UK: Vegans donate £6,000 to farming mental health charity

From fwi.co.uk 

A vegan farming group has donated £6,000 to a farming mental health charity, following a year-long campaign of fundraising at events and endurance runs.

The funds were presented to The DPJ Foundation, a charity that supports the mental health of those working in agriculture, at the recent Royal Welsh Show.

Vegans Support the Farmers aims to build bridges between vegans and farmers by supporting farmer-led initiatives and promoting a more fair and sustainable food system.

The group raised the money through donations at 20 vegan events across the UK, including VegFest London, the Scottish Vegan Festival, Vegan Campout, and the Welsh Vegan Festival.

Sarah Foy from Vegans Support the Farmers said: “The events were hard work and the running was exhausting, but knowing that every pound raised would go to supporting our hard-working farmers kept us motivated.

“We are devastated by the state of mental health within the farming community and are desperate for meaningful improvements to happen.”

She added: “It gives us so much pleasure to hand over this money and contribute to the vital services they provide.”

                                                                                             © Vegans Support the Farmers

Half marathons 

Vegans Support the Farmers also secured online sponsorship as three members – Kerri, Sarah, and Tom – ran four half-marathons across the UK in 2024.

These were the Great Welsh Half Marathon, the Edinburgh Half Marathon, the Newcastle Way Half Marathon, and the North Yorkshire Half Marathon.

The DPJ Foundation was launched in 2016 in memory of Daniel Picton-Jones, an agricultural contractor who died by suicide after experiencing undiagnosed mental health issues.

His widow, Emma Picton-Jones, set up the charity to provide mental health support and raise awareness within the farming community.

According to a recent survey, 95% of farmers under 40 believe poor mental health is the biggest hidden problem in farming.

The DPJ Foundation offers a range of services, including therapy, 24/7 helplines and resources for suicide bereavement.

https://www.fwi.co.uk/farm-life/health-and-wellbeing/vegans-donate-6000-to-farming-mental-health-charity

This UK Vegan Organization Is Helping Feed Vulnerable People: And It Needs Your Help

From plantbasednews.org

From delivering hundreds of meals to people on the fringes of desperation last year, Made in Hackney says it will 'keep cooking' for as long as its community needs it... 

A London-based vegan organization is searching for support so that it can continue helping people in need by providing them with hearty plant-based meals. Made in Hackney is a community kitchen that advocates supporting those who need it with nutritious food: and now it needs your help.

Since launching its Community Meal Support Service over the pandemic, the charity is looking to raise £150,000 in just six weeks to continue its vital work.

Last year, it delivered 500 meals a day by bike – providing a lifeline to many in the borough of Hackney.

Many people who use the vegan meal service suffer mental or physical health problems 

Credit: Made in Hackney

Vegan organization helps the vulnerable

With the 2020 lockdowns in the past, Made in Hackney is still facing several major challenges. This is why it decided to launch a crowdfunding page, which went live this week.

Community meal service head chef Sareta Puri explains: “The service may have started as a response to the COVID19 pandemic. But as long as our community needs support, we’re going to keep cooking.”

Among those the organization supports are people with long-term physical or mental health issues.

Made in Hackney

They’re also people living in temporary accommodation without their own kitchen facilities, as well as people who have been made suddenly unemployed.

In a statement sent to PBN, founder Sarah Bentley said: “Our community are amazingly resilient, talented and resourceful.

“But sometimes too many challenges happen at once and without support, you’d go hungry. That’s the reality.”

You can donate to the crowdfunding page here

https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/food/vegan-organization-feed-vulnerable/

Thatcham UK teenager walking 1,000 miles for vegan charity Viva!

From newburytoday.co.uk

AN Ashmore Green teenager is going the distance to help shed light on animal welfare.

Henry Read-Denness set himself the goal of walking 1,000 miles in six months for Viva! a vegan campaigning charity, specialising in undercover investigations and high-profile animal campaigns.

The 14-year-old started his challenge in February and has covered more than 370 miles so far, walking five to 10 miles every day.

He said: "I'm aiming to keep it at six months, but at the rate I'm going now I should complete it in five months."

Henry, who attends Trinity School in Newbury, went from vegetarian to vegan a year and a half ago.

Henry said that he chose Viva! as he was "quite passionate about the animals and I don't like the way that they are treated in the UK at the moment."

Henry Read-Denness walking 1000 miles for charity walking with Bear age 7months.

Picture by Phil Cannings

He added that the charity had helped his commitment by showing the impact of veganism on health, environment and animals.

Henry is also fasting between 9am and 5pm once a week "to demonstrate the long period of time animals goes without food and water when taken to the slaughterhouse."

He said that the fasting had not impacted his walking challenge.

"It's not too hard," he said. "The fasting for food is fine but it's the drink because I usually drink quite a lot."

Henry has raised £160 of his £300 target and donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/henry-read1

Henry's mother Sarah Wytrykowski said: "His dedication and determination is unbelievable. Most children don't walk 10 miles in a week, Henry is walking over that every day.

"He's already walked his way through two pairs of shoes, one pair of trainers and one pair of school shoes. It's very difficult trying to get shoes for a vegan but Doc Martens do them.

"He's one of the eco-warriors, we should all be saving the planet and being generally kind to animals. He started being a vegetarian and decided to go full vegan.

"I just think it's amazing, his determination to do it every single day. He walks to and from school and then he does a few extra. It's kind of in his nature, he's a very determined person."

https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/teenager-on-fundraising-walk-for-vegan-charity-9197017/

5 Vegan Charities To Donate To This Christmas

From plantbasednews.org

You can donate to a variety of vegan charities this Christmas as a gift to a loved one. Here's how

Not every gift you give this year has to come in glossy wrapping or from a large corporation.

One in ten charities in the UK alone faced bankruptcy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a report in The Guardian found, and funding fell short for charities across the rest of the world as well.

Now is a better time than ever to show your support, or gift that support to a loved one.

Switch4Good

Spawn from anger over a ‘misleading’ dairy advert, a group of Olympians formed Switch4Good to campaign about the problems with the dairy industry. They also promote the health benefits of ditching dairy for good.

Support them here – any funds sent before December 31 will be matched by Mioyko’s Creamery.

Vegan Outreach

The worldwide non-profit Vegan Outreach delivers their ’10 weeks to vegan’ booklets to aid people as they move to a vegan diet – on the premise of ending animal suffering for all.

Vegan Outreach also joined up with the Black Lives Matter movement in Los Angeles to deliver food to those who need it.

To donate, visit this fundraising page.

Farm Sanctuary

You could go one step further this Christmas and adopt a turkey from the Farm Sanctuary, a rescue centre based in the U.S. which provides a new home for ‘survivors’ of the animal agriculture industry.

You can also donate here.

Food For Life

Paul McCartney-endorsed Food For Life is the world’s largest vegan food relief charity, committed to providing plant-based meals to the ‘disadvantaged’, including victims of disaster.

To donate, visit the website where there is the option of signing up to monthly donations.

Viva!

The ‘U.K.’s leading campaigning vegan charity’, Viva! conducts vital investigations into farming. Activists working for the charity uncovered ‘appalling’ conditions on turkey farms which were certified by Red Tractor.

You can donate here to ensure Viva! can keep up this vital work.

https://plantbasednews.org/culture/5-vegan-charities-to-donate-to-this-christmas/

Charity Sends 2,000 Vegan Meals To Those Displaced By Beirut Explosion

From plantbasednews.org

According to reports, the blast killed 200, injured 5,000, and made as many as 300,000 'temporarily homeless'

Million Dollar Vegan has helped provide 2,000 plant-based meals to those displaced and injured from the Beirut explosion. 

The charity has partnered with Lebanese Vegans and animal-rights activist Seb Alex – and aims to distribute food to up to 5,000 families in Lebanon. 

200 killed

On August 4, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of the city of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, exploded. 

According to the BBC, the blast killed 200, injured 5,000, and made as many as 300,000 ‘temporarily homeless’.

‘Struggling families’

“I would not be able to carry out this campaign if it wasn’t for the amazing community of activists in Lebanon, the people behind the scenes. You all know who you are and I’m so happy you exist,” Alex wrote on Instagram.

“Together, we have distributed more than a thousand ready meals and during the next days over 800kg of boxes full of rice, lentils, pasta, tomato sauce, bulgur, vermicelli, beans, chickpeas, juice, and water will be given out to struggling families.”

“Thank you to everyone who has supported this ongoing relief effort,” Million Dollar Vegan added. 

https://plantbasednews.org/culture/ethics/charity-sends-vegan-meals-to-displaced-families-in-beiruit/