----- Original Message -----
From: "Bron Humphreys" <Bron@...>
To: <VegNet@...>
Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2003 12:05 PM
Subject: The Electronic Network News (long)
To: Multiple recipients of the list VegNet <VegNet@...>
Subject: The Electronic Network News (long)
THE ELECTRONIC NETWORK NEWS
August/September
(Based on Network News, the newsletter sent out to the Local Contacts of The
Vegetarian Society UK. Edited by Bronwen Humphreys.)
The Vegetarian Society, Parkdale, Dunham Road, Altrincham, Cheshire WA14
4QG.
Tel: 0161 925 2000 Fax: 0161 926 9182 Email: bron@...
All prices are in pounds sterling unless otherwise stated. We have to
remove the pound sign for email transmission! Some products and services
mentioned may only be available in Great Britain, others may only be
available to members of the Society or our registered local contacts
CONTENTS
Intro
Vegetarian Society News - our current projects, new materials etc including
the "Fish" campaign
Spread the Word meeting in Cardiff - an afternoon of workshops for members
who want to be more active
News in Brief - quotes from the press
On the web - new developments on www.vegsoc.org and others
The Land Use Debate - a members' comment on this continuing discussion
Paella - recipe
Fundraising for the Fish Campaign
Support vegetarianism via the ETA
Noticeboard - events around the UK including Next world Congress and Cordon
Vert cookery courses
On the spot - reports from UK local groups
Youth Pages
INTRO
It's that time of year when most of us are looking forwards to our holidays,
myself included! I shall be off, quite soon after this newsletter reaches
you, for most of a week in North Wales (I say most of a week because my
better-half wants to squeeze in a visit to his Mum first!). As many of you
will have been reminded by receiving a form, I have been busy doing my
annual round of updates through June and July, as well as finding my way
round some new software in preparation for a revamp of the website which
will be coming very soon.
Although this issue comes out during the quieter, holiday season, we are
already looking forwards to Autumn and Christmas projects. The new "Fish"
campaign is getting under way with a survey on the website. Our aim is to
convince caterers that fish aren't vegetables! When we went out to lunch
for our wedding anniversary earlier this year, Nick and I stopped at the
restaurant of a well-known craft village not a hundred miles from Parkdale.
They had a sandwich board outside proclaiming "vegetarian choices available"
but when we went inside and asked, we were offered salmon! By then it was
getting rather too late to move on, so we "made do" with those regular items
on the menu which are normally veggie, like the jacket potato, but it wasn't
what I was hoping to eat for my anniversary celebration. I'm sure everyone
reading this has had a similar experience and remembers the disappointment -
so let's try and make those bitter feelings a thing of the past and get fish
off the "vegetarian choices" board. As a corollary to this, the Society is
introducing a "Creative Catering" pack which will give caterers some ideas
for better alternatives.
Alex, our Youth Education Officer, is organising a duo of speaker training
days in September and, of course, there's the AGM and the "Spread the Word"
afternoon of workshops, talks and discussions which will be open to anyone
interested in getting more involved with the work of the Society.
I finally managed to catch up with The Buxton Tram in June. In case you are
new to the Network, this is a mobile veggie catering unit run by our local
contact for the Peak District, Nina Lubman, and it is registered as an "info
centre" in its own right. Our paths crossed at the Middlewich Boat and Folk
Festival. We'd gone for the "folk" bit, and having an hour or so to spare,
we decided to wander round the craft stalls, and there was the tram,
resplendent in its maroon and gold, Edwardian-style livery, nestled in among
the tie-dyes and tin whistles, just across the way from the dance arena. It
was such a treat to have a perfectly ethical hot-dog and so nice to see
Nina's partner, Brian, looking fit and well and recovered from his road
accident. The Tram wanders around the northern fringe of the "heart of
England" all through the summer, attending a variety of interesting fairs
and festivals, so if you would like to sample their ethical treats, look the
route up on www.thebuxtontram.co.uk
Bronwen Humphreys
Local Network Co-ordinator
~~~~~~~~
VEGETARIAN SOCIETY NEWS
VEGETARIANISM - There's Nothing Fishy About it...
What's the most common misconception you come across when talking about
vegetarianism?
If your audience is anything like the people who answered a recent poll we
commissioned from NOP (Face to Face Survey, 20-25 February 2003), it will
probably have something to do with fish. The survey showed that a massive
40% of people thought that it was okay for vegetarians to eat fish.
It's an alarming statistic, so the Society has developed an educational
campaign that seeks to address the issue over the summer. The campaign is
mostly targeting catering trade magazines with adverts and editorial, but we
will also be aiming to get coverage in the newspapers. The adverts and
press photos are all seeking to change hearts and minds with humour rather
than a big stick, so are based around the idea that people seem to think
fish is a vegetable.
We hope all Vegetarian Society members and local groups will be getting
involved by handing information cards to caterers who offer them fish as a
vegetarian dish and emailing an animated version of the adverts to family,
friends and random acquaintances.
If you would like to use the adverts or information cards in your
activities, please contact Matt Parkinson (0161 925 2030, matt@...).
The final word on this subject (for now!) is a new one. Some people feel
that those who have given up meat and poultry but still eat fish call
themselves vegetarians because there's no real consensus on what they should
be called. It's important to welcome that first step, but each person who
says "I'm a vegetarian, I'll have the salmon please" does make life a little
more difficult for "real" veggies, so we're calling them pesky-vores.
~Liz O'Neill
Speakers courses
Alex's next one-day training courses for our speakers will be on Monday 29th
(Beginners) and Tuesday 30th September (Skills Update). The Skills Update
courses are for people who have had some experience in speaking but who
would like to improve their skills and, in particular, add a simple cookery
demo to their repertoire. They will be held at our headquarters in Parkdale,
and are free with a vegan lunch thrown in (but you will be expected to go on
our speakers' list afterwards). If you are interested, please complete the
enclosed booking form and return it to us. If you are a member of one of
our local groups, you may be eligible for a bursary to help cover the costs
of attending this course, ask me for details in good time (as you have to
get your application endorsed by the group's official contact).
Several people have mentioned that they would like to attend one of our
training courses but find it hard to travel to Parkdale. Alex is willing to
consider taking the course to a different city (within the UK) if anyone can
help find a suitable venue and lend a hand with the organising. It would
need to be a location where we could guarantee having at least 6 people
attend, which is why I said "city" rather than village! If you have any
ideas about this, please contact Alex directly on 0161 925 2000 or
alex@...
Creative Catering
The Society is producing a new pack, Creative Catering, aimed at restaurants
and small hotels to improve the standard of catering from the ever present
broccoli bake and vegetarian lasagne. The pack will cover such things as the
market for vegetarian meals, the dos and don'ts of vegetarian catering, some
suggested recipes and stumbling blocks. If you know of an establishment that
would benefit from the pack, please request one and it can be sent direct.
It may also be possible to organise a seminar on the subject if more than
one hotel in the area is interested, contact Tina Fox (0161 925 2000 or
email: tina@...) if you would like to discuss this possibility.
Teachers newsletter
One of our innovations this year, following on from the success of the "Host
School Scheme" and the large number of schools taking part in National
Vegetarian Week, is a newsletter for teachers. This will be produced once a
term, and will keep teachers informed about our services and educational
materials, while at the same time, asking them what they need. The first
issue went out in July.
Christmas recipe booklet
Don't forget, this will have a Caribbean theme this year. Production has
started and we are expecting it to be ready by the beginning of November.
Host school scheme
You may remember that earlier this year we offered training days for Food
Technology teachers. These training days had been offered here at Parkdale
but some teachers expressed difficulty in attending due to travel time. To
overcome this we set up the 'host schools' scheme where we delivered the
training day at a school. We are running the scheme again. Although it is
early days, we have 13 schools up and down the county expressing an interest
in becoming a host. Dates for the training will be set in September when
schools have timetables fixed. One of the aims of the day is to introduce
local speakers to schools. So, once the schools and dates are set, we will
invite speakers in those areas to attend.
SPREAD THE WORD
An afternoon of presentations and discussion on ways to get more involved
with the work of The Vegetarian Society.
Saturday 20 September, Cardiff
If you've ever wondered exactly what happens at Parkdale and how you can
help make a difference to the future of vegetarianism, this is the event for
you. Organised alongside the AGM, Spread The Word is a special meeting for
local contacts - both new and well established. The afternoon will include
presentations, ideas and discussion on topics including How Vegsoc Works,
Effective ways of Talking About Vegetarianism, Fundraising and Support.
There will also be a chance to meet up with other local groups, information
centres, speakers and media contacts to share your experiences and form new
partnerships. The meeting starts at 1.30pm and concludes with coffee at
4.30pm. All members are encouraged to stay on for the AGM at 5pm. The Gala
dinner starts at 7.30pm, if you want to stay for that, please don't forget
to book as soon as possible with Tina Fox.
If you have any burning issues that you would particularly like to discuss,
please let me know as soon as possible.
Bookings: If you are coming to the AGM for the day anyway, please mention
that you will be attending "Spread the Word" when you book. Tina Fox is
handling the AGM/Gala Dinner/Accommodation bookings, you can contact her at
Parkdale, 0161 925 2000 or tina@...
If you just want to come along to the meeting and not the rest of the day,
please let me know in good time. We need numbers so we can book an
appropriate size room and organise teas/coffees. (You do need to be a member
of the Society to join in with this event)
NB: this is a members only meeting
Bronwen Humphreys, Local Network Co-ordinator, The Vegetarian Society,
Parkdale, Dunham Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 4QG. Email:
bron@...
NEWS IN BRIEF
It looks as though basil may provide part of the answer to combating
dangerous food bugs like E.coli and listeria. A new plastic food wrapper
has been developed by the Technicon Institute in Israel and the Victoria
University in Melbourne, which slowly oozes anti-microbial chemicals
extracted from the herb. This keeps the bacteria at bay and extends the
shelf life of food, without causing any tainting. An earlier attempt to do
something similar with the Japanese horse-radish wasabi, had to be abandoned
because it affected the flavour of the food too much. The basil wrapper is
particularly effective in fighting the bacteria that cause concern in
packaged cheese. (reported in New Scientist, June 2003)
WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) has recently sent a team
to Iraq to distribute essential veterinary medicines. On arrival, the WSPA
personnel found that the veterinary hospitals literally had no supplies left
and many animals were dying of simple infections and treatable diseases.
(WSPA press release).
Science has advanced so much that some drugs can now be tested in tiny doses
on humans rather than continuing to use monkeys for experiments, according
to the government's official advisory body, the animals procedures
committee. There are fears that the use of primates in experiments will
grow as companies switch to searching for new drugs to combat the diseases
of old age. The committee's aim is to eliminate animal testing eventually,
and suggests that using micro-doses on human subjects and by using human
tissue removed after death for experiments could cut the need for animal
experiments by up to 15% in the near future, but recent hospital scandals
about removing organs without permissions has set back the use of human
tissue for experiments. (reported in The Guardian Online)
The European Union has banned the practice of slaughtering sharks for their
fins, which are then sold to the lucrative Asian market for shark fin soup.
Shark meat isn't considered very tasty so routinely the shark have been
caught, had their fins hacked off while still alive and then dumped back in
the sea, a practice believed to have pushed some species to the edge of
extinction. The new regulations will apply to EU registered ships and all
ships operating in EU waters. (reported on IVU-News)
ON THE WEB
www.vegsoc.org
If you are quick, you might still catch our survey about attitudes towards
catering establishments that think "fish" is a veggie item. We'd like as
many people as possible to complete it to provide the information for the
next stage of our campaign. It's prominently linked from the home page.
We are always being asked for information on veggies places that are doing
something special for Christmas or New Year, so this year we have decided to
put up a seasonal page in our "Leisure & Lifestyle Directory" dedicated to
just that. As you know, the Directory is our classified advertising section,
but there will be a reduced rate for this page to encourage as many ads as
possible. It will be linked from our home page from 1st October to 5th
January.
The deadline for the Awards nominations will probably be gone by the time
you receive this, but keep an eye open for the shortlist, which should
appear soon.
Other
Our new group in Harlow plunged straight into creating a website, even
before I could finish processing their application for affiliation. Their
site has a clean, fresh look and is very easy to navigate, with lots of
information to help vegetarians and vegans in the area and a page to
encourage local caterers to think more carefully about their veggie
customers. I do recommend it, www.veganharlow.co.uk
The Envirolink Forum has recently been revamped following a disastrous
system crash! They took the opportunity to install new software and fix a
lot of previous problems. This forum is for discussions about environmental
issues and animal welfare issues. If you'd like to join, go to:
www.envirolink.org/forum
THE LAND USE DEBATE
A comment about the article by Adrian Thornton about National Parks: Adrian
makes the usual unwarranted assumption that our uplands need farming in
order to 'conserve and enhance the landscape'. Farming has never enhanced
any landscape, and it has only ever conserved it in a totally unnatural
form. Until a few thousand years ago, our landscape, upland and lowland, got
along quite happily without being managed in any way. Farming has produced a
very unnatural and unhealthy environment. With the tremendous overpopulation
which we all suffer from, we cannot do without farming, but we can do
without upland farming.
Adrian claims that parts of the National Parks get overcrowded, not by
sheep, but by people and cars. Sheep do far more damage than all of the cars
and people. One car and half a dozen people visiting for a day damage a
small area. The sheep are munching, walking, pooing and peeing, all day and
every day - and after eating up the nutrients that the plants have brought
to the surface, these despoilers of the environment are carted off to be
processed in such a way that they further pollute the environment in distant
places.
The prejudice against alien conifer plantations is based on many
misconceptions and some early mistakes by forestry interests. I live on the
edge of two square miles of such a plantation bordered by thousands of acres
of barren sheep-farmed upland, and can vouch for the fact that well managed
conifer forest has much greater biodiversity and wildlife interest than
farmland. We have foxes, badgers, polecats, crossbills, black and red
grouse, peregrines, buzzards, goshawks, woodpeckers, ravens, siskins,
bullfinches, goldfinches, goldcrests ..... hundreds of species of
butterflies, moths, wildflowers, mosses, ferns, lichens, and so on. Such
variety is not found anywhere on sheep-grazed grassland or even heather
moorland.
We in Europe criticise governments in tropical countries for allowing
destruction of rain-forests, forgetting that the vast temperate rain-forests
of Europe were decimated by our own forefathers. Let's be fair about this!
We ought to be pressing for widespread use of uplands and semi-uplands for
forestry, not for wasteful, damaging and inhumane livestock farming. Whether
we use these areas for native hardwoods, coppicing, alien conifers,
recreational areas or a mixture is another debate, but there is no question
that our uplands are desperately needed for growth of deep-rooted plants
which help to combat the pollution, soil-erosion and loss of really wild
places that our society is still actively encouraging.
~Brian Burnett
Chester and Clwyd Vegetarian Group
PAELLA
Although we may think of paella as a fish or meat dish, depending upon the
region where it is served, it is perfect as a vegetarian dish.
Prepare the paella in a large frying pan or wok. Paella should have a moist
consistency, if it becomes too dry it can catch the bottom of the pan. Add
extra stock as required. If you have a sweet tooth sliced pineapple works
very well too.
Ingredients Serves 4
10 ml olive oil
1 onion
200g Basmati rice
1.2l vegetable stock
2 garlic cloves crushed
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
100g of artichokes in oil, drained and slice in half
20g capers
50g black olives, pitted
100g button mushrooms, cut in half
10 cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 packet of "veggie bacon", cut into strips and fried.
1 small bunch of fresh tarragon
20g of toasted flaked almonds
Method
Gently fry the onion in a large frying pan for 5 minutes. Add the Basmati
rice, stock, garlic and turmeric, then simmer for 10 minutes. Add the
artichokes, capers, olives, mushrooms and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
Finally add the tomatoes and chopped tarragon and fried "bacon". Serve with
a garnish of toasted flaked almonds.
FISH CAMPAIGN: WE NEED YOUR HELP.
Having heard of our plans for the Fish campaign this summer (see above), we
are hoping you will join us in our efforts to address the misconception that
vegetarians eat fish. In addition to making life easier for individual
vegetarians, we believe that addressing this issue will strengthen the
position and understanding of vegetarianism as it continues to grow.
We need your help, we certainly have the enthusiasm and commitment to make a
difference, but our resources are limited. We are confident that with the
guidance and support of the Society, caterers will be able to understand the
issues, provide vegetarians with suitable choices and help reinforce the
message that vegetarians don't eat fish. But we have to reach them first
and just one advert in a national caterers' magazine costs 1000 pounds.
If you are able to, please help by doing some summer fundraising. Here are
some fishy fundraising ideas!
Sponsored Swim - swim like a fish! - a healthy way to raise money from your
friends, family and colleagues.
Vegetarian Paella Evening - traditionally a seafood special - make our
fantastic veggie version, invite some guests and ask for a donation. (see
above for a recipe)
Beach BBQs - if you are in a group near the coast, organise a veggie BBQ on
the beach and sell invites - if you don't have a local beach, back gardens
are just as fun! Why not have a "turn the back garden into a beach for the
day" theme?
If you do any fundraising please let me know and take photographs if you
can, they are always useful to illustrate your hard work in 'local group
news' in our magazine.
Thank you to those individual members who have already made a donation to
support our ongoing work. To make a donation to support the work of the
Society please send a cheque to Bron at The Vegetarian Society, Parkdale,
Dunham Rd, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 4QG.
Thank you for your support.
~ Helen Bond
SUPPORT VEGETARIANISM AND THE ENVIRONMENT BY JOINING ETA.
The Environmental Transport Association (ETA) is the only British provider
of breakdown services that actively campaigns for environmentally sound
transport. Fast, reliable services at competitive prices give peace of mind
to motorists concerned about the environment.
ETA Membership: is usually 25 pounds for an Individual and 30 pounds for a
family. But as a member of the Vegetarian Society, you can take advantage of
a 50% discount off ETA membership on joining and 45% discount on renewal.
Raising money for the Society: the Society receives a donation from ETA when
you join and a further donation when you renew. By choosing to have
breakdown cover with the ETA, not only will you be supporting the ETA's
campaign work, but you will also be raising funds for The Vegetarian
Society's work. Helping us to continue promoting the knowledge of
vegetarianism in the UK and making a real difference to the future of
vegetarianism.
Roadside Rescue and more....
The ETA has an average response time of just 35 minutes, with 80% of
vehicles fixed at the roadside. ETA Roadrescue ranges from basic roadside
assistance to full recovery, European cover and rescue at home. The ETA also
provides a wide range of services, which are available to ETA members at
discounted rates including: motor insurance, travel insurance and cycle
insurance/cycle rescue
By joining the ETA, you are supporting the future of vegetarianism and an
environmentally friendly sustainable transport system for Britain. This is a
great way to help the Society. If you would like to take advantage of this
special offer, contact the ETA on Tel. 01932 828 882 quoting ref: 1206-2001.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.
~Helen Bond, Fundraiser
Veg family needed
Janett von Holdt has a 16 year old son, Danny, who wants to spend some time
in an English speaking country. The whole family have been vegetarians
since 1979. Danny has been studying English for 6 years and he doesn't
drink or smoke. Janett has been trying for a while to find a vegetarian
family who would be willing to have Danny stay with them while he attended
school, but has had no luck. If you can help Danny fulfil his dream, please
contact Janett on janett.vonholdt@... or: Heckenweg 8, 21244
Buchholz, Germany.
NOTICEBOARD
Vegan Organic Farm Visit
Held at Tolhurst Organic Produce in Whitchurch-on-Thames near Reading, 1pm,
21st September. Organised by the Vegan Organic Trust (VOT). The farm has an
organic box scheme covering houses in the Reading/Oxford area. Learn about
commercial vegan-organic farming, find out what a diverse range of foods can
be grown in the UK, pick up some tips on growing your own fruit and veg in
your garden or allotment without animal by-products (such as blood, fish &
bone and manures), meet like-minded people, ask questions, learn! For
beginners or experts in growing. Always something new each year. All are
welcome, not just Vegan Organic Network/Trust (VON/VOT) members. The tour
normally lasts around 3 hours, then there will be free light refreshments
and chat. Cost: 18 pounds, which helps to fund VOT's valuable work in
promoting stock-free farming. Numbers are limited so book early! To reserve
your place, send full payment (payable to VOT) to Graham Cole, Coach House,
Holywell Estate, Swanmore, Southampton SO23 2QE. Tel: 01489 896471. Email:
veganrainbows@...
Full details will be sent on receipt of payment. Closest railway station is
Pangbourne (about 2 miles from the farm). Lifts from/back to the station may
be possible - ask for details.
We also hear that VOT were awarded a 3,600 pound grant to purchase video
equipment to make various videos on stock-free organic growing. The grant
was from the Cyril Corden Trust. VOT plan to start filming on various vegan
organic farms this summer. www.veganorganic.net
Future of Food
The 6th Sir George Trevelyan Memorial Lecture will take place on 11th
November , 7.30pm,at the Essex Unitarian Church, 112 Palace Gardens Terrace,
Nottinghill Gate, London, W8 4RT. The speaker will be Patrick Holden of the
Soil Association who will talk about the present imperative need to
reconnect the material and spiritual in the sphere of food production and
farming. On the same day, there will be an afternoon symposium led by Dr
Anthony Deavin. Cost for the whole event including a vegetarian supper is 20
pounds, for the lecture only 10. More information from: The Wrekin Trust,
Courtyard Studio, 43a Lesbourne Road, Reigate RH2 7JS. Tel: 01737 225832
email: info@...
Animal Welfare Sunday
This year it falls on 5th October. A great success last year with special
services in hundreds of Church of England churches, this year the Anglican
Society for the Welfare of Animals are suggesting "Shopping" as a theme,
specifically the lack of compassionate concern in choosing what foods we buy
so there's going to be scope for passing on information about the vegetarian
lifestyle here. Every group could contact their local church to suggest it
gets involved and offer help in providing veggie
Next world congress
The next World Vegetarian Congress will now be held in Florianopolis,
Brazil - November 8-15, 2004.
We were planning to go to Singapore in 2004 but the SARS virus, on top of a
few other problems, meant it has to be postponed, we are now discussing the
possibility of going there in 2006.
The new venue will be the first time that a World Veg Congress has ever been
held in Latin America! It is planned to be a little different to the
traditional Congresses, with fewer speakers, more of a celebration of
vegetarianism - lots of fun, but still with plenty of the serious issues on
the agenda.
The Congress organiser is Marly Winkler, IVU Regional Co-ordinator for Latin
America who lives in Florianopolis - a beautiful city in the South of
Brazil, near the border with Argentina.
Further details will be posted on the website at: www.ivu.org/congress/2004
as they become available
There's not much there yet, but we expect to update it soon, everything will
be in Portuguese and Spanish as well as English.
If you like the idea of a trip to Brazil then join the ivu-brazil discussion
list (English only) to talk to others who may be going. Details are on the
above website - or if you prefer to chat in Portuguese or Spanish join the
veg-latina list: http://ar.groups.yahoo.com/group/veg-latina/join - this is
Marly's general veg discussion list for Latin America but the Congress will
obviously be a major topic for the next year or so.
John Davis (with his IVU webmaster hat on)
CORDON VERT COURSES
August
18-22:Foundation 1
30:Quick & Easy Vegetarian
31:Coast to Coast USA
September
1-5:Foundation 4
6:Gourmet & Dinner Party Ideas
15-19:Foundation 1
20:Around the World in Eight Dishes
26-28:So You Want to Open Your Own Vegetarian Restaurant?
October
3-5:Far Eastern Weekend
6-10:Foundation 1
17-19:Wild Mushroom Weekend
20-24:Cordon Vert Certificate
25:Coast to Coast USA
Don't forget: members get a 5% discount!
If you would like to request a brochure or make a booking, contact Maureen
on 0161 925 2014 or email: cordonvert@...
The web pages are at:
www.vegsoc.org/cordonvert
ON THE SPOT - news from our local groups/info centres
Young Indian Vegetarians - 25 years old
In 1978 a small group of people came together to promote vegetarianism and
the rest is fascinating history! Here are some essential points which show
how this small group of people with hardly any money has had an impact well
beyond any one's imagination:
1 While immigrant communities are often preoccupied with issues like
discrimination, by taking on an issue of national importance, Y.I.V. sent a
message that the Indian community is ready to play a positive role in
Britain and that it is ready to put something back into the society in which
it lived.
2 By sharing vegetarian food with everyone Y.I.V. has played a unique role
in promoting community relations - perhaps more then the huge organisations
with huge budgets! Our Christmas vegetarian lunches are one of our many
activities that promote greater understanding between the British people and
the British Indian community.
3 Our first major rally in Hyde Park in 1980 had huge media coverage and
gave momentum to a movement which has grown from strength to strength.
4 We made vegetarianism popular by inviting well known celebrities to our
events.
5 With newspaper, radio and tv coverage of our activities, we have reached
tens of thousands of people and persuaded countless people to give up meat
and become proud vegetarians.
6 Through vegetarianism we have brought a greater understanding of Hinduism
and Jainism to a huge number of English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish people.
7 Over the last 25 years we have accumulated a huge number of files with
correspondence from people all over the world.
8 We have also helped start Vegetarian Societies in Delhi, Kenya and
Mauritius. In Kenya, Africans and Indians came together to promote a common
goal of compassion towards animals - a unique and immensely pleasing
phenomena! Harambe-together to build a better and compassionate Kenya!
9 With an average of 15 events a year we have organised 375 events all over
the country in the last 25 years!
10 Our newsletter goes to Nelson Mandela, Cliff Richard and many leaders in
different parts of the world.
11 We have helped, encouraged and worked with like minded organisations such
as the Hare Krishna Society, Swaminarayan Hindu Mission, Vegetarian Society
of UK, Vegan Society of UK, Compassion in World Farming, Viva!, Animal Aid,
National Anti Vivisection Society, British Union for the Abolition of
Vivisection, Yoga Groups and all Jain organisations. We have acknowledged
the work of individuals and organisations which work for animals by
presenting them, 'Mahaveer Awards'
12 Tree planting and reforestation are issues which are equally close to our
hearts and we have again forged links with like minded groups such as the
Green Party and we have also planted a tree in Hyde Park. However our
mission is far from complete - we want animals to be granted fundamental
rights!
~ Nitin Mehta
Congratulations Nitin on a quarter-century of inspiring work! If any other
groups are celebrating a special anniversary, please write in and let us
know.
We believe Croydon Vegetarians is the oldest of our groups, dating back to
1886 although the Vegetarian Cycling & Athletic Club must be a close second.
Holistic Day Event
held at Sandhills Oast, East Sussex June 22nd
The day dawned for us at 3.30am when a sudden bolt of lightening followed by
thunder and heavy rain saw David (husband) and me running down the field to
put up the sides on one of the larger gazebos. The afternoon before, five of
us had put up the gazebos ready for the complementary health therapists to
use. Under the large one we had arranged some comfy chairs and sofa for a
'quiet area' for the over 70s. By the time we had put up the sides and
covered the furniture, we were soaked through - so much for listening to the
weather forecast which said a 'fine, warm and dry night'!
Holding any kind of garden party under the increasingly stricter health and
safety laws does require a lot of preparation. Ponds have to be roped off,
as do barbecue areas, both of which must have 'Beware Deep Water / Danger
Hot' signs all around them. Think also about fire risk and have fire
extinguishes handy. Our farmer neighbour had turned up on his tractor with
15 hay bales for a children's area. We were able to put the bales over the
rabbit holes, which did save on more poles and 'beware of rabbit hole
signs' - also a necessary part of the H & S requirements. You should
nominate, and post signs for, at least two qualified 'first aid' people (we
are lucky to have two in our group) and to give thought to access etc for
disabled people. You should also ask the advice of an insurance agent and
find out what cover you need. Don't let this put you off, as once you know
what is required, it is not that hard to do.
By 10.00am the rain had stopped and our volunteers had begun to arrive. A
frantic two hours later saw the barbecue table set up, the tea, coffee, cake
and organic apple juice table ready, the bric-a-brac, book, tombola and
organic plants all ready. You can never over-value the work of committed
volunteers. All of them worked so hard that afternoon, often, because we
were so short of help, swapping from one job to another without a break.
By the noon the gates were opened and approximately 150 people went through
that day. Lush (hand made vegetarian and vegan soaps, hair and bath
products) from Brighton came and they had a stand. A wonderful three piece
jazz band volunteered their time and played for us all afternoon. One of
our members kept all the children (and some adults) very happy by having a
'glass painting table' in which she gave classes and the children went home
happy with their own painted glass. We also had 12 complementary health
practitioners, which meant organising one event or another every 30 minutes
throughout the afternoon.
We ran out of Fry's burgers, having already served 240 and around 150 Fry's
hotdogs. We had taster plates advertising both Fry's and Redwoods foods. We
sold approx 250 pieces of cake, which delighted me as I had spent the last
year converting my cake stand recipes all to vegan. We went through bottles
of organic apple juice donated by vegetarian friends who own their own fruit
farm.
The afternoon went by so quickly and by 6.00pm it was hard to believe it was
nearly all over.
The hard work was felt worthwhile by everyone who had contributed both
before and on the day and we are grateful for all the kind emails and
letters thanking us for the event. The awareness raising on vegetarian and
vegan products was an important part of the day and it was good to see so
many flyers and leaflets on the food products being taken. On top of this,
we made after costs 700.00 pounds which we are very happy to donate to The
Vegetarian Society.
~Julia Jarrold, Lewes & Hastings Area Vegetarian Group
Julia's cheque arrived safely a few days after this article, so thank you
very much indeed for all your hard work and impressive planning - ed.
VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL IN CAMBRIDGE
A FUSION OF CULTURE AND COMPASSION
On a bright sunny morning we arrived in the beautiful and academic city of
Cambridge for our festival. Indians have been coming to this city to study
for almost 150 years. Pandit Nehru and Maharaja Ranjitsinh are amongst the
many famous names who came to Cambridge. Ranjitsinh used to offer a gold
guinea to anyone who could get him out in the game of cricket! First we had
a delicious lunch at the residence of Bhupinder Kurl, our host for the day.
At 1pm we met at Parkers Piece, a famous park in Cambridge, and we walked
with the Hare Krishna devotees led by Parsuram Prabhu, through the bustling
streets of the town, to the chants of "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna
Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare". Hundreds of
shoppers looked on - some were smiling with pleasure, some were bewildered!
Would Pandit Nehru have ever have imagined such a event taking place in
Cambridge?! Eventually we arrived at Bharatiya Bhavan where the chairman of
Bharatiya Bhavan, Sureshhai Patel, was waiting to receive us. Veggies of
Nottingham were already doing brisk business serving hot food. Kajal Bhatt
compered the programme splendidly. Poorvaj from PETA, Stephen Walsh from the
Vegan Society, Priya Shah from the Young Jains and Sue Hughes from CIWF
spoke about different aspects of compassion towards animals as well as
vegetarianism and veganism. Lord Parswanath awards were presented to the
following:
1 Arjuna Wholefoods, Cambridge: the award was given away by 12 year old
Upasna Upadhyay from India who is an accomplished Bharat Natyam performer.
2 Rainbow Café, Cambridge: the award was given away by Sureshbhai Patel
3 Lynn Sawyer, veteran animal rights campaigner: due to ill health she could
not come and her award was collected by Joan Court and presented by Vanessa
Clarke
4 Beryl Spence, who has done a lot of work for suffering animals: the award
was given away by Bhupider Kurl, Narendrabhai Davadra, Jyoti and Janaki
Mehta and Kajal Bhatt. The awards were kindly donated by Chief Bhandari of
Hendon
A special thanks to Vanessa Clerk, Joan Court, Narendrabhai and Parveen
Davadra, Pratibha Mehta, Bakula Bhatt, Sureshbhai Patel, Parsuram Prabhu,
Pat from Veggies of Nottingham, Jyoti, Janaki, Kajal and all the speakers. A
special thanks to Bhupinder and Patricia Kur for their kind hospitality. A
very special thanks to photographers Khalid and Marion for the wonderful
pictures. The event is a good example of people from all walks of life
coming together to promote a common cause of compassion towards animals and
also building a better Britain!
~ Nitin Mehta, Young Indian Vegetarians
Ahimsa 2003, the YIV annual magazine, has just come out. If you'd like a
copy, send a stamped, addressed envelope (A5) to: Nitin Mehta, 226 London
Road, West Croydon, Surrey, CR0 2TF.
Find out what are local groups are doing at: www.vegsoc.org/network
Some good news from Belgium...
Three years after its "birth" in 2000, the Belgian Vegetarian Society EVA
(Ethical Vegetarian Alternative) has opened its first office. It is a
wonderfully spacious place which will not just serve as office, but will
also be a true vegetarian information center. There is a large room for
lectures and discussions, and a big kitchen for vegetarian workshops. Also,
there is a study room with a vegetarian library, where people will be able
to take out books for self study, to help them write papers etc.
Perhaps you can help us enrich our library and share some spare or old
copies of books, magazines, videos... Anything that is related to
vegetarianism is welcome, but also other stuff regarding running
organisations, fundraising, etc.
Everything will be put to great use as we are expecting many visitors.
Material can be in English, French, German, Dutch...
More information about us is at
www.vegetarian.be
Many thanks in advance!
Tobias Leenaert
EVA (Ethical Vegetarian Alternative)
St.-Pietersnieuwstraat 130
9000 Gent
Belgium
Info@...
phone & fax (0032) (0)9/329.68.51
And some good news from closer to home...
Over 200 public libraries have, so far, taken up our offer of a free annual
subscription to our magazine, The Vegetarian.
YOUTH PAGES
Introduction
As the summer is well under way, you may be looking forward to starting a
new school, preparing for your exam year or even moving on to college.
Either way I wish you all of the best of luck. In this issue of the youth
pages we have a great competition, give-aways, a delicious recipe and much
more. Thank you again for all of your letters.
~Alex
Email: alex@...
Telephone: 0161 925 2000
Parent and Teenager Guide Reprint
Earlier this year we produced a parent and teenager guide to vegetarianism.
Due to its popularity, we have run out! So, we are going to print another
set. If you did not get one and would like one, please drop me a line. The
booklet covers all the things you need to know as a young veggie and also
how to bring your parents on board if they are unsure about the merits of a
veggie diet.
Thought for the day - courtesy of Kerry
The point of power is always in the present moment
Free bookmarks
As part of the National Vegetarian Week celebrations we produced a set of 5
bookmarks. Each one features a different recipe - quiche, pasta bolognaise,
soup, spring vegetable and potato bake, and a sizzling stir-fry. If you
would like a set please give me call or drop me a line.
Recent email
Dear Alex
I want to become a veggie but I sometimes get confused about a few things.
Surely the animals will get killed anyway? Please send me information on how
to be a vegetarian.
Dear Peter
It can sometimes seem an uphill struggle, particularly if you are surrounded
by meat-eaters. It may seem that one person giving up eating meat will not
make any difference. But as more and more go veggie this really will reduce
the number of animals that are bred and killed for meat. So you really can
make a difference.
Dear Alex
I recently went veggie which I am very pleased about. But my question is,
will I be getting all of the vitamins I need? Also I think that vegetarian
food is a bit bland (sadly). What would you recommend to give my food extra
flavour?
Dear Jo
I often get asked about a balanced diet and my answer is always the same. As
long as you eat a balance of food you will get all of the vitamins and
minerals needed for a healthy diet. This means, over the course of a day,
eating the following:
5 portions of fruit and vegetables
5 portions of starchy foods- bread, cereals and potatoes
2-3 portions of protein rich food
2-3 portions of milk and dairy
Although some sugar and fat is necessary in the diet, too much can lead to
health problems.
As for vegetarian food being bland, that really does depend upon what you
eat! Curry, chilli and lasagne, all firm favourites for veggies. But why not
stretch your taste buds further? I would recommend that you pop down to your
local library or bookshop to get a veggie cookbook or look at our web site
for a few suggestions.
www.vegsoc.org
Our web site has all sorts information on being a veggie and is updated
regularly. You can keep up to date with all of our campaigns, new recipes
and competitions. If you are studying food technology, you have got a whole
section dedicated to you. So log on and enjoy.
Free training for Food Technology teachers
The Vegetarian Society is repeating a training course for Food Technology
teachers. The course is aimed at improving the knowledge teachers have of
vegetarianism and is delivered in schools. If you think your Food Technology
teacher would be interested in attending one of these free training days,
ask them to give me a call for more details. (Sorry, UK only!)
Work experience
Here at The Vegetarian Society we are able to offer a limited number of work
experience places throughout the year. If you would be interested in doing
your placement at your favourite society, contact Alex Connell. Placements
get a chance to experience working for a national charity and will learn a
range of valuable work related duties. Again I must stress we can only
offer a limited number of places.
Competition time
Looking though the prize cupboard, I came across the last copy of Cooking
with Herb the Vegetarian Dragon. This lovely book features our favourite
dragon character, this time with a collection of veggie recipes. His
cookbook contains dragon cookies, chocolate banana walnut bread, rainbow
pizza plus many other mouth-watering recipes.
To enter this competition you have to answer one easy question.
What type of animal is Herb?
A.Caterpillar
B.Rabbit
C.Dragon
If you know the answer and want the chance to win this cookbook please send
a postcard with your answer and name and address to:-
Alex
The Vegetarian Society
Parkdale
Dunham Road
Altrincham
Cheshire
WA14 4QG
Pen Pals
If you would like to make new veggie friends why not join our pen pal
scheme? All you need to do is to write a short letter saying a bit about
yourself and your age. We will do the rest.
Recipe
Try this one out, it is delicious!
Mediterranean Vegetable Tart
This recipe uses a pre baked pastry case. You can buy these in most
supermarkets.
Ingredients
1 ready made pastry-case
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 medium aubergine, cubed
2 courgettes, cubed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small red pepper, seeded and sliced
1 small yellow pepper, seeded and diced
2 garlic cubes, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato puree
pinch of sugar
50g grated Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Heat the oil and gently fry the onion. Add the peppers and garlic and cook
gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the aubergine and
courgettes, and cook gently for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato
puree and sugar. Cook over a low heat for 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and add the filling to the pastry case. Sprinkle with the
cheese and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 15 minutes. Serve
with a green salad.
Always "think safety" in the kitchen especially where hot surfaces, hot
liquids and sharp knives are involved!!
INTERESTED IN HELPING WITH OUR WORK?
The Society needs local contacts, youth and adult, all over the UK. We also
always need new contacts for our UK List of Speakers and Cookery
Demonstrators and our Volunteers Register. If you are interested in
becoming a Local Contact, Youth Contact or a speaker, please contact Bronwen
on bron@...
Check out your nearest local contact plus details of local events, e-groups
etc on: www.vegsoc.org/network
Bronwen Humphreys
Local Network Co-ordinator
The Vegetarian Society UK
www.vegsoc.org/network
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