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Badger ‘Cull’ Announced in Wales

Badgers will die to protect Assembly seats

The Welsh Assembly has taken a cynical decision to allow a pilot ‘cull’ of badgers to go ahead in Pembrokeshire later this year. Announced by Elin Jones (Wales’ Minister for Rural Affairs) on March 24, 2009, this decision will see Welsh wildlife decimated because of political cowardice. Killing badgers will not halt the spread of bovine TB, but it will pacify farmers who refuse to admit to their own failings.

Viva! supporters have been instrumental in fighting the badgers’ cause with 12,000 postcards sent to, and a rally attended by 300 people outside of, the Welsh Assembly, as well as our Day of Action throughout the UK last year.

Thanks to you we have been able to play a major part in keeping the plight of wildlife in Wales at the top of the political agenda. We must keep the pressure on. Please continue to show your support for the Welsh badgers!

Visit here to find out how you can voice your disgust to the Welsh Assembly (please do so even if you have already, as they count every one!). Read Viva!’s response to this sad day for British wildlife here.

Also, please order and distribute as many door-dropper leaflets as possible. We have them, we just need your help to spread the word and get this dreadful decision overturned. Organise your own demo – especially if you are in Wales! Email kate@viva.org.uk to order your free leaflets today!

Dedicated Sufferer of Fashion

Our brand new leaflet which highlights the reasons to boycott leather, fur, wool and silk has arrived! We hope to encourage more people to say no to animal cruelty by joining our boycott.

Please join us in promoting this campaign wherever possible. Educate your friends and families about the pain potentially hiding in their wardrobe. You can order a free pack of our new leaflets to distribute. Please also consider donating to Viva! so that we can print more materials and help save more animals.

Get involved with this campaign and help us prevent the cruelty animals suffer at the hands of the fashion industry. Visit www.thebigcoverup.org.uk for more details.

The Incredible Veggie Show

Saturday, April 18
Royal Horticultural Halls,
Lawrence Hall and Conference Centre,
London
4 entry, under 18s FREE

Our fantastic programme of talks and cookery demos for this year’s Incredible Veggie Show has been finalised! Cookery demos with Rose Elliot and Robert Whittington from Lancrigg Vegetarian Country House Hotel will be taking place and speakers include Heather Mills, Viva! Founder and Director Juliet Gellatley, Professor Jane Plant and Keith Mann, plus much more. You can find full details here.

Save 25 per cent on your ticket price by buying yours in advance! Click here to order.

And here’s a great offer from Show sponsor Cook Vegetarian! Magazine….

Cook Vegetarian! subscription offer @ The Incredible Veggie Show

The UK’s only monthly meat-free cookery magazine, Cook Vegetarian! is packed with easy, mouth-watering recipes and endless culinary inspiration. Trial Cook Vegetarian! for only £1 plus a free steamer worth £24 (offer is exclusive to The Incredible Veggie Show). Please visit: www.cookveg.co.uk for more information about the magazine.

Easter Has Landed….

For a limited time only, the Viva! shop is home to some delicious, Cheeky Chocolate Bunnies and gorgeous hand-painted Easter Eggs filled with Booja-Booja’s famous truffles. To avoid the last minute chocolate rush, grab our vegan & organic goodies* now and make this Easter an ethical one.

*We dare you not to sneak a pre-Easter bite from one of Montezuma’s heavenly Orange & Geranium Very Dark Chocolate Eggs!

Save the Asian Elephant!

Help avert a serious threat to the largest surviving Elephant population in India – the imminent severance of the Muthanga Elephant Corridor in Kerala. Massive building works and infrastructure threaten the migration routes and very survival of these gentle giants. Please raise your voice in opposition. To find out more click here or visit http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/e/appeal.htm.

Angling for Cruelty Cancer charity’s misguided fundraiser

Macmillan Cancer Support is to be congratulated for having a policy of not testing on animals. Therefore, it is ironic that they are raising money by angling through their Big Fish Initiative 2009.

Whilst often regarded as a gentle pursuit, angling is actually very cruel and destructive. Fish feel pain – they are hooked and dragged from their natural habitat where they suffocate on land. Discarded angling equipment is also a hazard for all types of wildlife, including ducks and swans.

Please send Macmillan a polite request to distance themselves further from animal cruelty by dumping the Big Fish Initiative. Complain here: http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Contact_Us/Make_a_complaint.aspx.

Voice Opposition to O2 Arena's Use of Animals

The O2 Arena in London is planning to feature a stage production of Ben Hur in September, using a hundred animals including horses, camels, donkeys, chickens, falcons and eagles. Inevitably this will involve distress to the animals.

The show is touring across Europe and performing for 1-3 nights at each venue, requiring the animals to be transported for long periods.

Please contact The 02, asking them not to allow the animal performances to take place:

Customer Services and Public Enquiries
The O2, Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0DX
Email: customerservices@theo2.co.uk
Telephone: 020 8463 2000

Also contact AEG, owners of The 02: Mr Paul Samuels, Executive Director AEG Europe, The Studio, The O2, London, SE10 0DX.

Plamil helps Australian Wildlife

Vegan company Plamil has come to the aid of Wildlife Victoria who, in the aftermath of the terrible bushfires that have hit Australia, have been rescuing and caring for thousands of sick and injured animals. Working with its Australian distributor, Plamil is donating a percentage of sales to the organisation which has already seen two of its rescue centres destroyed in the fires.

See www.wildlifevictoria.org.au for news of their rescue efforts and how you can get involved.

Recycle Your Old Phone and Raise Money For Viva!

Viva! has teamed up with Greener Solutions to help save the planet and raise money to help save lives! We have freepost envelopes ready to send all old mobiles, whether working or not, to Greener Solutions, who will recycle the phones and give Viva! £2 per phone!

Simply call us on 0117 944 1000 or email zephie@viva.org.uk or info@viva.org.uk for your free envelope!

Contact the Labour Party with Your Animal Concerns

Labour Party member and anti-blood sports campaigner Chris Gale has contacted us to ask that people contact him with concerns over the government’s animal policies. He says: “What I would be grateful for is as many people emailing me with your thoughts on the Labour party animal welfare policy as it stands now, how that makes you feel and so on. Please don't hold back. I want to present the Labour party with the truth of how people feel and show that this is the result of their policies, be it support for shooting, snaring, not enforcing the hunting ban and so on.” Email: chrisgale35@tiscali.co.uk

Staff Wanted for New Vegan Restaurant in Brighton

Do you live near or in the Brighton area? A new vegan restaurant requires hard working, reliable staff that can use their initiative, think on their feet and are used to working in the consumer industry. They are looking to employ within the next month on a full/part time basis Chefs, Manager and Assistant Manager. They are also looking to employ from July 1, 2009, Waiting staff on a full time basis. Please e-mail your CV to: ruth.matthews@bat1.com or sonyajmills@btinternet.com.

Raise Money For Viva! Online!

Through our new easyfundraising partnership, web users will now be able to raise money for Viva! with a click of their mouse! easyfundraising is an online shop including Amazon, Play, Argos, John Lewis, Toys R Us, HMV and over 600 others. Just use the links on the easyfundraising site whenever you shop online and, at no extra cost to you, we'll receive a free donation of up to 15 per cent from every purchase you make. It's completely FREE to register. It really is that simple!

If you shop online anyway then why not raise valuable extra funds for us by using this fantastic scheme? All you need to do is visit www.easyfundraising.org.uk/vivaorg and when you register, select Viva! (Vegetarians International Voice For Animals) as the organisation you wish to support.

Alternatively, use the the easysearch search engine and you'll raise funds for us with every search you make! It's completely free to use and if you make just 10 searches a day, you could raise £20 a year, or more, for us.

Check out our unique easysearch page at vivaorg.easysearch.org.uk and use it every time you search the web.

Get cooking with Raymond Blanc

Raymond Blanc isn't exactly the most popular chef with us - because he continues to sell foie-gras at his restaurants - however, here's a chance to show him (and the country) that veggies and vegans do it better!

BBC2 is making a third series of The Restaurant and are calling for budding chefs to get involved.

They want to hear from any couples who think they could run a restaurant. Married, friends, siblings, relatives, partners, colleagues – anyone over the age of 18 can apply. Experience of a restaurant or catering environment isn't necessary but whether you're a chef or a cleaner, a waiter or writer, they want to hear from people who are passionate about food and the dining experience. People can apply via www.bbc.co.uk/restaurant.

Lake District Chef Wanted!

Lancrigg Hotel, set in a stunning location in the Lake District, is looking for two new chefs! They should have a knowledge of vegetarian and vegan cuisine and also be interested in organic food. All the food served at Lancrigg is prepared in their kitchens, including all the breads and cakes, using 100 per cent certified organic ingredients. They also cater for various specialised health diets. The wage will be based upon knowledge and experience. Live in accommodation is available. This is a great opportunity for anyone who loves the outdoors and wants to further their knowledge of vegetarian cuisine. For more info see: www.lancrigg.co.uk or email info@lancrigg.co.uk or call 015394 35317.

Business Friends

Cuildorag House B&B
www.cuildoraghouse.com
Cuildorag House, in the beautiful West Highlands, is a comfortable and convenient base to explore in any direction! Vegetarian and vegan breakfasts are organic where possible and delicious, home-cooked evening meals can be booked in advance. From £25 per person.

Montezuma’s
www.montezumas.co.uk
Try Montezuma's Chocolates at one of their stores, online at www.montezumas.co.uk or in many independent retailers nationwide for their great range of Easter chocolate suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Veggieromance
www.veggieromance.com
Veggieromance.com is the UK's leading website for vegans and vegetarians wishing to meet like-minded singles. Join veggieromance.com to connect with people who share your lifestyle and outlook. Thousands of members nationwide. Network and connect with other vegetarian & vegan singles today.

Other Links and Events

  • April
  • North East Vegan Gathering
  • Friday, April 3 – April 10 Micklewood Park, Longhurst, Morpeth, Northumberland The perfect break for families and singles, the gathering aims to bring people together for a green, peaceful, fun week. For details and to book go to www.vegne.co.uk/vegan-gathering/.
  • The World on a Plate: Food, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and our Changing Climate With Tara Garnett of the Food Climate Research Network Thursday, April 23. 1-2pm Oak Suite, Rooms 1 and 2, University of Surrey The food we eat in the UK contributes around 19 per cent of our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At a global level, the overall contribution made by the food system is more significant still. This presentation looks at how and why these emissions arise, considering both the impacts of different life cycle stages (from agriculture through to cooking at home) and of different foods types. It highlights in particular the considerable contribution made by meat and dairy products and shows that this is an issue not just for the UK and other developed countries but, given current trends in demand, a growing problem on a global scale.
  • World Day for Laboratory Animals Saturday, April 25. Meet 12 noon. Hyde Park, Reformers Tree (nr Speakers Corner), London (tube: Marble Arch) This event promises to be a big event this year as people from all across the country join together to say no to vivisection. A peaceful march is being organised through the streets of London. For more information, please visit the continually updated website: http://www.wdail.org/.
    • For more upcoming events see our online diary here.

Your Viva!City

This email alert reaches thousands of people but we’d like your help to make it even better. At the moment we have just one list of addresses which means that we have to send the same email to everyone. From time to time we’d like to let people know about things happening in their area or get in contact with our younger supporters but we don’t want to fill everyone else’s mailboxes with information that isn’t relevant to them. What we’d like to do is compile email lists separated into different regions so that if we do have something we’d like to tell people in Scotland or Yorkshire about, we can send them the information without bothering anyone else.

The simplest way for us to identify which area you live in is to know your postcode and so we’d be grateful if you could take a minute to fill in our online questionnaire. We’d also really like to know your age if you’re under 18 – you can fill in your date of birth on the form. You won’t receive any postal mailings (unless you want them and fill in your other details) and the information will be used only to sort your email addresses. You don’t even have to give us your name if you don’t want to.

As ever, if you would like any more information about any of our campaigns, check out our website www.viva.org.uk or get in touch with us directly – contact details at the top of this email. Please don’t click “reply”, however – your email won’t be seen at that address.

Thanks again for all your support.

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