The Vegan Society donates over 9,500 pots of VEG 1to those struggling during pandemic

The Vegan Society has so far donated over 40 boxes of VEG 1, around 9,720 individual pots, to charities, food banks and others struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic.

VEG 1 is a supplement, created and sold by The Vegan Society. It is a plastic-free, nutritional tablet, which provides an affordable, reliable source of vitamin B12, iodine, vitamin D and selenium.

Late last year, the Society made the decision to create the VEG 1 Donation Project and assign 10% of its VEG 1 stock, around 140 boxes, to worthy organisations who could support those suffering from financial hardship, whilst living on a vegan diet.

Several donations were made to foodbanks, including Mutual Aid Vegan Food Bank and Food for Scotland in Glasgow, while religious organisations, such as Sikh Relief, who work in Europe, North America and India to create change for Sikhs, many of whom follow a vegan diet, also accepted several pots.

The biggest donation went to The Real Junk Food Project (TRJF) which took 4,860 pots of VEG 1. TRJF are the UK’s largest environmental charity, they work on redistributing surplus food from right across the food industry. Serving meals at schools, third sector organisations and individuals, alongside catering at events.

Donations were also made to university student societies, including the University of Oxford, as well as Vegetarian for Life – a charity that works with older vegetarians and vegans to improve the standard of vegan and vegetarian catering in UK care homes.

The Donation Project also made some international donations, including one to a TOFLA (Tree of Life for Animals) an animal hospital and rescue, based in Northern India. Their workers, who are predominantly vegan, were struggling in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kaya Gromocki, Volunteering and Engagement Officer at The Vegan Society, said: “We know that a lot of people have struggled to make ends meet over the course of the pandemic, and no one has done a better job of supporting those people than foodbanks and charities. Run by teams of dedicated volunteers, who coordinate, sort, and distribute donations, they have been an invaluable source of support for many people who otherwise may have had nowhere else to turn during a difficult 18 months. We still have several boxes left and want to hear from any organisation who would benefit from our help.”

Sue, a volunteer at Forest Row Community Fridge, a community initiative in Forest Row, East Sussex, added: “We can’t thank the Vegan Society enough for their donation of VEG 1 supplements which were gratefully received by our foodbank clients. We feel these supplements were an amazing addition to our food boxes as it isn’t always possible to supply our vegetarian and vegan clients with all the things they need for a healthy lifestyle. Thank you again from all at the community fridge and all of our clients whose lives have been made better by this addition.”

The Vegan Society plan for this project to continue to operate in the coming years and operate as a rolling service. Our Sales and Merchandising Team aim to expand the reach of the project next year, and work with an even broader network of organisations to enable us to donate more supplements to vegans in need.

Head to our website to read more about VEG 1 and to place an order.