The Vegan Society facts for kids
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| Founded | November 1944 |
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| Founders |
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| Type | Charity |
| Focus | Promoting veganism |
| Location | |
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Area served
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International |
| Method | Information, support, campaigns |
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Members
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8,500 (as of 2021[update]) |
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CEO
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Steve Hamon |
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Employees
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53 full-time equivalents in 2020 |
| Vegan Trademark for the labelling of vegan products | |
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The Vegan Trademark is a registered trademark that registers products as vegan.
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| Effective region | United Kingdom |
| Effective since | 27 February 1990 |
| Legal status | Recognised by consumers |
The Vegan Society is a special charity that helps people learn about veganism. It is the oldest vegan group in the world! It started in the United Kingdom in 1944. Some of its founders were Donald Watson, Elsie Shrigley, George Henderson, and his wife Fay Henderson.
Contents
How the Vegan Society Started
In November 1944, a man named Donald Watson started a newsletter. He called it The Vegan News. Donald Watson was a "non-dairy vegetarian." This meant he didn't eat dairy products like milk or cheese.
Watson created the word "vegan." He took the first three and last two letters from "vegetarian." He said veganism starts with vegetarianism and takes it further. However, he gave credit to George and Fay Henderson. They had suggested names like 'Allvega' and 'Allvegan' for his magazine. Watson got the idea for "vegan" from their suggestions.
Before this, in 1943, Watson talked about dairy products to the Vegetarian Society. He and Elsie Shrigley later asked to form a group for non-dairy vegetarians within the Vegetarian Society. But the Vegetarian Society felt it would be better if the non-dairy vegetarians started their own group.
So, in November 1944, Watson, Elsie Shrigley, the Hendersons, and others met. They gathered in London to talk about forming The Vegan Society. Elsie Shrigley said it was a sunny, blue-sky day. She felt it was a great day for a new idea to begin.
In the same month, The Vegan Society shared its main goals:
- To teach that human food should come from plants. This includes fruits, nuts, vegetables, and grains. It should not include meat, fish, eggs, honey, or animal milk, butter, and cheese.
- To help create and use products that do not come from animals.
When The Vegan Society was new, Watson's newsletter went to 500 people. Later, their magazine The Vegan was printed for a thousand readers.
What is a Vegan Diet?
The Vegan Society has created a guide called the Vegan Eatwell Guide. It is based on a public health guide. This guide shows what a healthy vegan diet looks like. It highlights eating lots of fruits, legumes (like beans and lentils), vegetables, and whole grains. It also suggests using fortified foods (foods with added vitamins) and taking supplements.
What Veganism Means
In 1945, Donald Watson and others from The Vegan Society defined veganism. They said it was "living on fruits, nuts, vegetables, grains, and other wholesome non-animal products."
In 1947, Fay K. Henderson explained the word "vegan." She said it was an effort to move beyond "non-dairy vegetarian." The word "vegan" means "all vegetable." It shows that someone who starts as a vegetarian might become a vegan.
Over time, the meaning of veganism grew. It became an idea about how we treat animals. In 1951, Leslie Cross, an animal rights activist, said the goal of the Society was "to end the exploitation of animals by man." He added that "veganism shall mean the idea that man should live without exploiting animals."
Today, The Vegan Society defines veganism as: "A way of living that tries to stop all forms of harm and unfair use of animals. This includes animals used for food, clothes, or any other reason. It also means finding and using animal-free options. This helps humans, animals, and the environment. When it comes to food, it means not eating any products that come from animals."
What The Vegan Society Does
The Vegan Society does many things to help people learn about veganism:
- Information: They offer lots of information on their website. This includes facts about nutrition, like Vitamin B12, and tips on how to become vegan. They also have articles and blogs about vegan living. Their "30 Day Vegan Pledge" helps people try veganism for a month. It gives daily recipes, tips, and advice. They also help activists with free leaflets and advice.
- Campaigns: The Vegan Society works on different campaigns. For example, they work to improve vegan food in hospitals. Their 'Grow Green' campaign encourages farmers to grow plant proteins instead of raising animals.
- Support: They offer support through a network of local contacts in the UK. You can also email them for free advice.
- Vegan Trademark: This is a special label. It shows that a product is free from animal ingredients and has not been tested on animals. The Vegan Society says "animal" means all creatures with backbones and those without, like insects. So, products with this mark are not tested on any living creature.
- The Vegan Magazine: The charity publishes a magazine four times a year. Members get it for free.
- The Vegan Pod: Since June 2020, The Vegan Society has a podcast called The Vegan Pod.
World Vegan Day
The founding of The Vegan Society is celebrated every year on 1 November. This day is called World Vegan Day. Louise Wallis, who was the president at the time, started this day in 1994. The actual founding date of the society was 5 November 1944.
Other Groups
The Movement for Compassionate Living is a group that started from The Vegan Society. It was founded in 1984 by Kathleen Jannaway and her husband Jack. Kathleen used to be the secretary of The Vegan Society.
See also
- European Vegetarian Union
- List of vegetarian organizations
- List of animal rights groups
