Dairy Awareness Event in Birmingham

[karmafunk]

I am organising a dairy awareness event in Birmingham city centre and have the use of a large space at the Priory Square Shopping centre.

I am looking for volunteers and ideas to make this a feel good informative day.

The basic idea is to have a couple of people in cows costumes, a stand with leaflets and a range of dairy alternative products for people to sample.

Any ideas for this event are very welcome and appreciated.

PM me if you want to get involved. Thanks in advance.

[veganese]

Could you please tell me WHEN is this event gonna be? This saturday? (06th March) I'd consider volunteer

[karmafunk]

Hi Veganese,

I only know one other Vegan in Birmingham so it is great to meet you.

It hasn't got a date yet as it is still in the planning stages. I just need volunteers now and then I can set a date to work towards.

Where abouts in Birmingham are you?

I have a meeting next week with the buildings manager who is going to show me the area allocated for us inthe shopping centre. You are welcome to come along if you want to get involved.

[whalespace]

Best to check out if the stall will clash with something... or if you can support another event happening around the same time or place. I'll be interested in giving a couple of hours, if it fits with other stuff.

[karmafunk]

Thanks Whalespace. I'll keep an on the dates.

[Sunkist]

I would like to help out if I can ,

[karmafunk]

Excellent, thank you Sunkist.

The meeting with the buildings manager went well yesterday. May is looking like the month it will be due to other things going on in April.

He said that if it goes well we can make it a regular thing.

The space is amazing and very busy. If anyone knows the Priory Shopping centre, it's the one where the market used to be outside Oasis and Argos. They have got rid of the market, cleaned the brickwork, painted it, and are putting in benches and some greenery.

If anyone has any good ideas for the day then that would be great.

Current ideas if we can:

• Something to attract the kids who in turn drag the parents over. Cow costumes would be a good start but I am also thinking that having some games or challenge might work.
• Dairy alternative products for people to try
• Collect email addresses for additional info
• Forms to join various good causes
• Leaflets which are coming from Viva!
• Music ( they have a music license )
• Dancing farm yard animals if we get enough volunteers

We want to make this a fun day for everyone so get your thinking caps on.

We could easily make this a proper event by organising to have other stalls there so if you have any ideas surrounding that then let me know and I will check that it's OK. For instance, we could have a stall selling Vegan produce.

I will finalise the date very soon.

[karmafunk]

OK, it can be the 1st or the 8th May.

If it is the 1st we share the space with a load of skate boarders doing a skate board day.

I have had the OK for 2 more stalls so if anyone knows anyone who would like to sell any vegan related produce on the day them please let me know.

I am going to call the One Earth Shop now to see if they are interested.

[karmafunk]

The one earth shop weren't interested because they are too busy.

I have decided on 1st May.

I have secured 10 vegan sample packs containing cosmetic products that we can give away for free to people genuinely interested in becoming Vegan.

I met a guy at the crufts demo week before last who is going to try to come along too and can hopefully secure some more free products to give away.

Just left a message for http://www.chocolatewendyhouse.co.uk who I hope will want a stall.

[Buddha Belly]

Hi, bute island foods do freebies of their cheese if asked as do plamil for their chochlate. It's best to contact by e-mail state what you are doing and ask if they can supply you with promotional info leaflets too. We give them out on stalls a year after we last used them. Try cauldron as well as they may give you £1 off vouchers to give to people. Animal aid have a cow costume, may as ask to borrow windy the cow. Also make very small cupcakes, it is easy to get 1'' cases and it would cost about £5 to make a hundred, probably more.

[karmafunk]

Great ideas Buddhabelly.

Any volunteers for making the cup cakes?

ChocolateWendyhouse is going to have a stall.

I was thinking of having a raffle or maybe even a vegan Q&A competition. Is there a law on this in a public place?

[TracerBullet]

I will be happy to help.

[karmafunk]

Fantastic. So far we have TracerBullet, Sunkist, possible veganese and possibly whalespace.

If you know anyone else who might be able to come along and lend a hand then let me know.

We have a music license so if anyone has some form of music player we can use then let me know.

[Zero]

I could possibly help out depending upon dates - Are you only focusing on Dairy? Or will other issues be covered along side? I don't like to do totally single issue campaigning is why I ask.

Have you contacted The Vegan Society about this at all since they are in Birmingham? They have lots of really good leaflets.

[karmafunk]

Hi Zero,

The date is 1st May. I want to concentrate on dairy because the general public know very little about it. If we covered other issues then the impact of the dairy message may be lost. In my experience people are intrigued because they had absolutley no idea that there was anything wrong with dairy.

I am getting some leafets from Viva and also the vegan society.

Hope you can make it.

I am about to make some calls about cows outfits so if anyone wants to wear one then let me know. If not it might just be me.

[Zero]

Most people don't think there is anything wrong with meat either, but fair enough I see what you are trying to accomplish and don't want to start a debate in the middle of this thread.

I can't make that date unfortunately, my band and I are in the studio recording all weekend. But hope all goes well.

[karmafunk]

If this is successful then we will do more days like this and can cover more issues. They haven't been forgotten.

[whalespace]

Have you seen this thread karmafunk?

http://www.veganforum.com/forums/sho...139#post642139

Suits me that they are on the same day.

[karmafunk]

Thanks Whalespace.

[karmafunk]

OK, so we have a date, another stall holder, free produce, a possible cow outfit, leaflets, etc etc.

What I don't have yet though is any volunteers. I could be doing this alone. Can you let me know if you can help out on the day?

[TracerBullet]

Put me down for helping out on the day, my gf would be happy to come along also.

If you want I can send you my phone number and stuff via PM.

[karmafunk]

Fantastic. I've had a few people say they are coming but nothing has been definite yet. Really Happy you can come along.

Yeah PM me.

[Buddha Belly]

I've had a look at travel and it would be 3 hours for us to get there then the same back. Sorry, can't come.

[whalespace]

I'll be in Brum for this, also the vegan munch at cafe soya... and "nostalgia and comics"'s 'free comic book' day [with drawing competition].

[Sunkist]

OK, so we have a date, another stall holder, free produce, a possible cow outfit, leaflets, etc etc.
What I don't have yet though is any volunteers. I could be doing this alone. Can you let me know if you can help out on the day?

I would like to help out,- do you have the food and other stalls organized?- i've asked some people to contact you about it,- What about Midlands vegans Campaigns, or Veggies , can't they help you with the food?

[whalespace]

Two weeks until May day.
Who is dong what?
What can I do?

[karmafunk]

Hi,

Sorry for lack of updates.

It's all good..got the cow costume, vegan samples, and people coming to help.

The more people the better. We are expecting a lot of people in the area due to the skate ramp. We need people to talk to people about dairy or to take turns wearing the cow costume. Will be a bit much for one person.

We are hoping to make some mini pizzas with vegan cheese. This means we need our own fire precautions which means a fire extinguisher. Does anyone have a spare one we could borrow for the day? The powder type.

We are looking at starting from about 10am till about 4pm.

If anyone is travelling from far and needs somewhere to stay then you are welcome to stay at my place, just bring a sleeping bag.

[whalespace]

I've got a little powder fire extinguisher [baking powder].

I'm happy to help setting up before wandering off to the cafe soya munch bunch... then I can come back for a while.

Karmafunk, are you implying that the cow costume is a two person affair?

[karmafunk]

Karmafunk, are you implying that the cow costume is a two person affair?

Haha, no... it's just going to be too much for one person all day.

Thanks but just got a fire extinguisher sorted.

[Sunkist]

Did you get any music sorted as i met this really cool veg Mc rapper, but she lived in Cambridge and would need to have travel fayres paid for? Have you got anything planned?

[karmafunk]

Apparently there is going to be music as part of the skate thing so that's covered.

[Sunkist]

Apparently there is going to be music as part of the skate thing so that's covered.

Thats good,




:smile:

[karmafunk]

Latest update.

All ready for tomorrow. It looks like rain but we have cover if we need it.

We have a smoothie stall. :smile:

See you tomorrow.

[alisont]

Will see everyone later, got blueberry and some choc chip muffins to bring for the samples stall.

Will arrive between 11-12 got to head for lunch 1pm can pop back after.

Hope it all goes well - sunny at the mo but gather it wont last?

[alisont]

Was great to see everyone today - stall looked good and the weather held out. Seemed a steady flow of people and the skate ramp looked good too. The cow was very popular too!

Well done to all concerned - seemed a very positive event

Il add my photos tomorrow.....

[Sunkist]

Yeh, it was good to see you Alison , Whalespace and thanks to Steve for organizing it. I feel the event went well, -there was a steady flow of people throughout the day and I spoke to dozens of people about veganism and going dairy -free
Thanks to all those that contributed and made food for the day,- it would be good to organize more events like this in the future,
(I have some pictures on facebook if anybody wants to see ,but I may post some on here)

[alisont]

Yes was a good day. Can't add photos yet main computer been taken over by a virus again

[whalespace]

I was impressed.
I have been involved in a 'carbon reduction' group locally. That group is currently implementing energy audits on local properties. I will therefore be rededicating the hours per week I had put aside for that group, to potential events similar to last Saturday's.

The "Midlands Vegan Campaigns" group is based in Redditch, which is more train carriage time than I need [though they might help out if they learn of future events].

[karmafunk]

I am so pleased that everyone enjoyed it. We got through to a few people too which is good.

Thank you to everyone who contirubuted. It was your effort and dedication that made this work.

I got the go ahead today for the next event which should be on the 22nd.

I should be moving to London that weekend but I have handed the reigns over to DB (can't mention real names on here apparently) who will be taking things forward.

[alisont]

Sounds good and last one worked well

Im afraid I wont be able to get to one on the 22nd as helping with a stall for the dog rescue in the day and out at another event from early evening but hope it goes well.

Hope the move goes well!