Hi all,

At our next meeting on Wed 5th March, we will welcome a guest speaker, Rob Jackson of the Vegan Society. 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). So, Rob`s talk will be about vegan or stock-free organic farming & gardening. It`s a myth that organic growing requires the use of animal manure to fertilise the soil. Rob will tell us how stock-free organic growing is better for human health, animals and the environment. To read more on this fascinating subject, see www.veganorganic.net As always, Lisa from Red Kite Health Foods will have a stall at the meeting so it`s a great chance to stock up on lots of veggie/vegan food, toiletries etc. The meeting starts at 7.30pm at our usual venue, St Georges Community Hall, St Georges Road. If you w! ould like to help publicise the meeting by displaying a poster on allotment notice boards, in shop windows etc, you can download a poster from our website http://www.redditchveggies.makessense.co.uk/downloads/download.html?id=95 

More Forthcoming Events - Please contact us for more details

March - Veggie Month - During Animal Aid`s annual Veggie Month we hope to be out on the street as much as possible, raising awareness of all the benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets. Activities are likely to include street stalls and door to door leafletting. Veggie Month is also a great opportunity to write to the local press. If you would like to get involved, please contact us or Animal Aid on 01732 364546 or www.animalaid.org.uk

Sat 1st March - Viva! Dairy Cow Day of Action - A national day of action to raise awareness of the suffering endured by the modern, intensive dairy cow and promote dairy-free diets. Midlands Vegan Campaigns are staging a publicity stunt and leafletting from 11am in Birmingham. Contact us for details. www.veganmidlands.org.uk

Sat 8th March - Hopper Haven Spring Fayre at Webheath village hall from 10am - 4pm. Hopper Haven is the Redditch based rabbit & guinea pig rescue which is currently home to approx 140 rabbits and 50 guinea pigs! RVV will have a stall at this event. www.hopperhaven.org.uk

Sun 30th March - Hillfields Animal Sanctuary Open Day, from 11.30am - 3.30pm. Lots of stalls, vegan cafe, see the resident animals and more. RVV hope to have a stall but it will depend on whether we can find a volunteer to help! If you`re free for a few hours, please get in touch. www.hillfields-animal-sanctuary.com

Sat 12th April - Free Vegan Food Fair in Lichfield. Several members of RVV will be helping Midlands Vegan Campaigns to feed the masses at this event! An estimated 6-700 people attended MVC`s first fair in November in Kings Heath. Get in touch if you would like to help. www.veganmidlands.org.uk

19th - 25th May - National Vegetarian Week. We have already arranged the ramble and meal below as part of NVW celebrations, but if you have ideas of other ways we can get involved, please get in touch.

Sat 24th May - Studley Ramble & Meal Out at the Little Lark. Dogs & children welcome. Meeting at 10.30am at the Little Lark.

That`s all for now, hope to see you soon.

Best wishes,

Kevin