VegfestUK Brighton Rocks with Mature Zone!

Amid the hustle and bustle of another incredibly successful event, VegfestUK Brighton’s first ever Mature Zone soon proved to be a popular destination.

The Mature Zone was tucked away next to the cinema. Though some map-reading skills were needed to find it, an increasing number of visitors over the weekend found the search to be well worth it.  Managed by the charity Vegetarian for Life, the Mature Zone offers a space for VegfestUK’s more mature visitors to enjoy a cuppa and listen to one of many fascinating talks. It was also an opportunity for many people to find out for the first time about how the charity works to improve the quality of life for older vegans and veggies. For many visitors this was a thought-provoking subject. As many admitted, it was the first time they had thought about how their vegan diet could be sustained if, in later life, other people were caring for them. Visitors were delighted that they could choose from such a wide range of talks, too. Quite literally there was something for everyone. Vegan-related topics included nutrition for older vegans, the issues faced by people converting to veganism in later life and how to effortlessly improve your diet. Two of the most popular talks were Optimum vegan health and nutrition for cats and dogs by Professor Andrew Knight and Dr Stephen Walsh who spoke about Good health without animal products for older adults. The talk by David Pye, a Vegetarian for Life Trustee, on ‘Where do we go when we die’ was listened to by a full house. There were also enthusiastic audiences for Cara Mair from Arka Funerals, Oscar Plumley from The Men in Sheds Movement, and Marion Alcock from Veganic Cohousing. Jiva Masheder brought Saturday to a close with a session on Mindfulness, which all of us were in need of by that time.

Another great VegfestUK and we can’t wait for VegfestUK London and VegfestUK Scotland. And yes we’re already looking forward to being back in Brighton next year with an even more inspiring Mature Zone!