Veggies

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also known as 'Veggies Catering Campaign', Veggies of Nottingham is a campaigning group based in Nottingham, England, promoting ethical alternatives to mainstream fast food. It does this by hosting events such as the annual East Midlands Vegan Festival [1], publishing books and leaflets, and maintaining an extensive website, including an online directory of groups with similar aims. As a non-profit worker co-operative it also provides affordable, wholesome, minimally-packaged vegan catering at a wide range of events, using fair trade, organic and/or locally sourced ingredients[2].

Contents

[edit] Background

Veggies was set up in 1984 by seven animal rights activists who were frustrated at the lack of vegetarian fast food available at the time [3]. They began by selling veggiesburgers to the public from a mobile stall, later also providing locally baked pasties and cakes, and other foods and drinks. The co-op has since gone on to provide both snacks and full cooked meals for many thousands of people at peace movement marches, animal rights demonstrations, festivals, protest camps and reclaim the streets events [4].

From 1985, Veggies ("probably the best vegan catering outfit on the planet") [5] [6] were based at (and later took on the co-ordinating of) the Rainbow Resource Centre in Nottingham City Centre [7]. In 2001 this relocated in to the Forest Fields area of the city and was renamed the Sumac Centre, part of the emerging UK Social Centre Network.

[edit] Projects

There have been many other campaigns and projects set up or supported by past and present Veggies members and volunteers, including Samosas for Social Change [8] (supporting, amongst others, the charity Vegfam and Food Not Bombs' Hurricane Katrina appeal), the Vegan Business Connection [9], the all-vegan bakery, Screaming Carrot, and vegan catering projects in other towns.

Veggies has been reported to have a "vast and extensive internet capability" [10], used for networking on issues affecting human rights, animal rights, environmental protection, anti-militarism and social justice. Veggies is dedicated to furthering the aims of the campaigning community, with links to organisations such as Amnesty International, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth [11], although they increasingly campaign on a more grassroots level, rather than relying on the resources of (inter)national organisations. From 1987 to 1996, and through to the present day, Veggies has been closely associated with the McLibel Campaign [12] [13], continuing to help with the co-ordination of days of action and the distribution of campaign resources.

The publications of the Movement for Compassionate Living, promoting simple living, are printed and distributed by Veggies, who also act as local contacts for Animal Aid, the Vegan Society, the Vegetarian Society and Viva!.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1] Tash Photography Report, December 10, 2005
  2. ^ [2] Food Initiatives Group Newsletter Summer 2004
  3. ^ Nottingham Trader, December 12, 1984
  4. ^ [3] www.myantiwar.org October 17, 2005
  5. ^ [4] Direct Action Against Apathy website February, 2004
  6. ^ [5] Vegan Society 2006 Vegan Society Awards (Best Vegan Catering)
  7. ^ [6] Direct Action Against Apathy website February, 2004
  8. ^ [7] Food Not Bombs Hurricane Appeal, UK Indymedia September 13, 2005
  9. ^ [8] The Vegan Concept by Arthur Ling (Plamil Foods), Vegan Views 100 (Spring 2004)
  10. ^ Article by Kevin Toolis in The Guardian Society section
  11. ^ [9] Vegetarian invasion. Management Today, March 1, 1999
  12. ^ [10] McLibel Two's city back-up. McSpotlight quoting the Nottingham Evening Post, UK, May 23, 1996
  13. ^ [11] Steel and Morris vs The United Kingdom. The European Court of Human Rights, February 15, 2005
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../v/e/g/Veggies.html"