dragging the NSPCC into the 20th century, banishing the infamous primate lab project from Cambridge, sailing with Sea Shepherd at 85, chaining herself to every railing in sight well into her 90s, and publishing three books: the Vegan Society achievement award Joan received in 2006 could have been awarded any or every year for the past three decades.

A passionate champion of the underdog, human or otherwise, Joan was working on a children’s story about a love affair between two birch trees, one of whom is threatened with culling, just days before she died. Not always an easy person to get along with – she tended to drive others as hard as she drove herself – she will be a very hard act to follow.

Have your say!

Write Donald Watson House, 21 Hylton Street, Birmingham, B18 6HJ Email editor@vegansociety.com Facebook /TheVeganSociety Twitter @TheVeganSociety Comments may be edited for publication.

38 The Vegan | Issue 1 2017

Joan Court: a lifelong animal advocate

Membership

What does dementia mean for vegans, and for those who cater for them?

Amanda Woodvine is Chief Executive of Vegetarian for Life (VfL), a charity dedicated to improving the quality of life of the UK’s older vegetarians and vegans. Here she speaks about the important topic of veganism and dementia.

Older adults’ uptake of meat-free meals appears to be rising. They have cut back their meat consumption at a faster rate than the rest of the British population. There are already more than 70,000 vegans aged over 65. This number is set to rise rapidly in the coming years, driven by the ageing of younger vegans.

Vegans and vegetarians are already found in at least one in every four British care homes. As we know, a decision to be vegan is likely to reflect deeply-held ethical, environmental, or religious convictions.

Recently, care providers have highlighted instances where a vegan or vegetarian with dementia has ‘demanded’ meat, or tried to take it from someone else’s plate.

This may be because of dementia-related communication difficulties, issues around recognising food types, or sensory changes (including taste). It may be that someone desires the food that they see others eating, not realising that it is meat.

And consider those of us who have – for decades – used mock meats and alternatives to dairy. Do we still specify to our nearest and dearest that we’d like vegan sausages and chips, and vegan cheese on toast for dinner tonight?

Or might the vegan description be dropped after years of familiarity? What if we then enter care?

Will our veganism be respected and understood?

Last but not least, what about people who change to a vegan diet in later life? As a person’s dementia progresses, their memory will get worse. Our older memories – such as those from childhood and adolescence – are more firmly established. This means that we are more likely to recall them than newer memories. What if we forget our more recent vegan identity?

In such circumstances, those who cater for vegans with dementia may be faced with an ethical dilemma. Do they honour the person’s previously held convictions, or do they respect their current wishes?

Most people would be reluctant to compromise someone’s religious beliefs. It’s unlikely that care providers would willingly offer a bacon roll to a Rabbi with dementia, even if a refusal caused distress. A lifelong vegan’s beliefs should surely be similarly respected – but VfL’s sad experience is that caterers do not automatically see veganism in the same light.

VfL has produced a free guide to the advance care planning process to help ensure that your veganism is protected in the future. Available now, you can order your copy through our website: vegetarianforlife.org.uk or by calling 0161 257 0887.

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Reviews

Reviews

1 November Fox by E E Bertram Reviewed by Peter Dickinson November Fox Book 1: Following Joy, A Metaphysical Visionary Tale has just been released. It features November Fox, an orphan who becomes a vegan pop star, and may be destined to be one of the future leaders of Earth.

As a main character, November is likeable, strong and humble. Over the course of the book she takes on a number of challenges in an alternate Alice in Wonderland-like reality.

She faces danger, meets great companions and learns about her past and future, her character developing all the while.

The vegan theme is subtle but is a nice element of November’s character. November can hear what animals are saying, and interestingly assumes that others can do the same. Vegan cake is also mentioned regularly – a nice touch! This theme was blended perfectly with the principles of focusing on the present, and living a good and heroic life.

The book features augmented reality – you can scan the illustrations with a phone or tablet and, using an App, watch them come to life. But even without this feature, the images are beautiful.

November Fox is very unusual and has been crafted with great care. The different layers to the story are fascinating – it is told in several parts, by different narrators. Every reader could find something in it to enjoy, whether it is the spiritual element, the fantastic characters, the vegan theme or the brilliant fantasy and science fiction scenes.

Altogether it is beautifully planned and presented. I will be waiting anxiously for the sequel.

40 The Vegan | Issue 1 2017

2 Life According to Ohad Reviewed by Natalie Baker Directed by Eri Daniel Erlich, Life According to Ohad explores one man’s absolute devotion to animal rights and activism. The multi awardwinning documentary features disturbing and graphic scenes that reveal the horrors of the meat and dairy industry. As compassion for animals is universal it is refreshing that this film, made in Tel Aviv, highlights the work of activists in a country other than the UK or USA. Ohad’s approach to activism is fierce and unapologetic. Expect grassroots activism, heavy debate and illegal activity, as we follow Ohad on a quest to prove that all animals deserve equal treatment to humans. We are witness to numerous break-ins including the kidnapping of chickens, as they are relocated and rehomed in a vegan sanctuary.

As an Israeli Jew, Ohad comes from a family whose values are deeply rooted in tradition.

Although his views are not entirely unique, his ideas are undeniably contentious in his community. After many years of silence, Ohad tries to reconnect with his parents in an attempt to explain his commitment to activism and his devout vegan lifestyle. But this is no mean feat, as his family challenges his morals and question whether it’s all really worth it when he’s distancing himself from those who love him most.

The feature-length documentary is both fascinating and heartbreaking. This is fearless, bold and courageous filmmaking. But viewers must be prepared for upsetting and disturbing footage; this film is not for the faint-hearted.

Find the film at ohad-doc.com.

1 November Fox – a story like no other 2 A difficult yet interesting watch

Issue 2 out now

Contact VfL for your FREE 28-page magazine

0161 257 0887 | www.vegetarianforlife.org.uk