Do you want to take part in vegan volunteering around your local area?
You can do that – right here at The Vegan Society.
We have an ever-growing Community Network of vegans just like you, who have a passion to volunteer and promote veganism where they live.
Every month, our Network choose from a range of outreach tasks. These could include town centre stalls, writing to a councillor or MP, sharing our campaigns on social media or contacting local businesses. You're in control of how much or how little you do.
We also provide our volunteers with leaflets, banners and workshops so that they are equipped to make the biggest impact possible.
Does that sound good to you?
Want more details about volunteering in your local community?
Our volunteer Community Network is packed with people who care about The Vegan Society mission – to make it easier for more people to go vegan and stay vegan. We believe that it’s crucial for vegans to be well supported by the right legislation, the right options and the right agricultural systems.
Within our Community Network, we have two roles:
- Organiser
- Advocate
As an Organiser, you would be the caretaker of your local area. This is the more time-intensive role but so rewarding! Tasks would be emailed to you directly every month by our Volunteering Coordinator, who would be your main point of contact here at The Vegan Society. It would then be your job to send out the task to Advocates in your local area and get feedback from them. You'll also be able to ask your Advocates for help with any stalls and lobbying. Every Organiser receives an outreach pack, including a table runner, leaflets and banners. We make sure you are fully supported with an Organisers' WhatsApp group for socialising and ideas. We also have a monthly gathering on video.
Here are some words from our wonderful Wyre Forest Organiser, Ronnie:
We need to educate as many people as possible to become vegan. I hope to encourage as many vegans as possible to become involved in vegan outreach.
As an Advocate, you will have a network of other Advocates and an Organiser in your area. Your Organiser will be your main point of contact. They will send you tasks every month and ask you to feed back on what you've completed and any positive outcomes. The exception to this is Advocates who don't have an Organiser in their area yet. In these cases, tasks will come directly from the Volunteering Coordinator.
Sanita, an Advocate around Birmingham, finds the role rewarding:
When I became vegan in 2016, I decided that I wanted to meet other people that cared about the things that I did. I also wanted to help more people on the journey. Volunteering with The Vegan Society has enabled me to do those things. Whether I'm fronting a stand or distributing leaflets, the public are often curious about veganism and what The Vegan Society does. I think everyone knows deep down that going vegan and removing animal products is the only solution to eradicating all animal suffering, caring for our planet and ourselves too.
How do our volunteers encourage others to follow a vegan lifestyle?
Influencing people often starts with introducing concepts and answering questions about living a vegan life. Here are some examples of the work we do through volunteer roles:
- Asking high street shops and restaurants to provide more vegan options through our Vegan on the Go campaign.
- Lobbying MPs and other policy makers to influence laws that will make it easier to go vegan and stay vegan, through campaigns such as Catering for Everyone.
- Educating the public on how inexpensive a vegan diet can be, through our Live Vegan For Less campaign. This is especially important in the cost-of-living crisis. Giving out our mini recipe leaflets is an impactful outreach activity.
- Promoting the health benefits of a vegan diet, dispelling the myth that vegans are weak and deficient. Our Vegan and Thriving campaign showcases world record breaking athletes, busy parents and business owners. These inspiring individuals show what can be achieved when you remove animal products from your plate and thrive on a vegan diet.
Don’t take our word for it! Here are some quotes from our wonderful volunteers here at The Vegan Society:
“Everyone is very friendly and appreciative of what I do. It's a great cause to volunteer for.”
“I love sharing ideas with other activists.”
“I enjoy meeting like-minded people and feeling less isolated in my beliefs. I also like learning how to campaign effectively.”
“I’d definitely recommend that any potential volunteers interested give it a go!”
In our Volunteer Impact Report 2023, we also found that 96% of the volunteers surveyed feel highly valued by their main contact. To see the contribution that volunteers make towards helping The Vegan Society achieve its vision and mission, read our full Volunteer Impact Report.
We're very proud of our campaign work and need your help to promote it further. Do people in your local area know enough about veganism?
Which volunteering role with The Vegan Society would suit you?
Our Organiser and Advocate volunteer roles have some differences, highlighted in the table below. Which role suits your skills and interests?
When you have decided, follow the drop-down menus below to see the full role descriptions, plus a link to each application form. If you are interested, please fill out the form, and we will get back to you very soon. We'd love to have you on board.
| Community Organiser Community Advocate | |
| 1–2 days per month (flexible dates) dependant on campaign | 0.5–1 day per month (flexible dates) |
| Ideally takes part in monthly tasks and passes down tasks to Advocates in their area | Ideally takes part in monthly tasks either in person or remotely |
| Skills: organised, eager to speak to the public, committed, good at networking and liaising with volunteers and staff, aware of local opportunities for activism | Skills: team player, passionate about veganism, regular availability, good communicator |
| Supported by The Vegan Society Volunteering Coordinator | Supported by the Organiser in their area |
| Induction and physical resources for stands provided by The Vegan Society | Full induction provided by the Organiser in their area |
Applying for a Community Network Volunteering Role
Why do we need you to volunteer?
As the vegan community grows, veganism itself becomes better understood. We're finding that more people are looking to The Vegan Society to find out what being vegan is really all about.
Local communities are starting to see the vegan movement as something real and something that’s happening in their area. A greater number of people are embracing a vegan lifestyle, which we welcome. From new businesses, to families, to councillors, many people need support. This could be with a range of topics: going vegan, finding correct information, providing vegan options in their business, MPs listening to vegan constituents, and learning about our work.
Local issues are often unique and more varied than national issues. Our volunteers from local areas are vital! They enable us to share our messages and campaigns in an effective way. Research tells us that people are far more likely to trust information from a peer rather than an outside expert or organisation, so community volunteering vastly increases the impact of our campaigns.
Our network of committed local vegans across the country is growing! The Vegan Society organises various outreach activities to influence change in every level of society. There are a range of activities going on all the time, from general educational stalls at events to meeting with local policy influencers.
What does the Organiser role involve?
Every month, you will be sent a collection of tasks to choose from. We create these from our programme of campaigns. You would be the point of contact for Advocates in your area, sharing these tasks and coordinating activities, such as stalls and lobbying councillors. We will provide you with a campaign toolkit and be in regular contact with you to ensure you have everything you need. You will also be invited to our private Facebook group and WhatsApp chat.
We would expect you to provide any updates from your group and give feedback on each task. It's vital that we measure the impact that we are having, in terms of positive conversations and leaflets handed out. You can also give us ideas you have for future outreach tasks or campaigning. Many Organisers find a huge sense of satisfaction, improvement in self-esteem and enjoy the social side of volunteering in this role.
You will also be responsible for welcoming new Advocates in your area. We will let you know when somebody new applies, and you will help them to get involved with any activities. As the main contact for Advocates, this role does require some awareness of safeguarding and data protection procedures and policy. You'll also be the health and safety contact for your group. There will be full training on your role in this, as well as a handbook and ongoing guidance and support.
As an Organiser, you will ensure any resources or actions undertaken are in line with our branding and messaging guidelines and make sure that Advocates understand this too.
What training and support is available?
There will be a full induction to the role, with a gradual introduction of new tasks and responsibilities. To start with, we will provide an initial training session to cover the basics of community organising, communication skills and event planning. This will be done remotely from wherever you are. Along with this, we will provide a full pack of resources that covers a range of work that we do.
From there, there will be regular conversations and reviews, where we can discuss other training requirements. Staff are always available to Organisers for any questions, via phone or email.
What skills would be useful in doing this role?
- Great organisational skills
- Experience of coordinating people
- Experience of working to specific dates and deadlines
- Good time keeping
- Ability to work independently
- Ability to motivate people around the topic of veganism
- Ability to stick to branding
- Ability to read emails in a timely manner and translate tasks into actions quickly
- Ability to report back on activities
- Excellent knowledge of vegan issues
It would be beneficial for this role to have access to a vehicle, as some actions will involve taking resources to events or visiting MPs’ offices. However, this is not mandatory as the campaign toolkit can be carried in a backpack.
How much time do I need to invest?
This role requires more time than the Advocate role. You should be able to commit around two days a month to carry out actions, and this is usually spread out across the month. We also expect timely responses to emails. When a new Advocate applies to work with you, we would like them to be contacted within seven days.
Who can I contact to find out more?
Enquiries are welcome! Please contact Katy Malkin (Volunteering Coordinator) on [email protected].
How do I apply?
Interested? Simply fill in our Community Organiser application form. This takes around 5–10 minutes.
Why do we need you to volunteer?
As the vegan community grows, veganism itself becomes better understood. We're finding that more people are looking to The Vegan Society to find out what being vegan is all about.
Local communities are starting to see the vegan movement as something real and something that’s happening in their area. More people are embracing a vegan lifestyle, which we welcome. From new businesses, to families, to councillors, many people need support. This could be with a range of topics: going vegan, finding correct information around a vegan diet, providing vegan options in their business, MPs listening to vegan constituents, and learning about our work.
Local issues are often unique and more varied than national issues. Our volunteers from local areas are vital! They enable us to share our messages and campaigns in an effective way. Research tells us that people are far more likely to trust information from a peer rather than an outside expert, so community volunteering vastly increases the impact of our campaigns.
Our network of committed local vegans across the country is growing! The Vegan Society organises various outreach activities to influence change in every level of society. There are a range of activities going on all the time, from general educational stalls at events to meeting with local policy influencers.
Advocates are a crucial voice in their own community. They ensure that our campaign messages are spread far and wide. They provide a strong vegan presence in local communities.
What does the Advocate role involve?
Being an Advocate for veganism with The Vegan Society will mean communicating with people in your local community. You'll share the benefits of a vegan lifestyle. You will form part of a local group, headed up by a local Organiser. The Organiser will feed back your collective efforts to staff. You will also be invited to our private Facebook group, for vegan socialising and ideas sharing.
You’ll stay in touch with the Organiser and bring your passion to tasks. Activities can range from staffing a stall to giving a talk at an employee event. It could also mean writing to a local newspaper or lobbying an MP.
Messaging can differ every month. Part of our mission statement is to ensure people can remain vegan, so you might focus on getting more vegan options available in local businesses. Or within our Live Vegan for Less campaign, you may share cheap vegan recipes to help people with the cost of living.
When acting as an Advocate, you will use The Vegan Society’s branding and messaging guidelines. Your local Organiser will guide you in doing this, as they hold physical resources and handbooks. You can report any issues and feedback you have to your Organiser. You can also contact staff if your Organiser isn't available or you have any problems.
What training and support is available?
You will be provided with a big welcome and full induction from your local Organiser. They will introduce you to the group and any actions that are ongoing. Any training and development will be provided via your Organiser, and you can also ask for specific training on any areas that you need some development in.
What skills would be useful in doing this role?
- The ability to stay motivated in order to achieve the best possible outcomes
- Good email etiquette, responding in a timely manner
- Committed to veganism and the mission of The Vegan Society
- Ability to stay calm if confronted with differing opinions or challenges
- A good communicator, with the ability to be persuasive
- Confident in communicating with people from a range of backgrounds
- Experience of campaigning
- Any experience in talking with members of the public through customer/public service would be helpful
- Awareness of current affairs, especially those that relate to veganism
- Regular availability and a willingness to stay committed to actions
- Good team player
How much time do I need to invest?
For Advocates, we ask for people to engage in a minimum of four to six actions per year. An example of an action could be writing to an MP or holding a stall. But the more you can do, the better! On occasion, there may also be online meetings to plan for actions or provide training.
Who can I contact to find out more?
Enquiries are welcome! You can contact Katy Malkin (Volunteering Coordinator) on [email protected]
How do I apply?
Interested? Simply fill in our Community Advocate application form. This should take a few minutes.
What if I'm unavailable for one month?
The great thing about the Advocate role is it's really flexible. We completely understand if you go on holiday or get busy. If you know you will be unavailable for large parts of the year, we would advise against applying for the Organiser role.
I don't have social media. Can I still do this?
Yes! You'll have a choice of tasks each month so you can avoid activities involving social media. If you're an Organiser, you could ask your Advocates to do any social media posting instead.
Can my local friends be Advocates for me if I'm an Organiser?
Of course! For insurance and safeguarding purposes, we require them to fill out the Advocate application form. This should be done before they represent The Vegan Society and takes a few minutes.
What happens if I apply to be an Advocate, but there is no Organiser in my area?
Tasks will come directly from the Volunteering Coordinator while we actively recruit for an Organiser in your area. Every month, tasks will be emailed to you that you can take part in remotely. These can range from posting on social media to emailing a local business. You can do any of those tasks, to suit you.
What can I do if I struggle to attend a stall?
Don't worry! Let your Organiser know so they're aware. They can usually send you alternative tasks, such as letter writing or posting on social media.
If you experience any difficulties submitting your form, please email [email protected] with a screenshot and details of the issue. We aim to get back to you within 10 working days.
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