We are proud to present our 2013-2014 Annual Review
We celebrated our 70th Anniversary during the 18 month period, which saw a time of great growth. You can read our 2013-2014 Annual Review here.
Our dual aims of helping people to go and stay vegan were achieved through the following ways:
Encouraging people to go vegan was achieved by...
Our substantially increased media coverage (which reached nearly eight million people worldwide) and by building upon the success of our 30 Day Vegan Pledge, which supported nearly eight thousand people in making the change to a vegan lifestyle. Our subsequent 15% growth in membership numbers proves that 2013-2014 was a fantastic year for vegan voices to not only be heard, but listened to. Each month, over a hundred thousand people visited the website and several hundred thousand people were engaged with our social media channels and e-newsletter as our digital communications improved significantly in 2014.
Meanwhile, our face-to-face communications likewise increased, as we engaged with tens of thousands of people at dozens of shows and events.
Encouraging people to stay vegan was achieved by...
Engaging with policy and decision makers at meetings, scientific conferences, food events, and in the business community, including:
o Encouraging the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to consider vegan labelling and other relevant vegan issues in their policy making
o Signing an agreement with the BDA Association of UK Dietitians and the Hospital Caterers Association to improve information about vegan diets and the provision of vegan hospital meals
o Engaging with parliamentary candidates before the European elections, as well as supporting our dozens of volunteers who wrote to their regional candidates, quizzing them on a range of vegan issues
o Working with several big companies to introduce vegan options to their staff or in their global restaurants.
Alongside this, the number of registered Vegan Trademark products increased to 18,000 worldwide, and the surge in applications led to an expansion in the Business Development team. We also supported dozens of vegans in vulnerable situations with their vegan needs in schools, hospitals, care homes, and prisons.
Much of this work was supported by volunteers, to whom we are very grateful. In addition to income from the Vegan Trademark registration scheme, membership fees and kind donations also contributed to funding our work.
