Since Veganuary launched its first pledge ten years ago, millions of people coming from almost every country in the world have officially taken part. Veganuary now has campaign hubs in Germany, USA, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, India, Spain and the UK. It has become a ‘global phenomenon’.
The Veganuary Workplace Challenge is a 31-day pledge that encourages your workforce to try vegan for the month of January. Three universities including Keele, Exeter and Birmingham have signed up to the Veganuary Workplace Challenge.
Prof Richard Smith – deputy pro vice chancellor, faculty of health and life sciences at the University of Exeter, said: “The University of Exeter is committed to building a greener, healthier and fairer future. Encouraging our 37,000 staff and students to participate in Veganuary and eat a more plant-based diet is a great step towards achieving our vision and net zero goals.
“Our catering teams provide many delicious, nutritious and affordable vegan options across our Devon and Cornwall campuses, and over 60% of meals sold are now vegetarian or vegan. The Veganuary Workplace Challenge is a fantastic opportunity to promote plant-based diets in a fun and inclusive way.
“In addition to offering more vegan options, free tasters, special offers, and prizes for the largest teams who take part, we’re running several events to showcase the exciting research we’re doing on plant-based diets, to feed people’s minds and bodies.”
Royal Devon University Healthcare Trust, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, Croydon Health Service NHS Trust, NHS North Devon District Hospital, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, South Molton Medical Centre and Sterling Pharma Solutions have also joined the Veganuary Workplace Challenge.
Rosie Martin, NHS employee health & wellness dietitian at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, added: “Our planned events include a cooking session and a local veg stall, but our most exciting project is providing 1,300 free vegan meals for NHS staff throughout the month.
“Veganuary is a wonderful opportunity for our staff to give plant-based nutrition a go, not only to improve their health but also to reduce our impact on the planet. The Veganuary campaign is the perfect event to help meet our staff wellbeing and RDUH Trust Green Plan targets.’’