Why Go Vegan – The Creation

The concept for Why Go Vegan came about at the end of October 2024, in part stimulated by the Vegan Party Conference in September 24 which saw a noticeable movement shift away from promoting veganism towards a more system change focused approach, which are essentially shifts to plant-based food systems. Although this is of great importance and relevance, so too is the traditional approach to veganism and animal rights, and both have their place in the modern-day movement. And by mid-November the idea had formulated into the creation of a new vegan outreach Community Interest Company focusing on traditional veganism as handed down to us by the original UK vegan social movement pioneers, the animal rights position and the many benefits of plant based lifestyles, creating new and exciting free vegan educational resources, in particular a new 30-day challenge looking at the many reasons as to why people go vegan and stay vegan.

Before the end of the year the challenge had been mapped out and the initial stages of creating a new CIC had been activated. And for research purposes I signed up to multiple existing vegan challenges to get a first-hand view of what they were all about, and importantly what they covered and what they left out. Veganism and plant based lifestyles are big topics and most of our current resources tend to focus on the transition aspect to a plant-based diet, with an emphasis primarily on food – for good reason no doubt, as this is the first big area of change for many people thinking about going vegan.

And they were all excellent in their own way, these vegan challenges, and all full of useful information and inspiration in how to go vegan. But also, understandably less about the many reasons as to why people go vegan, and more about advice on how to go vegan. On January 7th 2025 Why Go Vegan officially came into existence with 2 main remits – to help provide a really good educational asset (the 30 day challenge) as to why people should think about going vegan, and to help encourage interest and engagement with local vegan communities, initiatives, events, campaigns and gatherings, and by February the creation of the website and the 30 day challenge was fully underway.

March 2025 saw our first appearance in public as we announced ourselves to the world, began our first fundraisers, and by April we were up and running with a stall and a presentation at the Bristol Vegan Fayre, with our first interviews taking place with Karin interviewing Peter Egan, Wendy Turner Webster and Victoria Featherstone Pearce, with a number of further interviews taking place during May and into June. The website and the presentations – all 30 of them – have taken a lot of work but really interesting and thoroughly illuminating at times, and the interview process likewise – a real pleasure listening to our guests expand a bit on why they went vegan and what it means to them today.

And to be truthful, I can’t wait to unveil the 30-day challenge starting July 1st! If you want to sign up, please do, no matter where you are with your vegan journey – whether that’s yet to begin, or whether that’s been a part of your path most of your life, there will be something of interest in the challenge and am looking forward to feedback – the creation and content have been hard work but its been emotional. And worth it I do hope. Our movement has much to gain from the original vegan pioneers!

My thanks to all those whose work has come before, and especially for any references contained for further reading and watching.

Tim Barford, Founder – Why Go Vegan May 2025