September: the Month Britain Goes Veggie in 2009!

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.

Will you help her? Take part in Viva!'s Veggie Month 2009 to end animal suffering

The animals need you! Changing eating habits has never been so essential - and we know this is working. Why? Because the numbers of animals we are killing in this country is dropping - and it's dropping fast. Nearly 50 million fewer farmed animals were killed in the UK in 2008 than in 2005. It's not because we are importing more meat. Figures show that consumption of poultry meat in the UK last year fell by a massive 67,000 tonnes (four per cent); pig meat consumption fell by a staggering 74,000 tonnes (down by over five per cent). If Britain carries on this encouraging path we have worked out that, as a country, we will all be veggie by 2076!

This is a real and significant reduction of suffering for Britain's farmed animals. We need you to help build on this success!

Despite this encouraging news, the sad fact remains that almost 900 million animals are still killed and eaten in the UK every year. Please help us turn this rise in veggiedom into a rush! We need to get out the simple but powerful message that the best way to save animals is to stop eating them. We also want show people what a powerful tool their knives and forks are for ending animal suffering - all by simply 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

	Our ever popular 'Menagerie' leaflet lets people know that they can save up to 11,047 animals by going veggie!

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. Just imagine how many people you can reach - and how many animals you could save - 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! Our door-dropper leaflets show that by going veggie you can save not only around 11,047 farmed and sea animals, but also many wild animals, too! The leaflets encourage people to get in touch with us for free info on going veggie.

We have the materials, but we need you to help 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

Duck deaths have dived in the last few years because people like you are persuading the nation to go veggie!

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 Biodiversity leaflet and poster, as well as our fantastic Reasons to Go Veggie leaflets! (1: Farmed Animals, 2. Nutrition, 3. Veggie Recipes), 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.

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. That is the only way we can print our life-saving materials and get them out to you and the public. 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. Contact us for information on how to collect money for Viva! on stalls. Donate to Viva! to help fund our work.

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 how easy it is to end the suffering of animals by simply not eating them.

Over 900 million animals are slaughtered in the UK each year. Most of them endure short pitiful lives on cramped factory farms. Have you ever asked yourself why you never see fields full of chickens, when hundreds of millions of them are farmed and slaughtered here every year? That's because almost all of them are kept indoors, crammed into sheds with up to 30,000 others. It doesn't have to be this way. Buying organic or free-range often improves animal welfare, but it doesn't stop the terror and fear that all animals suffer at the slaughterhouse. Thankfully, you do have a choice. Say no to animal cruelty by simply changing what you put in your shopping basket. The time is right to go veggie!

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!