The biggest annual vegan festival in the UK (outside of London & Bristol) returns to Wolverhampton and looks set to knock the spots off last year`s event!!
There`s close to 60 stalls offering a huge range of goodies/info, 4 mouth-watering cookery demos, 12 exciting/inspiring talks, a feast of food served up by the best vegan caterers from across the UK, an all vegan bar, an action packed line up of live entertainment from start to finish AND an After Party/Benefit Gig till midnight!!
Whether you want to try a new pair of non-leather shoes before you buy them, gorge yourself on the fantastic feast, learn how to be a healthy vegan, buy cruelty-free gifts for Xmas or chill out with friends enjoying the finest organic, vegan beer whilst listening to some great performers - you can do it all at the West Midlands Vegan Festival.
No vegan event with so many attractions has ever taken place anywhere across the Midlands region. This is truly exciting stuff and it`s now only 3 days away!!!
You can be there & do all this for just £1 admission!
From 11am-5pm at the Wulfrun Hall, North Street, Wolverhampton. (After party - 7pm-midnight at the same venue)
The West Midlands Vegan Festival 2009 will take place on Sat 24th October in Wolverhampton. Featuring 50+ stalls, food, talks, cookery demos, entertainment and so much more...!!
Updated vegan festival leaflets & posters are finally back from the printers and we need lots of help to distribute them!
Last year, we know from comments on feedback forms that many festival goers found out about it via leaflets/posters in cafes, libraries, health food shops, colleges, shop windows, churches, workplace noticeboards etc etc.
Please contact us ASAP with the number of A6 leaflets & A4 posters you can use and don`t forget to give us your address too! We`ll post them to you first class delivery so that you can start to promote the festival right away.
The more leaflets & posters distributed/displayed, the more people will attend the festival, the more people will be tasting fantastic vegan food & learning about the benefits of veganism!!
So please don`t delay, contact us today!
Keep your eye on the festival website, it will be updated with details of cookery demos, talks, stalls & entertainment later today! http://www.midlandsveganfestival.org.uk
Many thanks in advance for your help.
Best wishes,
MVC
The West Midlands Vegan Festival 2009 will take place on Sat 24th October in Wolverhampton. Featuring 50+ stalls, food, talks, cookery demos, entertainment and so much more...!!
Loretta Griffin of Redditch Veggies & Vegans needs your help! She has entered into the UK Face of Fashion 2009 competition and needs to finish within the top 3 to advance into the competition finals in February!!!
Vegan Loretta is the model of the "Vegans Go All The Way" T-shirt, as seen on the Vegan Society website & the latest VS magazine. Loretta is currently in second place, please vote for her!! :)
You can vote by either texting in or phoning, they both cost just 50p!!
Text:
Just text the word -- model 0436
to the number -- 60040
----- or ----
Phone:
call the number -- 090 1307 4000
and her reference number is -- 0436
With your help, the UK Face of Fashion 2009 could be vegan! Please vote and encourage all your friends to vote.
A REDDITCH vegan and environmental campaigner is training to take part in two half-marathons to raise cash for two causes.
Kevin White will be pounding the streets of Wolverhampton this Sunday (September 6) and Birmingham on October 11 to bring in money for the forthcoming West Midlands Vegan Festival in Wolverhampton and the Green Party's General Election campaign in Redditch.
The West Midlands Vegan Festival, an event co-ordinated by Midlands Vegan Campaigns, a group founded by Kevin, will take place on Saturday, October 24. The huge event, to be held at the Wulfrun Hall, will feature over 50 stalls offering a wide range of food, clothing, cosmetics, toiletries etc, all of it vegan and cruelty-free.
There will also be three further rooms, each with a programme of talks, cookery demos and entertainment throughout the day.
The event, now in its second year, is expected to be the biggest ever vegan festival to have been held in the Midlands region.
The second half of the money will help pay for the Green Party's General Election campaign in Redditch, where Kevin is hoping to be the candidate. After recent successes in borough and county council elections in Redditch, the local Green Party are looking forward to making further progress in the General Election. The democratic candidate selection process is currently in progress.
Kevin said: "Last year, I ran the Birmingham Half Marathon in 2 hours, 16 minutes. It was many miles further than I had ever run previously and was actually my first race since school over 20 years ago, so I was very pleased to even finish.
"This year I am training hard and hope to complete both races in under two hours. I'll be running in my Vegan Runners UK vest and hope to dispel the myths about vegans being unfit!
"I am passionate about promoting veganism and environmental sustainability. Over 1,200 people flocked to the Vegan Festival in Wolverhampton last year, but with extra publicity, we are convinced many more will join us to experience the benefits of veganism this year."
To sponsor Kevin online or download a sponsor form, visit www.midlandsveganfestival.org.uk. Alternatively, call him on 01527 458395.
-----------------------------------------------------
Redditch Vegetarian Vegan Society
PO Box 10202, Redditch, Worcs B98 8YT
Tel: 01527 458395
Email: reddiveggie@...
Website: www.redditchveggies.org.uk
Like last year, there`ll be 50+ stalls offering food, clothing, toiletries, cosmetics, campaign info etc, and also speakers, films, cookery demos, entertainment and lots more...
No longer do West Midlands vegans have to travel to London or Bristol to stock up on vegan goodies, get them all right here!!
The festival is once again being held at the Wulfrun Hall, Wolves Civic in the city centre, 10 minutes walk from the train/bus stations. See our website for a map, directions, car parks etc. The festival will be open from 11am - 5pm.
Join Us on Myspace and Facebook
Become our friend to receive updates and invite all your friends to join too!!
Help to promote the event by displaying one of our web banners/buttons on your website, Myspace, blog etc. Find the best size to suit your site on our website here http://www.veganmidlands.org.uk/festival/banners.html
Last Year`s Festival
Last year, the festival attracted massive crowds - 1,200 flocked to the event but we aim to top that this year! See a report and photos from last year on our website http://www.veganmidlands.org.uk/news/festival08.html
Thanks in advance for your help in making this a day to remember!!
RVV have the task of serving refreshments and offering free food samples at the Redditch Green Fair this Saturday. These are 2 of the most important aspects of the event but as yet we have very few volunteers to help! We also need volunteers for leafletting, encouraging fair goers to fill in feedback forms etc.
If you can help, even if for just half an hour, please contact us or alternatively, simply turn up on Saturday and offer your time.
If you`re able to provide any vegan finger food for non-vegans to sample, please bring it along on the day or get in touch.
This coming Thursday is polling day for the Euro & County Council Elections. Here in Redditch, for the first time ever in local government elections, every single voting resident has the opportunity to vote GREEN!! Of the 4 Green candidates standing in Redditch, 3 are vegan and one is vegetarian!
At our meeting tomorrow evening, you can meet at least 2 of the Green candidates, listen to their reasons for standing for the Green Party and why they believe Greens offer a compassionate, fair and sustainable future for animals, people and the planet!
Red Kite Health Foods will have a stall at the meeting, so you can stock up on lots of healthy vegan goodies from the shop`s shelves.
The meeting will take place at our usual venue - St Georges Community Hall, St Georges Road, Redditch. Refreshments available from 7.15pm. Free admission.
See you there!
Kevin
-----------------------------------------------------
Redditch Vegetarian Vegan Society
PO Box 10202, Redditch, Worcs B98 8YT
Tel: 01527 458395
Email: reddiveggie@...
Website: www.redditchveggies.org.uk
On Saturday 13th June, the 4th annual, independent Redditch Green Fair aims to be bigger and better than ever! With 20+ stalls, entertainment, childrens fun activities, free vegan food samples, alternative therapists and lots more... The event is now firmly established as one of the best eco-events across the region and best of all, it`s organised by vegans!! And with FREE admission, you can`t go wrong! Check out the video from last year http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMno8DqYsiY
VEGAN ATTRACTIONS INCLUDE:
Catering by Green Garden Cafe & Midlands Vegan Campaigns
Yummy vegan creme eggs for sale
Toiletries, cosmetics, household products
For non-vegans - free food samples from Redditch Veggies & Vegans
WHY A `GREEN` FAIR?!!
Planet earth is under attack! Not from terrorists or martians from outer space, but from you and me, human beings... mankind!!
We all need to alter the way we live if planet earth is to survive. Take a long hard look at the way you live your life. There`s a fair chance that pretty much everything you do effects our environment in some way. Transport, energy, consumerism, food, leisure, waste etc etc all have an enormous impact on the planet.
For the sake of our children`s future, an ever increasing amount of people, organisations & companies are talking about these issues and choosing the least harmful options. Even the government are now taking action, bringing in new laws such as the Climate Change Bill and offering advice to us all on how we should live in order to reduce our personal impact.
No matter how much you know about planet-friendly living, nobody knows it all. As always, there`ll be lots to learn, see and do at the Redditch Green Fair. The 4th annual, independent Redditch Green Fair will take place in and around St Stephens Church in the heart of the town centre. The fair aims to promote sustainable, eco-friendly living by providing a range of green products, fairtrade goods, organic produce, natural gifts etc combined with lots of useful information to help everyone live a cleaner, greener, more ethical and healthier life! Admission is free.
You may like to display a web banner/link on your website, blog, Myspace etc. You can find the above banner in various sizes on our website here http://www.redditchgreenfair.org.uk/help.html
VENUE MAP & TRANSPORT TO THE FAIR
If you`re not from Redditch, the church can be found at the top of Unicorn Hill, less than 5 minutes walk from the train/bus stations. See a map here http://www.multimap.com/s/7krslg4D
If the only way you can get to the fair is in a car, you can find other people to travel with you via Lift Share http://www.liftshare.org and Freewheelers http://www.freewheelers.com/Redditch_Green_Fair
SUGGESTIONS FOR STALLS & ATTRACTIONS
If you have any suggestions for stalls or other attractions for the event, please don`t keep them to yourself, we would love to hear from you! Perhaps you run a local `green` company/organisation and would like to be part of the event. Please contact us.
ORGANISERS OF THE EVENT
The Redditch Green Fair is made possible thanks to the combined efforts of volunteers from various local grassroots green groups, who originally joined forces to stage the 2006 Fair, under the banner of Redditch Green Alliance. Since then, the groups involved have continued to work together on various issues and have changed their name to Redditch Alliance of Greens(RAG). The alliance comprises local environmental, ethical and social justice groups, all working towards a more sustainable town and planet.
MORE DETAILS
Many more details can be found on our website, including a gallery of photos, reports and films from our 3 previous fairs. See http://www.redditchgreenfair.org.uk
Redditch Alliance of Greens
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Redditch Vegetarian Vegan Society
PO Box 10202, Redditch, Worcs B98 8YT
Tel: 01527 458395
Email: reddiveggie@...
Website: www.redditchveggies.org.uk
Folk, acoustic &celtic music by father & son team from Worcester
10:50 - Kate Fowler, Animal Aid
Campaigns against all animal abuse & promotes cruelty-free living
11:00 - Yasus Afari - Reggae Artiste
Conquering poverty, ignorance & injustice with positive vibrations
11:00 - Magic Show with Kristoff the Clown
Lots of fun & laughter for all ages at this magnificent magic show
11:20 - Belly Dancers
Watch the Birmingham Belly Dancers, and join in if you want!
11:50 - The Big 2 Minute Freeze
Spread out round the city centre & freeze at precisely 11.50am
12:00 - Juliet Gellatley, Viva!
Founder of Europe`s largest vegetarian campaigning organisation
12:00 - Sikh Warrior Demonstration
Awesome display of swordfighting & martial arts!
12:30 - Mama Matrix - band
Birmingham 5 piece band playing Balkan gypsy music
12:40 - Bloco Louco Samba Band
Dance to the infectious sound of Brazilian beats in Victoria Square
12:50 - Prepare & Line Up for the Carnival Procession
Get ready for the UK`s first ever parade celebrating & promoting veg*nism!
13:00 - Carnival Procession
Our vibrant & colourful parade led by Bloco Louco will last up to an hour
13:10 - Yasus Afari - Reggae Artiste
Deeply rooted in his Rastafarian beliefs - a Jamaican national treasure
13:20 - Belly dancers
Belly dance is fun and fantastic for fitness, join in if you want!
13:40 - Poetry, Lorraine Parker
The cruelty & injustice to animals through Radical welsh Poetry
14:00 - Welcome back
We hope you enjoyed the carnival procession!
14:10 - Kevin White, Midlands Vegan Campaigns
MVC`s founder will talk about the group & vegan campaigning
14:20 - Lorraine Parker, Animals Count
A political party to help create a better world for people & animals
14:30 - Yoga Demonstration
Cope better with the challenges of daily life - take up yoga!
14:40 - Best Costume/Banner Competition
Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes & banners
15:00 - 10 O'clock horses - band
Acoustic, folk rock music from a local Birmingham band
15:20 - The Big 2 Minute Freeze
(see 11:50)
15:20 - Macka B - Reggae Artiste
Has a strong world wide following spanning many continents
15:30 - Magic Show with Kristoff the Clown
(see 11:00)
15:30 - Martin the Livewire
Vegan hip hop raising awareness of the ills inflicted on our society
15:30 - Visit The Pitman Vegetarian Hotel Building
Meet at BVV stall. Walk to UKs first veggie hotel/health food shop
15:50 - Sue Baumgardt, Green Party
Social/environmental justice via campaigns, direct action, elections
16:00 - Alex Claridge, Vegan Society
Promote ways of living free from animal products
16:20 - Chris Butler - singer/guitarist
Protest folk singer - a poitically motivated songwriter from Derby
16:30 - Yoga Demonstration
(see 14:30)
16:50 - Nitin Mehta, Young Indian Vegetarians
For a 21st century where humans finally make peace with animals
17:20 - Circadia - band
Brummie band who mould together electronics & live instruments
17:50 - Close - Goodbye
Midlands Vegan Campaigns has been nominated Best Vegan Small Campaign Group in the Vegan Environmental Awards 2009!! If you like MVC and you enjoyed our festival, food fairs etc, please vote for us! It only takes a few seconds, see http://bristol.veganfayre.co.uk/awards-vote/
The cost of organising Veggie Pride UK is growing far more than we had anticipated. Much of the costs are associated with staging the event in such a high profile city centre location. Many hundreds of people have already pledged to attend and we have an amazing event in store for everyone, with stalls, fantastic food, live music, speakers, entertainers, a colourful carnival procession, best costume/banner contest and so much more! http://www.veggiepride.org.uk
Sadly, we have run out of money and desperately need your help! We have put so much time and effort into the event, there is no turning back now - we have gone way past the point of no return! Veggie Pride UK will happen, but without more support, we will have to cut corners. Please help to ensure Veggie Pride`s complete success!
We are appealing to individuals, local groups, national groups, companies etc. Any amount you can donate, raise or sponsor will help to make Sat 16th May 2009 a day to remember!
DONATIONS
Many thanks to those of you who have already generously donated. Groups such as the Isle of Wight Vegetarians and Vegans and Coventry Animal Alliance, have donated £50 each. Individuals have donated up to £20. Please send whatever you can afford to:
Midlands Vegan Campaigns,
PO Box 10202,
Redditch,
Worcs.
B98 8YT
Please make cheques payable to `Midlands Vegan Campaigns`.
FUNDRAISING EVENTS
Can you organise a fundraising event of some kind in your area? We will shortly be announcing details of a fundraising gig following the event, at a pub in Birmingham. There will be a further gig at a pub in Coventry on Sat 23 May. And there`ll be a fundraising buffet and social evening in Redditch on Sat 6 June. If you can raise money in your area, we would be extremely grateful and we can help to publicise your events on our website, via email etc.
SPONSORSHIP
We are extremely grateful to the following organisations & companies for sponsoring Veggie Pride UK. Without their support, this event would not be taking place. If your ethical company/organisation would like to sponsor the event, please contact us as soon as possible.
This will be a totally unique event, the first ever Veggie Pride in the UK. Never before has an outdoor veggie/vegan festival been staged in such a prominent position, where many 1,000`s of people will flow past during the day. And never before has a carnival procession been solely devoted to the celebration and promotion of compassionate, healthy and eco-friendly lifestyles! Make sure you`re part of this amazing event!
EVENT WEBSITE
Many more details can be found on our Veggie Pride website, which will be constantly updated as more and more details and attractions are confirmed. Take a look here http://www.veggiepride.org.uk
Many thanks in advance for any help you can offer. We look forward to seeing you all on the big day!
Best wishes,
MVC
Midlands Vegan Campaigns has been nominated Best Vegan Small Campaign Group in the Vegan Environmental Awards 2009!! If you like MVC and you enjoyed our festival, food fairs etc, please vote for us! It only takes a few seconds, see http://bristol.veganfayre..co.uk/awards-vote/
We have 1,000`s of glossy colour leaflets (A6 size) for Veggie Pride UK and we need your help! If you`re able to distribute some, or leave some where they can be distributed (ie. health food shop), we can post some to you, so please contact us stating the number you require and your address.
Midlands Vegan Campaigns has been nominated Best Vegan Small Campaign Group in the Vegan Environmental Awards 2009!! If you like MVC and you enjoyed our festival, food fairs etc, please vote for us! It only takes a few seconds, see http://bristol.veganfayre..co.uk/awards-vote/
A Fantastic Fun Filled Festival and Carnival Procession!!
Saturday 16th May in Birmingham City Centre
On Saturday 16 May 2009, Victoria Square in Birmingham City Centre will be transformed by Veggie Pride UK - a fantastic celebration of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. It`s an opportunity for everyone following compassionate, eco-friendly, healthy lifestyles to come together for a fun, carnival style event whilst also raising awareneness of the many benefits - for human health, animals, environment etc.
Veggie Pride UK will include info & product stalls, live music & entertainers, a vibrant & colourful carnival procession, best costume/banner contest and lots, lots more...!!
This will be a totally unique event, the first ever Veggie Pride in the UK. Never before has an outdoor veggie/vegan festival been staged in such a prominent position, where many 1,000`s of people will flow past during the day. And never before has a carnival procession been solely devoted to the celebration and promotion of compassionate, healthy and eco-friendly lifestyles! Make sure you`re part of this amazing event!
Stalls 10am - 6pm
Dozens of stalls will offer all kinds of cruelty-free products, information and of course lots and lots of delicious vegan food. Caterers confirmed so far are Veggieshttp://www.veggies.org.uk and Green Garden Cafehttp://www.greengardencafe.co.uk
Entertainment 11am - 6pm
The festival will include live stage entertainment, with bands, singers and guest speakers between 11am - 6pm. A list of all the entertainment and a programme will be displayed on our website as soon as possible. As well as on the main stage, there will be entertainers and talented people all round the square, creating a vibrant, carnival atmosphere. There will be clowns, jugglers, dancers, poets, musicians, story tellers, a samba band and lots more...!! Please get in touch if you`d like to offer some form of entertainment.
Carnival Procession 1pm
This will be a vibrant and colourful parade through the city streets, featuring a samba band and kids block! We hope to attract the attention of 1,000`s of shoppers by wearing lots of colourful costumes and waving banners, flags, streamers etc. We want you to think about what costume you could wear - maybe dress up as a vegetable, animal or super hero! Or you could dress in your work uniform - eg. a chef or nurse, possibly whilst carrying an appropriate placard! Or maybe you could wear your leisure/sports clothes - eg. Vegan Runners top or football
outfit, complete with football!! You could get ideas by viewing the photos from last years Veggie Pride Parade in New York, see http://www.veggieprideparade.org You don`t have to hire or buy a costume. Perhaps you could make a simple outfit or pick one up off your local Freecycle group www.freecycle.org
If you don`t fancy wearing a costume, make yourself a colourful banner or placard with a thought provoking message. Remember, this is a celebration not a protest, so no gory images please! We want to attract lots of attention and leave people in no doubt of all the benefits of veggie/vegan lifestyles!
The kids block will be a section of the parade where children can march together, with their own costumes, banners etc. If your children/family would like to join the kids block, you can contact Lesley Dove to pledge your support and discuss plans - email lesley@...
Best Costume/Banner Contest! 2.30pm
After the procession, we will be awarding prizes for the best costumes and banners. This is an incentive for you to put lots of effort into your costumes, banners and props. Please use your imagination and be creative...you may well win a prize!!
Fundraising Gig in the Evening
When Veggie Pride comes to an end, we hope you`ll join us at our benefit gig at a pub in the city centre. More details will be announced shortly.
Transport
Transport is already being organised from London, Bristol, Manchester and Yorkshire - contact details will be displayed on our website shortly. If you can arrange coach or minibus transport (or even just car sharing) from your area, please contact us as soon as possible and we`ll display the details.
How You Can Help!
There are various ways you can help to publicise the event:
The costs involved with organising Veggie Pride UK are very high. Costs include printing (and other publicity), hire of various essentials (stage, sound equipment, gazebos etc), electricity, insurance and possibly even road closures! We will cut down on costs wherever possible but it`s clear that we need lots of financial support!
Whether you`re an individual or a group, please consider sending a donation. Any amount that you can give will be very much appreciated and will help to ensure the success of Veggie Pride UK. Please make cheques payable to `Midlands Vegan Campaigns` and post to Veggie Pride UK, PO Box 10202, Redditch, Worcs. B98 8YT.
Sponsors
We are extremely grateful to the following organisations & companies for sponsoring Veggie Pride UK. Without their support, this event would not be taking place. If your ethical company/organisation would like to sponsor the event, please contact us as soon as possible.
Many more details can be found on our new Veggie Pride website, which will be constantly updated as more and more details and attractions are confirmed. Take a look here http://www.veggiepride.org.uk
We look forward to seeing you on the day!
Best wishes,
MVC
Midlands Vegan Campaigns has been nominated Best Vegan Small Campaign Group in the Vegan Environmental Awards 2009!! If you like MVC and you enjoyed our festival, food fairs etc, please vote for us! It only takes a few seconds, see http://bristol.veganfayre..co.uk/awards-vote/
hi is it possible i can get removed of the mailing list i now live far far away
On Wed, Mar 25, 2009 at 4:40 AM, Redditch Vegetarian and Vegan Society <reddiveggie@...> wrote:
Easter will arrive early this year for anyone who enjoys chocolate. On Wednesday 1st April, Redditch Vegetarians and Vegans are hosting a Chocolate Tasting Evening!!
7.30pm - St Georges Community Hall, St Georges Road, Redditch. Refreshments from 7.15. Free admission, donations appreciated.
Everyone is invited along to sample a fantastic assortment of delicious chocolate. There`ll be handmade Easter Eggs, sumptuous chocolate truffles, healthy raw chocolate and delicious dark chocolate of many flavours. All of the chocolate will be free.
We have sourced the samples from a range of UK companies that are passionate about their ethics, producing eco-friendly, organic, fairtrade and vegan choccy delights. These are the companies that have so far donated:
Plamil: vegan, ethical, organic, no gluten, no nut, no added sugar www.plamilfoods.co.uk
Venture Foods: Organica chocolate including the ‘White’ variety www.venturefoods.com
With so many types and flavours of chocolate to sample, the evening will be a chocoholics heaven! Even the health conscious can enjoy a visit from the Easter bunny this year!
For each chocolate, tasters will be invited to write down their thoughts and comments which will be returned to the manufacturer.
The Birmingham Veggies Choccy Tasting Evening today was absolutely packed out, so I hope ours will be too!!
See you all next Wednesday.
Best wishes,
Kevin
-----------------------------------------------------
Redditch Vegetarian & Vegan Society
PO Box 10202, Redditch, Worcs B98 8YT
Tel: 01527 458395
Email: reddiveggie@...
Website: www.redditchveggies.org.uk
Easter will arrive early this year for anyone who enjoys chocolate. On Wednesday 1st April, Redditch Vegetarians and Vegans are hosting a Chocolate Tasting Evening!!
7.30pm - St Georges Community Hall, St Georges Road, Redditch. Refreshments from 7.15. Free admission, donations appreciated.
Everyone is invited along to sample a fantastic assortment of delicious chocolate. There`ll be handmade Easter Eggs, sumptuous chocolate truffles, healthy raw chocolate and delicious dark chocolate of many flavours. All of the chocolate will be free.
We have sourced the samples from a range of UK companies that are passionate about their ethics, producing eco-friendly, organic, fairtrade and vegan choccy delights. These are the companies that have so far donated:
Plamil: vegan, ethical, organic, no gluten, no nut, no added sugar www.plamilfoods.co.uk
Venture Foods: Organica chocolate including the ‘White’ variety www.venturefoods.com
With so many types and flavours of chocolate to sample, the evening will be a chocoholics heaven! Even the health conscious can enjoy a visit from the Easter bunny this year!
For each chocolate, tasters will be invited to write down their thoughts and comments which will be returned to the manufacturer.
The Birmingham Veggies Choccy Tasting Evening today was absolutely packed out, so I hope ours will be too!!
See you all next Wednesday.
Best wishes,
Kevin
-----------------------------------------------------
Redditch Vegetarian Vegan Society
PO Box 10202, Redditch, Worcs B98 8YT
Tel: 01527 458395
Email: reddiveggie@...
Website: www.redditchveggies.org.uk
For the sake of animals, people & the planet, please attend and forward widely:
Climate Change Day of Action
including a vibrant carnival parade
Thursday 19 March - Coventry
On Thurs 19th March, a Climate Day of Action will take place in Coventry. Members of Christian Aid, CAFOD, the World Development Movement & the Climate Chaos Coalition will call for a `fair deal for the world`s poor`. The day will begin at 12 noon with a service in Coventry Cathedral, followed at 1.30pm by a vibrant carnival parade through the city streets! At 3pm, a rally will take place at the E.ON headquarters, to protest against their plans to build a new coal-fuelled power station.
Organisers expect upto 1,000 people from across the UK to attend. This is another fantastic opportunity for veggies and vegans to raise awareness of the devastating impact that animal agriculture has on the planet. The easiest, most effective way to help the world`s poor and stop climate change is simply to adopt a plant based diet!! Green Garden Cafe, who catered at the West Midlands Vegan Festival, will be providing 500 vegan lunches for event participants! Let`s tell them that veganism shouldn`t be `for one day only`!!
This event will be an excellent `practice run` for Veggie Pride UK in Birmingham (see www.veggiepride.org.uk ). Why not create a banner or placard with a thought provoking message, or wear a costume of some sort, in order to get your message across! Alternatively, come armed with leaflets for distribution to the masses!
We know that many people will be unable to get out of work, but if you possibly can, please join us.
Hope to see you there!
Best wishes,
MVC
Midlands Vegan Campaigns has been nominated Best Vegan Small Campaign Group in the Vegan Environmental Awards 2009!! If you like MVC and you enjoyed our festival, food fairs etc, please vote for us! It only takes a few seconds, see http://bristol.veganfayre..co.uk/awards-vote/
Veggie Pride UK is less than 3 months away! Whilst in many respects it`s a long way off, in terms of event planning, there is no time to lose!! :-)
As you may know, Veggie Pride UK will be the FIRST EVER event of it`s kind in the UK!! Therefore, we have no way of knowing how many people are likely to attend. Birmingham City Council want some assurance that Veggie Pride UK will attract a significant number of people. They don`t want to grant approval for a procession route through the busiest city streets, only for it to be a flop due to a low turnout! So you can help simply by pledging to attend and by inviting all your friends to attend.
If all goes to plan, the event will be ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!! Picture a vibrant and colourful carnival procession, followed by a fantastic festival and street party, featuring stalls, food, speakers, live entertainment, best costume/banner competition, dancers, jugglers, clowns, story tellers and so much more...!! All of this in the heart of Birmingham City Centre, so you can be assured that this will be a day of veggie/vegan awareness raising aswell as celebration!
Help us to make sure everyone knows about the event by inviting all your friends! Let the council see for themselves that many hundreds of people have pledged to attend!! Be sure to invite your non veggie/vegan friends too. They may not attend, but just inviting them is a great way to spread awareness of all the benefits of veg*nism!
Please start to think about providing transport from your area(we will publish your coach/minibus details on our website), and consider what costumes, banners and props that you & your friends/group can wear/display on the procession. If you can offer ANYTHING, whether your advice, time, talent or resources, we would be delighted to hear from you, please get in touch.
Thanks for your help, look forward to seeing you all on the day!
Best wishes,
MVC
Midlands Vegan Campaigns has been nominated Best Vegan Small Campaign Group in the Vegan Environmental Awards 2009!! If you like MVC and you enjoyed our festival, food fairs etc, please vote for us! It only takes a few seconds, see http://bristol.veganfayre..co.uk/awards-vote/
>>> Please forward to veggies and vegans everywhere! <<<
Picture the scene:
Hundreds of celebrating vegetarians/vegans parade through a busy city centre. A samba band entertains, whilst dozens of revellers dance in colourful costumes, such as super heroes, vegetables and animals! Others have donned their professional uniforms (eg nurses, chefs etc) or leisure/fitness attire (eg footballers, runners etc), demonstrating that those with compassion manifest in many forms. Hundreds carry banners, flags and placards, intent on spreading awareness of their passion for plant based diets. The vibrant carnival atmosphere draws the attention of thousands of shoppers. As crowds look on they soak up the collective enthusiasm for healthy, cruelty-free, eco-friendly living. Some can`t resist the temptation and join the parade! Leaflets leave the masses in no doubt of the benefits that a change of lifestyle would bring.
Where the proud procession comes to an end, a fantastic festival begins. Whilst hundreds of weekend shoppers flow through a central square, dozens of stalls offer a wide range of information and products to vegans, veggies and meat eaters alike. There`s a vast variety of cruelty-free hot and cold food to tempt the taste buds of even the most committed carnivores, including free samples for the curious who may wish to try before they buy! In all corners of the square, entertainment comes from talented performers of all kinds - jugglers, dancers, singers, magicians, poets, story tellers etc.. Crowds flock round a stage to enjoy speeches from respected members of the veggie/vegan community and the best, most original costumes, props and banners win awards. The party continues into the early evening as bands take over the stage and round off a day of vegetarian/vegan celebration and awareness that will never be forgotten!
Where could this be? Paris or New York perhaps? No, this is Birmingham - the venue for the first Veggie Pride UK on Sat 16th May 2009!!
PLEASE NOTE: - Full details of this event are yet to be confirmed/approved by Birmingham City Council, but will be announced as soon as possible.
For several years, Veggie Pride events have been held in Paris, and last year, also in Rome and New York. As yet, no event of this kind has ever been seen in the UK. Midlands Vegan Campaigns are committed to staging Veggie Pride UK in Birmingham, where we hope it will become an annual event, celebrated by vegetarians & vegans from across the country and will hopefully grow in size and popularity year after year.
Why Birmingham??
Birmingham has played a very important role in the progress of vegetarianism for well over 100 years and continues to do so today. In 1898, the first vegetarian hotel in the UK opened in Birmingham City Centre. It was named The Pitman Vegetarian Hotel after Sir Isaac Pitman, then vice-president of the Vegetarian Society. The manager, James Henry Cook, also opened the UK`s first `health food store` in Birmingham. The idea caught on, and there were soon health food stores in towns and cities across the country!
Today, Birmingham is home to the longest running purely vegan shop in the country and of course, The Vegan Society have now made Birmingham their home.
Why are we appealing for your help??
Plans are in the very early stages. Many of our dreams for this event will only come true with your support! YOU can help make the above description become a reality. At this stage, there are 3 main ways you can help ensure the event is a success:
1. The council want some assurance that Veggie Pride UK will attract a significant number of people. They don`t want to grant approval, only for it to be a flop due to a low turnout! So you can help simply by pledging to attend! Either confirm your attendance via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=53925241834 , or pledge to attend via Pledge Bank, see http://www.pledgebank.com/VeggiePrideUK
2. The costs involved with organising such an event are very high. Costs include printing(and other
publicity), hire of various essentials (stage, sound equipment, gazebos etc), electricity, insurance and possibly even road closures! We will cut down on costs wherever possible but it`s clear that we can`t go ahead without your financial support!
MVC is a small, grassroots campaign group, run by volunteers. Every penny you donate will be ploughed into organising a memorable, inspiring event. Any amount that you/your group can afford will be very gratefully received. Please make cheques/postal orders payable to `Midlands Vegan Campaigns` and post to:
MVC, PO Box 10202, Redditch, Worcs. B98 8YT.
We would also like to hear from potential sponsors. All sponsors will be promoted on our website, MySpace, Facebook, leaflets, posters, adverts etc. If you would like to sponsor Veggie Pride UK, or would like more details, please get in touch as soon as possible.
3. Obviously, keep the date free! Start to think about providing transport from your area, and consider what costumes, banners and props that you & your friends/group can wear/display on the procession. If you can offer ANYTHING, whether your advice, time, talent or resources, we would be delighted to hear from you,
please get in touch.
Veggie Pride websites
The Veggie Pride UK website is here www.veggiepride.org.uk It`s still being built (remember we`re volunteers!) so is a bit dull at the moment! Do check back soon for updates.
Midlands Vegan Campaigns formed in August 2007, with the intention of promoting plant based diets for the benefit of animals, people & the planet. We have staged several large events including Free Vegan Food Fairs in Birmingham and Lichfield, and a Vegan Festival in Wolverhampton for World Vegan Day 2008, which attracted 1,200 people. We have recently been nominated for a Vegan Environmental Award for our awareness raising work. We are affiliated to The Vegetarian Society and are local group contacts for both Viva! and The Vegan Society. For further details about the group, please see our main website http://www.veganmidlands.org.uk
Remember, with your help, we will make the first Veggie Pride UK an event to remember!
Thanks in advance for your support.
Best wishes,
MVC
Midlands Vegan Campaigns has been nominated Best Vegan Small Campaign Group in the Vegan Environmental Awards 2009!! If you like MVC and you enjoyed our festival, food fairs etc, please vote for us! It only takes a few seconds, see http://bristol.veganfayre..co.uk/awards-vote/
If you enjoyed the festival and/or our food fairs and think MVC does good work promoting veganism, please consider voting for us!!
MVC has been nominated Best Vegan Small Campaign Group in the Vegan Environmental Awards 2009!! A total of 9 groups have been nominated for this award, including our friends at Vegfam, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Animals Count.
There are a further 8 award categories, each with 9 nominations. Awards up for grabs include Best Vegan Chocolate, Best Vegan Bodycare and Best Vegan Friendly Shop. The awards are hosted by Yaoh and will be presented at the Bristol Vegan Fayre on Sunday 31st May.
If you like MVC and enjoy our fairs, festivals and other events, please vote for us! You can vote online once a month between January and May. Voting is easy and only takes a few seconds, see http://bristol.veganfayre.co.uk/awards-vote/
Thanks for your support!
MVC
Midlands Vegan Campaigns has been nominated Best Vegan Small Campaign Group in the Vegan Environmental Awards 2009!! If you like MVC and you enjoyed our festival, food fairs etc, please vote for us! It only takes a few seconds, see http://bristol.veganfayre..co.uk/awards-vote/
On Saturday 1st November, Midlands Vegan Campaigns set out to stage a World Vegan Day celebration that people would not forget in a hurry and that`s exactly what we did.
The West Midlands Vegan Festival was everything we dreamed it would be. The venue was pretty much packed out from start to finish. Before the doors opened at 11am, over 60 people queued up outside, many of them waiting to claim their free goodie bag! Most of the talks, workshops and cookery demos were well attended, several attracting as many as 40 people! Most of the stallholders and caterers were delighted with the event and many have already enquired about the date of next year`s festival!! In total, over 1,200 people attended the event! A gallery of photos will be published on our website asap. If you took any photos or video yourself, please do email them to us and we`ll add them to the gallery.
MVC would like to say a huge THANKYOU to our team of 40 or so volunteers who made the festival possible. You`re all stars, we simply couldn`t have done it without you! If you were a volunteer and you`ve gone home with one of our volunteer badges, please do get it back to us because we`ll be needing them all again!
Whether you attended the festival or not, you`ll be delighted to hear that the festival will return next year and it will be bigger and better with more attractions and more stalls!
Many thanks to all stallholders, caterers, sponsors, food/prize donators, performers, speakers, visitors and volunteers who helped to make our first festival such a success!
See you all next year!
Best wishes,
MVC
We hope you had a fantastic time at the West Midlands Vegan Festival!! Send us your photos and we`ll add them to a gallery on our website http://www.midlandsveganfestival.org.uk
Take a look at some of the supportive messages we`ve received from people expecting to attend the festival on Saturday:
"I'm soooooooooooooooooo excited about this!!!!! I can't wait! :D x "
"iv never been to a vegan festival b4 and i cant wait. iv got 1 veggie and 2 meat eaters coming along and lets hope they see the vegan way is the right way lol xxx "
"I'm vegan and I'll definatly be there! Looking forward to it - should be a great day!! "
"YEEEAAAAAHHHHH i cant wait !!!!!! ill be there im so excited im vegan 80 days and counting !!! "
"hiya hope you and all involved in this great event are well!! - just to say im really looking forward to this - ive been vegetarian for 5 years and its time to rid dairy produce out of my diet and i hope you can help me with tasty alternatives!!! ive turned to soya milk but need to find some nice vegan cheese and chocolate!!! "
"Hi, I'm really excited about the festival, it looks terrific! "
"I AM COMING !!!!! finally a festival where i live YAHHHOOOO god im counting down the days already "
"Wouldn't miss it for the world! "
"I think its brilliant that this festival is taking place so close as they are always so far away, like Bristol and London. Thanks for organising this, I am really looking forward to it."
And if those have got you excited, why not whet your appetite a little more by viewing our video from the Free Vegan Food Fair in Lichfield earlier this year. See http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=u6Kbe-786UM
In many years from now, when your grandchildren ask "Where were you the day of the first West Midlands Vegan Festival", there`s only one answer you should give - "I was there!!!"
See you all on Saturday!!
MVC
Sat 1st November = World Vegan Day = West Midlands Vegan Festival
Featuring a feast of delicious hot & cold food, 55 stalls, 12 talks/workshops, 3 cookery demos, live music, magic show, speed meeting session, presentation of The Vegan Society Awards, raffles, competitions, lots of FREE stuff and much, much more...!!
Aswell as the Wulfrun Hall and the large cafe/bar alongside, the West Midlands Vegan Festival will spread into 2 further rooms upstairs. In each room, there will be a full programme of talks, film screenings, cookery demos etc throughout the day. Talks will focus on a diverse range of issues including going vegan, animal politics, vegan nutrition, saving wildlife through direct action, living foods, kitchen cosmetics, vegan campaigning and lots more. There`ll also be a yoga workshop, magic show, speed meeting session and live music will bring the World Vegan Day celebrations to an end!
Programme
Mezz Lounge (on 2nd floor, lift available)
11.30am - 12.10pm - Cookery Demo 1 - Veganise It! Easy ways with old favourites
With Lenka Pagan, Yoga & Meditation Teacher & Healthy Lifestyle Coach In our hectic modern world many people are taking ‘time out’ to practice yoga - a system of philosophy that originated in India 5,000 years ago. Everyone can practice yoga, regardless of age, sex or ability. Yoga offers us a holistic approach to body, mind and spirit, which can provide us with the ‘tools’ to cope with the challenges of daily life. Yoga can also complement medical science and therapy for specific conditions.
1.20pm - 2pm - Cookery Demo 2 - Lively Up Yourself. Getting saucy with pulses, wholegrains and other staples
With Jane Easton (see above)
2.10pm - 3pm - Vegan Nutrition
With Dr Stephen Walsh PhD, nutrition spokesperson for The Vegan Society and author of Plant Based Nutrition and Health Veganism is not only great for animals and the planet - a well balanced vegan diet is the healthiest there is - for children as well as for adults. Vegans live longer and suffer less from diseases such as hypertension, obesity, coronary artery disease, certain kinds of cancer and diabetes. But as with all diets, nutritional balance is important. Whether you`re already vegan, an aspiring vegan or just vegan curious, Dr Stephen Walsh will tell you how to avoid the pitfalls and obtain an optimum healthy diet.
3.10pm - 3.50pm - Cookery Demo 3 - A Piece of Cake. Vegan baking made simple
With Jane Easton (see above)
4pm - 5pm - Speed Meeting Session
This will be a fun opportunity to meet likeminded people for networking, socialising or perhaps a little more...! You`ll have the chance to meet and chat to up to 25 people within the hour. The session has been organised by Love Foods - see the news section on their website for a report of a previous event. To register for the speed meeting, go to the Love Foods stall on the day. Over 18`s only. Open to vegetarians and vegans.
Civic Bar, area 1 (on 1st floor, lift available)
11.30am - 12.20pm - Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
With Darren Collis, UK representative for Sea Shepherd The crews of Sea Shepherd`s ships risk their lives in order to defend, conserve and protect the world`s whales, seals and other marine life. Whilst Greenpeace ships sail the seas with freezers full of meat, Sea Shepherd is a vegan organisation. Don`t miss this opportunity to meet one of the crew members and learn about his courageous and daring adventures!
12.30pm - 1.20pm - Diet of Disaster
With Justin Kerswell, campaigns manager for Viva! The global demand for meat has increased more than five-fold since the 1950`s and in 2005, over 55 billion animals were slaughtered. It`s no coincidence that the natural world has crumbled at a corresponding rate. Almost every environmental disaster you have heard of is linked to the meat, dairy and fishing industries. Meat and dairy animals produce more greenhouse gases than all the world`s transport combined!! Justin`s talk will show that adopting a vegan diet is the most effective action that an individual can take to save the planet!
1.30pm - 2.20pm - Going Vegan
With Rob Jackson, education officer for The Vegan Society Starting with a brief introduction to some of the most pressing vegan issues to remind you why you should go vegan. Then, there`ll be a look at some of the easy substitutes for things people usually miss when they go vegan, to help you ease into it. And finally, a question & answer session. This talk will support The Vegan Society`s Vegan Pledge, a new initiative aimed at encouraging people to try veganism for a week, 14 days or 30 days!
2.30pm - 3pm - Vegan Campaigning
With members of Midlands Vegan Campaigns Since forming little over a year ago, Midlands Vegan Campaigns has made a huge impact. MVC members have found that promoting veganism is a highly effective way of saving animals, people and the planet all in one go! This session will involve a whistle stop tour of vegan campaigning, everything from leafletting and street stalls to free food fairs and festivals!
3.10pm - 3.50pm - Vegan Organic Farming
With Rob Jackson, representing the Vegan Organic Network Rob used to be a volunteer and part-time student at the Welsh College of Horticulture who run 3 hectares of farm land which use no animal inputs (ie no animal manures, fish/blood/bone etc etc). This is called Vegan Organic or Stock-Free Organic farming. It`s a myth that organic growing requires the use of animal manure to fertilise the soil. Rob will show a film and tell us how stock-free organic growing is better for human health, animals and the environment.
4pm - 5pm - Live Music
For the final hour of the event, the bar in the Civic Bar will open and there`ll be live music from 2 talented vegan performers:
4pm - Jennie B
Songs, poems and tangential conversation. Previously, Jennie from Manchester has sung with the goth-rock band Resurrection and the folk band Spiderwoods. Now, the ethical, eco-warrior Jennie B has gone solo and recently performed at the London Vegan Festival. Hear Jennie`s beautiful voice on her Myspace page www.myspace.com/jenniebmusic
4.30pm - Chris Butler
Protest folk singer. For the past 20 years, Chris from Derbyshire has entertained at gigs across the Midlands and beyond. He`s a very politically motivated songwriter. Where folk meets punk and protest meets resistance. He`s shared a stage with Chumbawamba, Eastfield, Robb Johnson and many more... Read more about Chris on his website www.butler1389.fsnet.co.uk
Civic Bar, area 2 (on 1st floor, lift available)
11.30pm - 12.20pm - Magic Show
With Kristoff the Clown If you`ve got kids, be sure to arrive early so that they can enjoy our fantastic magic show! Kristoff the Clown`s 50 minute show will provide lots of surprises, fun and laughter for all ages. And with children getting into the event for FREE, you can`t go wrong!
12.30pm - 1.20pm - The Truth about Free-Range & Organic
With Kelly Slade, Campaigns Officer for Animal Aid. ‘Free range’ is a very misleading term that suggests animals live in a natural lifestyle with minimal restraints on their freedom and behaviour. The label ‘organic’ also implies higher welfare standards but being organic is no guarantee that the animals lived free-range. At this talk, you`ll learn the truth - how millions of `caring` people are basically conned into buying these products of misery and suffering.
1.30pm - 2.20pm - Kitchen Kosmetics
with Nazama Azmat As a child, Nazama Azmat learnt many tricks from her mother and grandmother about using natural kitchen ingredients as cosmetics. You can learn about treatment recipes that have been handed down through family generations. Nazama will give beauty tips and demonstrate on a volunteer some easy to make, effective skin care treatments using everyday kitchen ingredients. You will have the opportunity to smell and test some of the cosmetics, and go away with some useful recipes.
2.30pm - 3pm - Animals Count
With Jasmijn de Boo, Co-Founder & Chair of Animals Count. Animal protection is an issue dear to millions and one on which MP’s receive more mail than on any other. Yet, animals are poorly protected by the government. Animals Count's vision is a world in which animals are not exploited and are seen and treated as sentient beings. Their mission is to establish a voice for the animals through a dedicated political party, which focuses on respect and compassion for all living beings.
3.10pm - 3.50pm - The Power of Living Foods
With Pat Reeves, nutritional therapist, world champion powerlifter and author of A Living Miracle Learn how nutritional therapy & raw living foods can aid your health & may even save your life! By following a raw, living food diet, Pat Reeves has fought off her cancer & achieved what many of us could never dream of. Pat is a world champion powerlifter and holds many other records. She is also an accomplished marathon runner, personal trainer, fitness consultant & author. As a professional practitioner, she has helped many people using up-to-date scientific techniques. Best of all, Pat is vegan!!
W. Mids Vegan Festival - Sat 1st Nov - World Vegan Day
The festival now features live music, a clown magic show, FREE goodie bags for the first 200 locals and 55....YES 55 stalls!!!! Watch out for the latest news & updates here http://www.midlandsveganfestival.org.uk
Volunteer your time at the festival
It looks like the event will be packed out from start to finish! Everyone`s looking forward to having a great time amongst likeminded people. That`s what it`s all about, but if nobody volunteered, the event just simply couldn`t happen! If you`re coming to the festival anyway, why not give an hour or 2 of your time whilst your there to help ensure the success of the event?!
We will need lots of help on the day, in many varied ways. Everything from leafletting in the street and handing out our programmes, to clearing tables and washing up! See all the volunteer tasks below:
Setting Up Before Event (from 9am)
arrange tables ready for stallholders
stallholder car parking attendants
help arriving stallholders to find their pitch & set up
display helpful signs around venue (eg "cookery demos this way" etc)
Promotion (for 2 hour stints - 11am-1pm, 1pm-3pm or 3-5pm):
leafletting
holding directional placard
handing out free food samples in the street
Upon Arrival (for 2 hour stints - 11am-1pm, 1pm-3pm or 3-5pm):
Welcome desk - taking £1 entrance fee off all adults
Welcome desk - handing out free event programmes
Food and Drink (for 2 hour stints - 11am-1pm, 1pm-3pm or 3-5pm):
waiters/waitresses for tea/coffee (save people queuing)
clearing and wiping clean the cafe tables
hospitality - taking tea/coffee to stallholders
free food sample stall (providing visitors with a variety of vegan samples, keeping platters topped up and distributing food donor details/recipes)
Workshop/Talk Co-Ordination
Introducing speakers, arranging seats, helping speakers set up etc
Help set up and clear away before and after each of the 3 cookery demos
Other Important Tasks
co-ordination of volunteers - keep track of who`s doing what and where!
litterpicking inside the venue & immediately outside the venue
washing up
taking lots of photos & filming the event
mobile raffle ticket seller - walk round venue inviting everyone to buy our raffle tickets!
encourage visitors to complete our questionnaire/feedback form
Event announcements on the main stage in the Wulfrun Hall (eg "cookery demo starts in 5 mins" or "we have a lost child, could the parents of Rosie come to the welcome desk please" etc)
In order to make sure the event runs as smoothly as possible, we need to find volunteers for all the above tasks(and quite possibly more!). If you can spare 2 or 3 hours or the whole day, we would love to hear from you! Just let us know what you’d prefer to do and when. Please email Dean, our volunteer co-ordinator dean_bracher@...
Hi everyone, just joined this site. I will be moving to the area early
next year so just wanted to know where there are veggie places to eat
in Lemington spa? Also if there are any meetings happening on a
regular basis for veggies?
It`s time to get excited, get very excited!! In exactly one month veganism will hit the streets of the West Midlands like never before. It`s World Vegan Day - a day to educate and celebrate and boy what a celebration we`ve got planned for YOU!!!!!
The West Midlands Vegan Festival continues to grow! The latest news is that there`ll be live music, a clown will perfom an hour long magic show and there`ll be FREE goodie bags for the first 200 local visitors who come armed with relevant press adverts!
And there`ll be a dozen speakers, 3 cookery demos, 50 stalls, a wide range of delicious vegan food and so much more....
If you`re already vegan, do your best to bring along at least one friend or family member who`s not yet vegan!
The W. Mids Vegan Festival looks like being a really fantastic event but we still need your help to bring the crowds through the doors!!
We have many 1,000`s of glossy colour A6 leaflets and 1,000 A4 posters. We also have 1,000 A5 posters for any shop etc that says the A4 poster is too big!! These need distributing/displaying far and wide, but particularly across the West Midlands region - Staffs, Shrops, Worcs, Gloucs, Warks etc etc.
Hopefully, you feel that discovering veggie/veganism is the most healthy, ethical, eco-friendly step you`ve ever taken in your life! When something is this good, please don`t keep it to yourself! Help others to find the lifestyle that you now enjoy.
Please get in touch and tell us how many leaflets and posters you can use in your area. Every single leaflet and every poster has the power to change lives for the better, to save hundreds of animals and to help save our dying planet!! Please email us!!
Good publicity is essential if we are to attract large numbers to the festival. We have already distributed 15,000 glossy colour leaflets(small A6 size). Now we have another 15,000 and also 1,000 posters(A5 & A4 size). We want your help to distribute/display them! We need to flood the West Midlands(and beyond!) with leaflets/posters, anywhere that there are people who may be interested - so basically anywhere at all! Your school, college, workplace, library, church, community group, health food shop etc etc. If you..re able to distribute/display some, or leave some where they can be distributed(ie. health food shop), we can post some to
you, so please contact us stating the number you require of each and your address.
Alternatively, you can download our colour or black and white leaflets/posters. Please copy and distribute as many as you can.
We will need lots of help on the day, in many varied ways. Everything from leafletting in the street and handing out our programmes, to clearing tables and washing up! See all the volunteer tasks below:
Setting Up Before Event (from 9am)
arrange tables ready for stallholders
stallholder car parking attendants
help arriving stallholders to find their pitch & set up
display helpful signs around venue (eg "cookery demos this way" etc)
Promotion (for 2 hour stints - 11am-1pm, 1pm-3pm or 3-5pm):
leafletting
holding directional placard
handing out free food samples in the street
Upon Arrival (for 2 hour stints - 11am-1pm, 1pm-3pm or 3-5pm):
Welcome desk - taking £1 entrance fee off all adults
Welcome desk - handing out free event programmes
Food and Drink (for 2 hour stints - 11am-1pm, 1pm-3pm or 3-5pm):
waiters/waitresses for tea/coffee (save people queuing)
clearing and wiping clean the cafe tables
hospitality - taking tea/coffee to stallholders
free food sample stall (providing visitors with a variety of vegan samples, keeping platters topped up and distributing food donor details/recipes)
Workshop/Talk Co-Ordination
Introducing speakers, arranging seats, helping speakers set up etc
Help set up and clear away before and after each of the 3 cookery demos
Other Important Tasks
co-ordination of volunteers - keep track of who`s doing what and where!
litterpicking inside the venue & immediately outside the venue
washing up
taking lots of photos & filming the event
mobile raffle ticket seller - walk round venue inviting everyone to buy our raffle tickets!
encourage visitors to complete our questionnaire/feedback form
Event announcements on the main stage in the Wulfrun Hall (eg "cookery demo starts in 5 mins" or "we have a lost child, could the parents of Rosie come to the welcome desk please" etc)
In order to make sure the event runs as smoothly as possible, we need to find volunteers for all the above tasks(and quite possibly more!). If you can spare 2 or 3 hours or the whole day, we would love to hear from you! Just let us know what you’d prefer to do and when. Please email Dean, our volunteer co-ordinator dean_bracher@...
In Aid of the Animal Protection Agency, Viva! and the West Midlands Vegan Festival
Midlands Vegan Campaigns(MVC) member Kevin White, will take part in the Birmingham Half Marathon on Sunday 26th October 2008, in order to raise much needed funds for the Animal Protection Agency and Viva! and also to help fund the West Midlands Vegan Festival, which MVC are staging on Sat 1st Nov - World Vegan Day. The money raised will be split equally 3 ways.
"I used to enjoy cross country running at school but that was only ever 1 or 2 miles and was over 20 years ago! I`ll be running the half marathon in my new Vegan Runners UK vest, but if I`m going to dispel the myths about vegans being unfit, I`m going to have to put in alot of hard work training in the weeks beforehand! The costs for the festival have gone through the roof (the venue alone cost over £2,500), but I know it`s going to be a huge success! It`s about time the West Midlands had our own vegan festival - if we can just cover our costs, it`s certain to become an annual event! So please sponsor me whatever you can afford. Thankyou."
Not only is this a great way to raise funds, it will also help to alert potential festival-goers to the event! Please do your best to gather as many sponsors as possible. You could ask your friends, family, veggie/vegan group members etc. Whether 20p or £20, every penny will help and will be very gratefully received. Where possible, if sponsors can pay in advance, it`ll save us spending time/money chasing them up later! All cheques should be sent to the address on the sponsor form. Thankyou.
Aswell as the Wulfrun Hall and the large cafe/bar alongside, the West Midlands Vegan Festival will spread into 2 further rooms upstairs. In each room, there will be a full programme of talks, film screenings, cookery demos etc throughout the day. Talks will focus on a diverse range of issues including going vegan, animal politics, vegan nutrition, saving wildlife through direct action, living foods, kitchen cosmetics, vegan campaigning and lots more. The following talks have so far been confirmed.
A full programme & timetable will be displayed on our website as soon as possible.
Nutrition, Diet & Health
Vegan Nutrition - with Dr Stephen Walsh PhD, nutrition spokesperson for The Vegan Society and author of Plant Based Nutrition and Health
The Power of Living Foods - with Pat Reeves, nutritional therapist, world champion powerlifter and author of A Living Miracle
Going Vegan - with Rob Jackson, education officer for The Vegan Society
Yoga - with Lenka Pagan
Animal Issues
The Truth about Free-Range & Organic - with Kelly Slade, Campaigns Officer for Animal Aid.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - with Darren Collis, ship crew member & UK representative for Sea Shepherd
Animals Count - with Jasmijn de Boo, Co-Founder & Chair of Animals Count, a political party to help create a better world for people and animals.
Environmental Issues
Vegan for the Planet - unconfirmed
Vegan Organic - with Rob Jackson, education officer for The Vegan Society
Good publicity is essential if we are to attract large numbers to the festival. We have thousands of glossy colour leaflets(small A6 size) and we want your help to distribute them! We need to flood the West Midlands(and beyond!) with leaflets, anywhere that there are people who may be interested - so basically anywhere at all! Your school, college, workplace, library, church, community group, health food shop etc etc. If you`re able to distribute some, or leave some where they can be distributed(ie. health food shop), we can post some to you, so please contact us stating the number you require and your address.
Alternatively, you can download our colour or black and white leaflets.
The West Midlands Vegan Festival will be a day to celebrate your lifestyle, your health, your compassion and your ethics! A day to celebrate veganism amongst friends! Where will you be on World Vegan Day 2008??!!
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