All of the following links open in a new window:

Vegetarian and Vegan organisations:

Read the Vegan Society's factual introductory leaflet, Why Vegan?  (Requires Adobe Acrobat reader - free download).

The Vegan Society and the Vegetarian Society provide a wide range of information and services. Examples include factual and nutritional information, helping businesses to understand and cater for vegetarians and vegans and providing educational materials for schools.

Viva! - NOTE: this site does contain some shocking images. Viva is a vegetarian and vegan organisation that is highly pro-active in campaigning to raise awareness of the implications of eating meat. With celebrity support, they also offer practical advice to help in changing to a vegetarian or vegan diet. Members can claim discounts at many local, national, mail-order and online retailers.

Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation - a registered charity, the VVF explores and articulates the conclusions of scientific research into links between diet and health. They provide fact sheets, guides and produce an easy to read magazine.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) - the animal rights organisation's UK site.  Again, CARE regarding potentially distressing content.

Vegan and ethical shopping:

Ethical Superstore - buy fair trade products from leading ethical brands including Cafédirect, Divine (chocolate!), Green & Blacks (chocolate!) and Booja Booja (delicious chocolate!) and Traidcraft.

Veganstore - buy over 800 products that have been produced without causing harm to animals. Ranges include leather alternatives & other clothing, groceries, body care & cosmetics, cruelty-free footwear and sweets - the latter including vegan marshmallows and four different flavours of Booja Booja's truly delicious chocolate truffles (top tip: Hazelnut Crunch Rocher).

Redwood Wholefoods - a multi-award winning manufacturer of vegan foods including sausages, sliced chicken, ham & turkey, mince, chicken pieces, organic nuggets, schnitzels, turkey & beef roasts, tuna, fish steaks, regular & melting cheeses and dairy-free fudge. You'll find their products in health food shops like Holland & Barrett or you can buy direct from their online shop (Viva members save 10%), with free delivery on orders over £100 (which is ideal if you have a big freezer, as all of their products are suitable for freezing).

Vegetarian Shoes - a treat for your feet if you don't eat meat!

Other resources:

MilkSucks - quick, clear facts on why dairy-free milk is the best option.

NotMilk - more thought-provoking information on the merits of a dairy-free diet.

Compassion in World Farming - their video may shock, yet it begins by simply showing what happens every day to baby chicks. Watching it may help you make a life-changing decision for the benefit of animals.