Get active!
Some top tips and advice on how to make the world a more vegan-friendly place.
Ideas to help raise awareness of veganism
We’ve tried to list these in increasing order of complexity and commitment required. So start at the beginning and work your way through.
Activities you can do on your own
We all want the world to be more vegan. But what can you do all on your own? Quite a lot actually! There are a whole range of activities that the individual vegan can accomplish with small consistent effort. Please contact us if you need any support in achieving any of these suggestions.
Join The Vegan Society
Support us in making the world a more vegan-friendly place! Sign up for membership on our online shop.
Letter writing
You can write letters to all sorts of places: newspapers, magazines, MPs, businesses, etc. These can be in response to a recent event giving a vegan perspective or they can be pro-active asking for the vegan position to be more carefully considered.
Working with the media
Your local media are looking for stories to feature – could you write something about veganism for them? Have you an unusual story to tell or been involved with an inspiring activity? Write about it!
Photography
Good quality pictures can help set off a story – we certainly prefer them when reporting on activities and so will your local newspapers and magazines. If you know a keen amateur photographer or someone with a good quality camera then you could ask them to help.
Liaising with local organisations and businesses
Asking organisations and businesses in your local area to consider the needs of vegans and then supporting them to make changes helps to make veganism all the more understood. We have resources specially designed for caterers or you could suggest our Window Sticker Scheme or Sunflower Trademark.
Creating and maintaining a website
A website that lists relevant local vegan information can be an easy way for people to get the details they need. Alternatively a website that focuses on a particular side of vegan culture could fill a niche. You may need some background experience in creating websites but there are lots of user friendly ways to do this now. Check our Local Contacts listings to see some of their websites.
Library and other public building displays
Many public buildings such as libraries, cafes, leisure centres, etc. will allow you to put up information to make a display. You must always gain permission to do so. We can send you leaflets and posters for your display.
Holding a social
Getting other vegans and the vegan-curious out to a shared meal can be a great way to increase friendship circles and raise awareness of veganism. You can organise an event at a local restaurant or hold a pot-luck bring-and-share evening, which means people can try out lots of different recipes.
Organising a film showing
Our film ‘Making the Connection’ is specifically targeted at non-vegans. Holding a film night, publicising it widely and giving people a chance to open up discussion about the issue raised is a fantastic way to gain interest in veganism. We have a special Film Showing pack available.
Public speaking and cookery demonstrations
Giving a talk or cookery demonstration is daunting if you’re not experienced, but also very rewarding. Inviting people to ask you questions about being vegan lets them come from their own perspective and you can relate to them on their level. Have a look at our Public Speaking Information Sheet for more advice.
Running workshops/being ‘on hand’ to train/advise others
Once you have gained some experience doing some of the above things then you are in an excellent position to be able to start training others to do the same. Learning from someone who has been there before is very reassuring for people who are just starting out – and you can help them learn from your mistakes and successes.
Vegan Society Education school outreach
We’ve been running a school outreach program for a number of years and our visits are always well received and the feedback has been great! What we could do with is more invitations. If you know anyone involved with education ask them to look up our service and encourage them to use it. You could also contact schools in your area and ask for the details of relevant teachers for us to send information to. Ask us for help with this.
Get your school, college or university canteen to offer vegan meals
Asking your regular food outlet to offer vegan meals is an excellent way to make veganism visible to many people. We have our How to make your school/college/university more vegan-friendly Information Sheet especially for you. Many of these ideas could be adapted to a work canteen as well.
Become a Local Contact
Local Contacts help people to find out about vegan outlets and services in their area. Sometimes this is to help people who are visiting, sometimes local people want to find vegan friends. Have a look at our current list and if there is no one near to you ask us about becoming a Local Contact yourself.
Activities you can do as a group
Remember though, you are not on your own! Many vegans make light work and by teaming up you can reach ever greater heights. Starting a Local Group helps bring vegans together to work on joint projects.
Many of the suggestions above can achieve even greater results when done as part of a group.
Running a Vegan Group
Starting a Vegan Group is a great way to bring people together, and gives you the opportunity to delegate organisation responsibilities! Groups can be of a social nature, a campaign group or a bit of both. See our Starting a Vegan Group Information Sheet for more details. We can help publicise your Vegan Group.
Local publications
Putting together a vegan guide to your local area helps others find what they need quicker. Find other groups that have done this and ask for their advice.
Vegan Society Pledge scheme
Our Vegan Pledge scheme is very successful. We hook new vegans up with experienced vegan mentors to help them through the first few weeks. Advertising this is your area can help more people to become vegan. You can also put yourself forward as a mentor. Some people are experimenting with setting up their own local schemes. Ask us for information about this.
Running a street stall
Running a street stall is an excellent low-cost way to get the vegan message out to lots of people very quickly. You may need to get permission to set up a stall. Check our Running a Stall Information Sheet for more details.
Doing a street collection
Like street stalls a street collection can be both a fundraising and awareness raising tool. You will need to get permission from the Local Council before you can solicit for donations in a public place.
Running a stall at a larger event
Many other organisations, charities, schools and businesses run events at which it is possible for you to host a stall. This could be very low key, such as just a table with some leaflets on, or you could also gather some free samples of foods for people to taste. See our Running a Stall Information Sheet for more details.
Organising an event
Putting on an event that you can advertise and invite lots of people to is an excellent way to raise awareness of veganism. Ask us for advice on going about it or to be put in touch with others who have done this in the past. Our Food fairs and other food events Information Sheet might be of use to you.
World Vegan Day – November 1st every year
World Vegan Day is the annual celebration of all things vegan and vegans all over the world organise events to showcase the vegan lifestyle. The whole of November is now designated Vegan Month, so anytime during the period is an excellent time to promote veganism! Ask us to help promote your events.