Vegetarian Society facts for kids
Interior of Northwood Villa, where the Vegetarian Society was founded in 1847
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| Formation | 30 September 1847 |
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| Founded at | Ramsgate, Kent, England |
| Merger of | London Vegetarian Society Manchester Vegetarian Society |
| Type | Charity |
| Registration no. | 259358 |
| Legal status | Charity |
| Purpose | Vegetarianism |
| Headquarters | Manchester, United Kingdom |
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Region
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United Kingdom |
| Methods | Information, support |
| Vegetarian Society Approved | |
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| Effective region | United Kingdom |
The Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom is a British charity. It was started on September 30, 1847. Its main goal is to promote vegetarianism and help people understand its benefits.
History of the Vegetarian Society
In the 1800s, many groups in Britain were already eating meat-free diets. Three main groups helped create the Vegetarian Society. These were members of the Bible Christian Church, supporters of the Concordium, and readers of a journal called Truth-Tester.
Early Supporters: Bible Christians
The Bible Christian Church began in 1809 in Salford. It was founded by Reverend William Cowherd. A special belief of this church was eating a meat-free diet. They believed this was a way to live a healthy and balanced life. Their diet included eggs and dairy, but no meat.
Early Supporters: The Concordium
The Concordium was a special boarding school near London. It opened in 1838. Students at this school ate a diet completely free of all animal products. Today, we call this a vegan diet. The school was also known as Alcott House. It was named after an American who supported education and food reform, Amos Bronson Alcott.
How the Society Started: The Truth-Tester Journal
The Truth-Tester was a journal that supported healthy living. In 1846, William Horsell became its editor. He ran a health institute in Ramsgate. Horsell slowly changed the journal to promote a 'Vegetable Diet'.
In early 1847, a letter in the Truth-Tester suggested starting a Vegetarian Society. Because of this letter, William Oldham held a meeting in July 1847 at Alcott House. About 130 people attended. They decided to meet again in September.
The Founding Meeting in Ramsgate (1847)
On September 30, 1847, the planned meeting took place in Ramsgate. Joseph Brotherton, a politician from Salford, led the meeting. He was also a Bible Christian.
At this meeting, James Simpson was chosen as the first president. William Oldham became the treasurer, and William Horsell became the secretary. Everyone agreed to call the new group the 'Vegetarian Society'.
Growth After the Founding
The Vegetarian Society held its first big public meeting in Manchester the next year. By 1853, it had almost 900 members. The society shared information about vegetarianism through books and talks. By 1897, it had grown to about 5,000 members.
Different Ideas: Manchester and London Societies
In 1888, a new group called the London Vegetarian Society (LVS) formed. It split off from the original Vegetarian Society. After this, the first group was often called the Manchester Vegetarian Society (MVS). The two groups had different ideas about what "vegetarian" meant. This caused some disagreements.
Francis William Newman was president of the Manchester Vegetarian Society for a time. He allowed people who ate chicken or fish to join as "associate members." He believed the society should only focus on avoiding meat, fish, and fowl. He did not want it to be linked with other reform ideas.
The London Vegetarian Society had more radical members. These included Arnold Hills and Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi, a famous leader, once said:
If anybody said that I should die if I did not take beef tea or mutton, even on medical advice, I would prefer death. That is the basis of my vegetarianism.
In 1969, the Manchester and London Vegetarian Societies joined together again. They became the Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom. In recent years, the society has grown a lot. This is because more people care about the environment, animal rights, and healthy food.
The 20th Century and Beyond
During the 1900s, the Society mainly focused on teaching people. They worked with other groups to share information about healthy eating. The Vegetarian Society also worked to convince food makers to remove non-vegetarian ingredients. These included things like gelatine or cheese made with animal rennet.
They wanted companies to get their special "seedling symbol" for approved products. This symbol means the product is truly vegetarian. It also means that free-range eggs are used. In 1995, the Society made a documentary called Devour the Earth. It was narrated by Paul McCartney.
New Look in 2024
In 2024, the Vegetarian Society updated its look. It got a new logo, a new magazine design, and a new website. The main office is still in Manchester.
What the Vegetarian Society Does Today
The Vegetarian Society is now a charity that campaigns for vegetarianism.
In 2017, they launched their Vegetarian Society Approved vegan trademark. Companies can use this trademark on products that are only vegetarian or vegan. It also means that no non-vegetarian or non-vegan ingredients were used during making the product. You can see these trademarks on food in shops and on dishes in restaurants. For example, McDonald's McPlant burger in the UK has this vegan trademark.
The charity also runs a big event called National Vegetarian Week.
The Vegetarian Society Cookery School teaches fun classes in vegetarian and vegan cooking. They also work with other charities to teach cooking courses. Plus, the school trains professional chefs who want to work in the food industry.
See also
- European Vegetarian Union
- International Vegetarian Union
- Linda McCartney Foods
- List of animal rights groups
- List of vegetarian organizations
- North American Vegetarian Society
- Veganism
- Vegetarian Society (Singapore)
