September: the Month Britain Goes Veggie in 2008!

During September, we intend to give millions more people a gentle shove down the wonderful road of healthier, cruelty-free, environment-saving, people-protecting veggie living! We have the inspirational materials but we need your help to get the message out there to the people who can really make a difference – meat eaters.

This year we are determined to expose the role the meat and dairy industry has in the destruction of biodiversity. You might ask: what has eating a burger got to do with killing monkeys? The answer is lots! Animal agriculture tops the list for making wildlife and plants extinct – it is also number one cause for the destruction of the rainforests and destroying the habitat wild animals need to survive. The reality is that by going veggie, you not only save the lives of 11,047 animals in a lifetime (by simply not eating them) you also save a whole jungle's worth of wild animals, too! We have produced brand new materials to take this very important issue to the public. Read more about the issues here.

	Our new Biodiversity leaflet can be ordered free from Viva!. Click here to download the PDF.

The news is good: Britain is going veggie! Vegetarianism and veganism are growing fast in the UK (with the latest survey showing that around six million people in the UK now call themselves vegetarian – and there are now 10 times as many vegans as there were even a decade ago). This means that fewer animals are facing the horrors of modern farming and the barbarity of the slaughterhouse. Government figures show that 9,237,000 fewer main land animals were killed in the UK in 2007 compared to 2006. The annual drop in slaughter shows that five million fewer chickens were killed in Britain, two million fewer turkeys and two million fewer ducks.  Even taking into account all imports, exports and domestic production, poultry meat consumption in the UK fell by 117,000 tons (a huge reduction of seven per cent).  Overall pig meat consumption fell by 27,000 tons (a reduction of six per cent).  We are indeed going veggie!

However, there's still much to do - and that's why we need you to get involved in this year's Veggie Month!

Even a few hours of your time can make a world of difference. Every single person who decides to ditch meat because of your actions means you are directly helping to save the lives of thousands of animals. 

How to get involved:

Hold or help on a ‘It’s Time To Go Veggie’ stall

All across the country, Viva! groups will be holding stalls throughout September taking our positive message to people in their local area. If you can spare an afternoon, or even just a couple of hours, please think about holding a stall yourself. Or we can try and put you in touch with others in your area. Every single person who decides to ditch meat because of your actions means you are helping to save the lives of thousands of animals. Just imagine how may people you can reach by holding or helping on a ‘It’s Time to Go Veggie!’ stall: the possibilities are endless!

Order a stall pack. Or contact us to find out what’s happening near you!

Door droppers unite!

Just one leaflet can save lives – thousands of them! That is why we are printing our new Biodiversity leaflet, which shows that by going veggie you can save not only around 11,047 farmed and sea animals, but also many wild animals, too! The leaflet encourages people to get in touch with us for free info on going veggie.

We have the materials, but we need to reach people – and by delivering leaflets locally you are personally changing hearts and minds right on your doorstep.

Order a door dropping pack (with 50 leaflets). For more info on door-dropping for Viva! see here.

Britain Goes Veggie Display Packs

Do you have a display board at work, college or another venue near you? How about brightening it up with one of our vibrant display packs? Each pack contains our new Biodiversity leaflet and poster, as well as our fantastic Reasons to Go Veggie leaflets! (1: Farmed Animals, 2. Nutrition, 3. Veggie Recipes, 4. People & Planet – which shows how we can all help end hunger for the world’s poorest people and stop environment degradation with our knives and forks), as well as our ever popular Honey I’ve Eaten a Menagerie and poster. Plus, a copy of our 40 page magazine, It’s Time To Go Veggie!.

We also have a special School/Youth pack, with funky leaflets and posters – perfect to get the classroom buzzing with discussion about animal and veggie issues.

Don’t delay order your free pack today. Please note: we are still awaiting some of our hot-off-the-press material, but you will get your order well before September.

Plus, if you can put a larger display up at your local library, or other venue, contact us for details: kate@viva.org.uk or phone 0117 944 1000.

Tempt them to go Veggie!

How about cooking a cheap and easy veggie meal or snack for your work colleagues, school chums or assorted friends? It’s not as daunting as it might sound: from a tempting nibble (veggie pâté on crackers, or even just veggie sausage on a stick!) to a four course banquet (ok, we’re pushing it a bit), this is an ideal way to introduce people to vegetarian and vegan food. We are constantly amazed by the people who’ve never tried any veggie food at all, but when they try it they like it! Whether they cut meat from one meal a week or become full blown veggies themselves it is all working towards ending the suffering of animals.

We have easy to follow recipes of every description on-line for inspiration at http://www.viva.org.uk/recipes/index.html .
Order the free Britain Goes Veggie Display Pack so they can have a feast for the mind, as well as the stomach!

Fundraise for Viva!

As a purely donations funded organisation, we rely on the generosity of our supporters. Why not combine getting some friends together with a collection for Viva! and help us fund our life saving campaigns? Even charging everyone a few quid for the privilege of eating your delicious veggie nosh will help us reach more people. Another fun way to raise money is to ask people to offer ‘promises’ up for auction – and then get your friends to bid on them! Anything from cooking a veggie meal for two, to mowing their lawn – whatever pops into your head! If you have any other ideas we’d love to hear them.

Write to your local paper!

Send a letter to your local newspaper. They are much more likely to publish it if comes from someone who lives in their catchment area, and it's a great way to get our life-saving message over to thousands of people. Simply use the pre-prepared message below. Check your local paper (or their website) for their 'letters to the editor' address. If you can't find it, contact us and we'll see what we can do to help. Remember to put "Letter for publication" and your name, address and contact number (some papers won't publish letters without them, but they rarely publish your contact details. If you are concerned, simply put "contact details supplied").

"Dear Sir

In September, animal campaigning group Viva! are holding their annual Veggie Month. This year, they are highlighting the toll that eating meat and dairy has not only on farmed animals, but also animals in the wild.

You might ask: what has eating a beef burger got to do with killing monkeys? The answer is: lots! It’s a little known fact, but the meat and dairy industries are the number one cause of Loss of Biodiversity around the world. They top the list in making wildlife and plants extinct. 

Eating a burger doesn’t just cost the life of the cow, it also costs the lives of innumerable wild animals by destroying their natural habitat through ranching and clearing land to grow crops to feed farmed animals. Europe imports 18 million tons of soya every year from cleared land in the Amazon; almost all of it used to feed animals. Our meat and dairy rich Western diets mean that we are literally munching our way through the rainforest.

The reality is that by going veggie, the average Brit not only save the lives of 11,047 animals in a lifetime (simply by not eating them), but also saves a whole jungle’s worth of wild animals, too!

To help people make the switch, Viva! is offering their It’s Time to Go Veggie! magazine free to all, simply ring Viva! on 0117 944 1000, email info@viva.org.uk or write to Viva! at 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH.  Web: www.viva.org.uk.

Yours faithfully"

Got a taste for campaigning? Contact us for more info on how to get involved or see http://www.viva.org.uk/campaigner – and find out why it’s fun to campaign for animals all year round!

Come on, let’s turn Britain veggie!