MPs and celebrities celebrate Veganuary with us in Parliament

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vegetarianism and Veganism (VegAPPG) event – organised by V for Life and The Vegan Society – was hosted by vegan MP, Christina Rees. Christina was joined by vegan actors Peter Egan, Paul Higgins, and head of campaigns for Veganuary, Rich Hardy.

The event on Wednesday was to celebrate Veganuary, with more than 225,000 people signing up this year, the most that have ever taken part.

It was also to look forward to the year ahead for the VegAPPG.

Around 50 Parliamentarians attended the event at Westminster. Previous topics for discussion through the VegAPPG have included food and medicine labelling, vegetarianism and veganism as protected beliefs, the impact of diet on climate change, and institutional catering provisions for vegans and vegetarians.

It was also a day to celebrate care homes that are providing tasty and nutritious meals for older vegetarians and vegans. There are currently over 1,200 care homes on the VfL UK List – a directory of organisations that have pledged to cater well and ethically for older vegetarians and vegans.

MP Christina Rees praised those going the extra mile and is going to visit her local care home, Plas Bryn Rhosyn in Neath, to celebrate Veganuary.

Speaking at the event, she said: “I’m very proud that in my constituency of Neath in South Wales we have a care home that provides vegan options.

“So last year we went along to Plas Bryn Rhosyn and sampled the superb meals that they had on for lunch. What I found most encouraging was that the vegan residents embraced it with open arms, but the residents who weren’t vegetarian or vegan tried it and they preferred it. So I think it was a win all around.

“I’m going back this year to celebrate Veganuary with them. They are doing really well.

“But I think it’s something that we need to promote more so managers and local authorities who run care homes, and even private companies that run care homes, realise that it’s not difficult and really easy to provide vegan food and it’s not the sort of difficult, stigmatised affair that it used to be.”

Amanda Woodvine, Chief Executive of V for Life said: “The event is not only a great way of celebrating the hard work and successes that we have had with UK care homes, but also a way to plan for even more progress to be made in 2019”.

Click here to download a free copy of V for Life's Vegan Rescue Pack. Or, if you are part of a care home that would like to offer vegan-friendly options, visit our website, or contact us.