Community Advocate

Why are Community Advocate volunteers important? 

More people are embracing a vegan lifestyle, which we welcome! Many people need support, such as new businesses, families, and even councillors. This could be with a range of things: going vegan, finding correct information, providing vegan options in their business, or MPs listening to vegan constituents.   

Vegan volunteers from local areas are vital! Research tells us that people are far more likely to trust information from a peer compared to an organisation, so you can increase the impact of our campaigns by sharing them near you. 

What does the Community Advocate role involve? 

Every time we launch or refocus on a campaign, you will be sent a collection of tasks to choose from. These could include writing to an MP, posting on social media, or finding locations for our leaflets nearby. 

You will form part of a local group, headed up by a local Organiser. Your Community Organiser will be in regular contact to ensure you have everything you need and ask for your updates on tasks. They will co-ordinate attendance at local events such as vegan fairs and invite you to help out. 

You’ll make sure to stay in touch with the Organiser and bring your passion to tasks. Activities can range from helping out at a stall to emailing a business about their vegan options. They could also include writing to a local newspaper or lobbying an MP. You're in control of which tasks you get involved in. 

You will also be invited to our private Facebook group to socialise and share ideas with other volunteers. 

When acting as an Advocate, you will use The Vegan Society’s mission and messaging guidelines and represent our values, rather than your personal views. 

What training and support is available?

There will be a full induction to the role. To start with, we will provide handbooks and training videos. This will be done remotely from wherever you are.  

You will also have a big welcome from your local Organiser. They will introduce you to the group and any activities that are ongoing.  

From there, there will be regular conversations, where we can discuss other training requirements, as we know everybody has different skills and abilities. Staff are always available for any questions, via phone or email.  

We never expect volunteers to be out of pocket. We reimburse expenses related to the role, such as travel and event charges. 

What skills would be useful in doing this role?

This would suit somebody who would love to be involved in vegan outreach but needs some flexibility. You would be reliable in answering emails, even if you can't take part in activities for a few weeks. Advocates also have: 

• The ability to stay motivated and involved when volunteering remotely. 
• Polite email etiquette and responding a timely manner. 
• Eagerness to integrate into their local group and help out. 
• A minimum availability of once per month and a willingness to update on actions completed from home. 

How much time do I need to invest? 

We ask Advocates to engage in a minimum of six actions per year, plus be responsive to emails, even if you can't take part in a particular campaign. An example of an action could be writing to an MP or helping out at a stall for a few hours.  

The more you can do, the better!  

Who can I contact to find out more?

Enquiries are welcome! You can contact Katy Malkin (Volunteering Coordinator) at communitynetwork[at]vegansociety[dot]com

How do I apply?

Interested? Simply fill in our application form. This should take a few minutes. You'll then receive an automated response, and our Volunteering Coordinator will be in touch to welcome and induct you within a week.

If any stage of our application process is inaccessible for you, please do let us know. We have alternative ways that you can apply and we can provide tailored inductions.

Problems filling out this form? Email Katy, Volunteering Coordinator at communitynetwork[at]vegansociety[dot]com for assistance