The Vegan Society facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Vegan Society

Founded	November 1944; 80 years ago (1944-11)
Founders	Donald Watson Elsie Shrigley Fay Keeling Henderson George Allan Henderson
Type	Charity
Focus	Promoting veganism
Location	Birmingham
Area served	International
Method	Information, support, campaigns
Members	7,727 in 2022
CEO	Libby Peppiatt
Main organ	The Vegan
Employees	68 full-time equivalents in 2022
Volunteers	40

Vegan Trademark for the labelling of vegan products
The Vegan Trademark is a registered trademark that registers products as vegan.
Effective region	United Kingdom
Effective since	27 February 1990
Legal status	Recognised by consumers

The Vegan Society is a charity that helps people understand and practice veganism. It is the oldest vegan organization in the world. It was started in the United Kingdom in 1944 by Donald Watson, Elsie Shrigley, George Henderson, and his wife Fay Henderson, among others.

History of The Vegan Society

How the Word 'Vegan' Was Born

In November 1944, a man named Donald Watson, who was a "non-dairy vegetarian," started a newsletter. He called it The Vegan News. Watson created the word vegan to describe a diet that avoids all animal products, like milk and eggs. He took the first three and last two letters from "vegetarian." He said it was because "veganism starts with vegetarianism and carries it through to its logical conclusion." However, he also gave credit to George and Fay Henderson for suggesting similar names like 'Allvega'.

Starting the Society

Before forming their own group, Watson and Elsie Shrigley asked the Vegetarian Society if they could create a special group for non-dairy vegetarians. The Vegetarian Society thought about it but decided it might not be comfortable for their members. So, they suggested that the non-dairy vegetarians should start their own society.

In November 1944, a meeting was held in London to form The Vegan Society. Donald Watson, Elsie Shrigley, Fay K. Henderson, and others were there. Elsie Shrigley remembered it as a sunny day, which felt like a good sign for their new movement.

At that time, The Vegan Society published its main goals:

• To say that people's food should come from fruits, nuts, vegetables, and grains. It should not include meat, fish, eggs, honey, or animal milk and cheese.
• To encourage making and using products that are not from animals.

Early Years and Growth

When The Vegan Society was formed, Watson's newsletter went to 500 people. Later, their magazine, The Vegan, printed a thousand copies. Donald Watson was the first president of The Vegan Society in 1946. Other early presidents included William Collier and Elsie Shrigley.

In its early years, The Vegan Society worked with other vegetarian groups. By the late 1940s, they were working well together. For example, in 1957, the president John Heron gave a talk about veganism in Wales.

Local groups also started, like the London Group in 1945. In 1949, the Yorkshire Group held a meeting where they discussed that making dairy and eggs often involved cruelty to animals. In 1968, Eva Batt of The Vegan Society gave a talk about how plant-based foods have all the nutrients people need. She also predicted that plant milks would become popular.

By 1988, The Vegan Society had about 4,000 members.

World Vegan Day Celebration

The founding of The Vegan Society is celebrated every year on November 1st. This day is known as World Vegan Day. It was started in 1994 by Louise Wallis, who was the chairperson at the time. She chose November 1st because she liked that it was close to traditional holidays like Halloween, which are times for celebration.

Vegan Eatwell Guide

The Vegan Society has created a special guide called the Vegan Eatwell Guide. It is based on a public health guide and shows how to eat a healthy vegan diet. The guide uses pictures to show that a balanced vegan diet includes lots of fruits, legumes (like beans and lentils), vegetables, and whole grains. It also suggests using fortified foods and supplements like Vitamin B12.

What Does 'Veganism' Mean?

Early Definitions

In 1945, Donald Watson and others at The Vegan Society first defined veganism as "living on fruits, nuts, vegetables, grains, and other wholesome non-animal products." Fay K. Henderson explained that the word "vegan" was created to go beyond just "non-dairy vegetarian." It meant a diet based entirely on plants.

In 1951, Leslie Cross, who was a vice-president of the Society, said that the goal of the Society was "to end the exploitation of animals by man." He also said that "veganism shall mean the doctrine that man should live without exploiting animals." Elsie Shrigley confirmed in 1954 that the word was "clearly defined."

Evolving the Definition

Over the years, the definition of veganism grew to include ethical ideas. By 1965, the Society defined veganism as "a way of living which excludes all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, the animal kingdom." It also included "a reverence and compassion for all life." This meant living only on products from plants.

In the 1990s, many members used a simpler, diet-focused definition. In 1996, Richard Farhall from The Vegan Society said that for membership, they defined a vegan as someone who does not eat any animal products. This included fish, poultry, eggs, animal milks, honey, or anything made from them.

Current Definition

Today, The Vegan Society defines veganism as "a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose." It also means promoting animal-free options for the good of humans, animals, and the environment. In terms of diet, it means not using any products that come from animals.

What The Vegan Society Does

The Vegan Society works hard to promote veganism and support vegans. Here are some of their main activities:

• Information – They provide lots of information on their website. This includes facts about nutrition, like Vitamin B12, and advice on how to become vegan. They also offer a "30 Day Vegan Pledge" with daily recipes and tips.
• Campaigns – The Society runs campaigns on important issues. For example, they work to improve food options in hospitals. They also have a 'Grow Green' campaign to encourage farmers to grow plant-based crops instead of raising animals.
• Support – They offer support through a network of local contacts in the UK. You can also get free advice by email.
• Vegan Trademark – This is a special label that helps people know if a product is truly vegan. It means the product and its ingredients are free from animal products and have not been tested on animals. This includes all animals, even insects.
• The Vegan Magazine – The charity publishes a magazine four times a year. Members receive it for free.
• The Vegan Pod – Since June 2020, The Vegan Society has had its own podcast, where they discuss various vegan topics.

Related Groups

The Movement for Compassionate Living is a group that separated from The Vegan Society. It was started in 1984 by Kathleen Jannaway and her husband Jack, who were former members of The Vegan Society.

Presidents of The Vegan Society

See also

• European Vegetarian Union
• List of vegetarian and vegan organizations
• List of animal rights groups
• List of vegan and plant-based media