Issue 9 2019

Acquisition International - Issue 9 2019 47 Jul19234 Celebrating 75 Years of The Vegan Society The Vegan Society is the world’s oldest vegan society whose co-founder, Donald Watson defined the term ‘vegan’ in 1944. Having recently received AI’s 2019 Award for Veganism Awareness & Activism – UK in the Global Excellence Awards 2019, we profiled The Vegan Society and caught up with Chief Executive, George Gill who provided us with a glimpse into the extraordinary work the organisation provides. egistered educational charity (no. 279228), The Vegan Society are a registered educational providing information and guidance on various aspects of veganism, which includes to existing and potential vegans, caterers, healthcare professionals, educators and the media. Since their inception in 1944, The Vegan Society have been able to help countless people to go and stay vegan. Beginning the interview, George starts off by providing us an overview of The Vegan Society, explaining the organisation’s overall mission. “Here at The Vegan Society, our vision is a world where animals are free to exist in their own right. We promote a lifestyle that excludes, as far as possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of animals for the purposes of food, clothing or anything else. Additionally, we also want a just world for humans, where resources are utilised in a sustainable way. “Over the years, we have, and continue to do so, worked tirelessly to make veganism an easily-adopted and widely-recognised approach to reducing animal suffering and environmental damage. We do so through peaceful and factual dialogue with individuals, organisations and businesses. How we achieve this mission is by providing information, supporting and advising individuals and health professionals, caterers, manufacturers, and influencing policy makers. Currently, we work closely with the media to help reinforce a positive view of veganism and to help a larger audience see that veganism is a rewarding, enjoyable and viable lifestyle.” To date, The Vegan Society have accumulated an impressive social media presence, which includes a staggering 400,000 Facebook followers, 220,000 Twitter followers, 50,000 Instagram followers as well as 50,000 e-newsletter receivers. In addition to their online following, the organisation also has a members magazine called, The Vegan. Alongside their strong online following, The Vegan Society also reaches members of the general public with their media work. Promoting veganism as both a positive and viable solution towards a more ethical, environmentally friendly and healthier world, The Vegan Society’s media work reaches millions of people annually, including through written press, radio and TV interviews. With such an incredible amount of support behind them, The Vegan Society has grown from strength to strength, and expanded naturally over the years. One of the key factors which has helped the organic growth of the organisation is due to the dynamic team which forms the backbone of The Vegan Society. When discussing the internal culture, R George is keen to highlight the significant role the team plays in the overall success of the organisation. “Staff are fundamental to the success of our organisation. The Vegan Society consists of passionate individuals whose life mission is to create a more vegan world for the benefit of the animals, the planet and our health. The teams work together to achieve this and as everyone working here is vegan, we fight for causes that are very close to our hearts.” 2019 has already been a big year for The Vegan Society as they celebrate their 75th anniversary, as well as the annual campaign World Vegan Month. As for what the future holds for the team at The Vegan Society, George signs off by revealing the exiting plans which lie in the pipeline for the organisation, touching on how far World Vegan Day has evolved since its inception. “In 1994, we began celebrating the founding of The Vegan Society and every year since. Now, November 1st has been marked as World Vegan Day, especially with its significance growing to be internationally recognised. “In a natural progression, World Vegan Day evolved into World Vegan Week and now, what we celebrate as World Vegan Month; where vegans and veganism is celebrated in workplaces, shops, restaurants and in homes all over the world. Moving forward, we are planning a campaign and various activities to promote veganism in this time.” Contact: Dominika Piasecka Company: The Vegan Society Address: Donald Watson House, 34-35 Ludgate Hill, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom, B3 1EH Telephone: 01215231738 Web Address: www.vegansociety.com “...we work closely with the media to help reinforce a positive view of veganism and to help a larger audience see that veganism is a rewarding, enjoyable and viable lifestyle.”