About Viva!

Viva!, 8 York Court, Wilder St, Bristol BS2 8QH.
Tel: 0117 944 1000
Fax: 0117 924 4646
Email: info@viva.org.uk
Viva! is registered in England as a non-profit company number 4161147

Viva! was founded in 1994 by Juliet Gellatley, who is the organisation’s director. She also founded Viva!’s sister group, a registered charity called the Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation, in 2002 – see www.vegetarian.org.uk)

“The most powerful action you can take to end animal suffering, improve your health, protect the environment and bring fairness to the world’s poor is to stop eating meat, dairy and fish. Support us and help Viva! campaign for a better world.”  Juliet Gellatley, Founder & Director of Viva!

Every year, one billion animals face the barbarity of slaughter in Britain, and a further 4.5 billion fish and 2.6 billion shellfish are killed for the UK. Most animals spend their short lives in misery, imprisoned in the squalor of factory farms. Many are fully conscious when they are killed by having their throats cut.

“The human appetite for animal flesh is a driving force behind virtually every major category of environmental damage – deforestation, erosion, fresh water scarcity, air and water pollution and climate change” (WorldWatch Institute, Washington). At sea, fishing has brought all the world's oceans to the point of collapse. Yet still politicians fail to act.

Millions of children in the developing world die from hunger - alongside fields of high-quality food, destined for the West’s farmed animals. The startling truth is that meat causes starvation.

The science is now overwhelming - vegetarians are healthier than meat eaters and are likely to live longer. Yet the food industry continues aggressively to promote animal products to our children, helping to destroy their health and threatening their future.

With the simple decision to stop eating animals, you cease to play a part in this destruction.  By supporting Viva! you are part of the fight back against cynicism, self interest and cruelty.

It is a fight for life!

What does Viva! Do? 

Viva! campaigns for a vegetarian/vegan world because most farmed animals spend their short and miserable lives in the filth of factory farms and are killed with sickening barbarity – see here We expose this abuse by secretly going inside these shameful places and filming the suffering – publicising it with nationwide campaigns that bring about change. Billions of animals are also killed at sea causing immense suffering and the ecological collapse of the oceans - see http://www.viva.org.uk/guides/endoftheline.htm

Viva! monitors the latest research from all over the world on the environment and development issues and argues for change with hard science.

Viva! organises demonstrations and imaginative local campaigns to ensure the public know what’s happening in their area.

Viva! provides all the information and support necessary to help people change their diet because the best way to protect animals is to stop eating them.

Viva! needs your support to end the shame of animal suffering, to protect the planet and stop the killing.

Viva!s Awards

Include the Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain Linda McCartney Award for Animal Welfare; Indian Vegetarian Society’s Mahaveer Award for Education; Australian Wildlife Protection Award; Vegetarian Society Award for Achievement.

Viva!’s Campaigns for the World

We are determined to end cruelty to animals and to work for a saner, sustainable future. Through our  solid research, undercover exposes and professional media skills, we are bringing the reality of modern farming into people’s homes. We have enlightened millions, shocked most and changed the diets of many. We have had many successes. Support Viva! and help us achieve even more.

Eat Green
Viva!'s new environment campaign aims to drive as many people as possible towards energy efficient eating, by meat reducing or going veggie or vegan. Everyone knows that riding a bicycle, recycling and using energy saving light bulbs is good for the planet. However, one of the most effective ways of cutting our carbon footprint and saving animals is to cut out meat and dairy. Visit our fabulous new website for more information www.eatgreen.org.uk. 

‘Exotic’ animals
Viva! has almost ended the sale in Britain of meat from the world’s wildlife . As a result of our campaign, all 1,500 major supermarkets have dumped the sale of kangaroo, ostrich, emu and crocodile meat. (We have now taken on the multinational sports companies who use kangaroo skin to make football boots.)

The Dark Side of Dairy
We went on to dairy farms and exposed the agony of milk production, which diseases and kills most cows in three years or less. We also revealed the secret misery of their new-born calves - 500,000 killed or transported to Continental veal farms every year. 

Pig in Hell
Secret filming inside dozens of factory farms, including a Tesco and an M&S supplier, shocked Britain. Our footage was shown around the world by CNN International. We revealed the fate of most breeding sows – imprisoned for weeks in metal crates little bigger than their own bodiesevery time they give birth. Pig meat sales dropped.

Ducks out of Water 
Viva! took the lid off duck farming, showing that most birds are factory farmed in squalid sheds and are denied all water, except to drink. We stopped the barbaric practice of ‘debeaking’ in the UK. Duck sales dropped.

Not so Bootiful
Three Christmases running, our undercover teams gained massive publicity when they exposed the appalling conditions inside the sheds of Britain’s leading turkey producers. Turkey sales dropped. Our footage has been used recently again in bird flu media coverage to show the conditions of Bernard Matthews’ farms.

Going for the Kill
By secretly filming religious slaughter and inside slaughterhouses, we showed that all killing is obscene. We revealed that animals can take minutes to die and often recover consciousness while bleeding to death. It helped to end cruel home slaughter.

Horse Exports
When Viva! opened an office in Warsaw - see www.viva.org.pl - 100,000 horses were being transported live every year from Poland to Italy to be slaughtered for meat. It is an appalling journey that can take days, without feed, water or rest. Our campaign so far has seen the numbers collapse to 30,000.

See more details of our many campaigns – go to http://www.viva.org.uk/campaigns/campaigns.html  For more information on every aspect of the why’s and how’s of going and being veggie or vegan, go to the Viva! Guides at http://www.viva.org.uk/guides/index.htm - there’s 19 to choose from!

In addition to campaigning, Viva! produces and distributes info on how to become veggie and vegan - see http://www.viva.org.uk/goingveggie/index2.html and http://www.viva.org.uk/goingvegan/index2.html

Viva!’s Incredible Veggie Roadshows

Since Viva! launched the Incredible Veggie Roadshows in October 2004, 45,563 people have attended the events, and with an average 10 per cent pledging to go vegetarian or vegan, and many more promising to eat less meat, fish, eggs and dairy, which means millions of animals have been saved.

Our Incredible Veggie Roadshows have been so successful that we are continuing our tour of Britain - and one will be near you soon! It promises to be a magnificent day out! See http://www.viva.org.uk/roadshows

Viva!’s Incredible Veggie Roadshows are fun, upbeat and entertaining and are aimed not just at veggies and vegans but also meat eaters and meat reducers. Our aim is to swell the number of people giving up animal products as it’s the surest way of saving animals from suffering. In fact, The Incredible Veggie Roadshows provide all the information anyone could ever want about going, being and staying veggie – or moving in that direction. We hope to see you at our next Show!

Viva! - Cause Celebre

Viva!'s active and high profile campaigns have attracted the support of many well known and well respected people. – see http://www.viva.org.uk/celebs/index.html

“Being a veggie is so easy and great. I'm against animal cruelty and that’s why I support Viva!.” Fearne Cotton, TV presenter

“Viva! is absolutely vital. Through commitment and dedication it is helping to change society.” Martin Shaw, actor

“We can make a difference and end cruelty to animals. And Viva! is right there, spear-heading the movement for change. Join Viva! now!!” Joanna Lumley, actress

“We all need Viva! to succeed – please join."
Benjamin Zephaniah, poet and musician

“You save a lot of lives by going vegetarian – and many more by joining Viva!.” Lead singer and guitarist, Goldfinger

“I love Viva! because you get things done! You have my full support.” Heather Mills, patron of Viva!, landmines campaigner and UN Goodwill Ambassador