To celebrate its 40th anniversary, UK-based organisation Animal Aid is organising the first nationwide Vegan Festival of Britain. Supported by plant-powered poet Benjamin Zephaniah and many leading vegan companies, the three-week event will create a huge celebration of cruelty-free living.
Animal Aid was formed in 1977 by primary school teacher Jean Pink. After reading Peter Singer’s book Animal Liberation, she felt sufficiently outraged to do something about it. With a small group of colleagues, she travelled up to London every Wednesday to give out hand-duplicated leaflets at underground stations. The campaign struck a chord with commuters and the organisation grew and spread at a rapid rate. It was effectively the beginning of a modern animal liberation movement in the UK.