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Thread: Are you a member of the vegan society?

  1. #1
    twinkle toes's Avatar
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    Default Are you a member of the vegan society?

    i have recently rejoined the wonderful world of unemployment and am considering whether or not to join the vegan society because of all the potential discounts i could get when shopping or if i wanted to go out for a meal somewhere. i know it's not really the best reason to join, but i am feeling the pinch a bit. anyway i was wondering how many vf users are members and what are the benefits of becoming one? i'm not sure i want to part with fourteen quid until i have a bit of feedback from other people first x

  2. #2
    told me to Mr Flibble's Avatar
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    Default Re: are you a member of the vegan society?

    no, never have been.
    "Mr Flibble - forum corruptor of innocents!!" - Hemlock

  3. #3
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: are you a member of the vegan society?

    Sorry to hear about the unemployment.

    I am a member but I don't think I've ever tried to use the membership to get a discount. There's some kind of discount card in The Vegan magazine (which you get as a member) that you can use without being a member but I don't know how much use it is - I can see if I've got a copy lying around if you haven't got one.

    I suspect there may be more discounts available with Vegetarian Society membership (because it's bigger) so if you want to be really hardnosed about it (and don't have an ideological objection to joining the Vegetarian Society) you could ask both of them for details of the discounts available to members and then decide if either is worth joining from a commercial point of view.

  4. #4
    leedsveg
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    Default Re: are you a member of the vegan society?

    Member of both, a throwback to when I was secretary of Leeds Vegetarian and Vegan Society before I was overthrown in a bloodless coup some years ago. I cannot remember ever using the Vegan Soc card for discount but I often use the Vegetarian Society card and in fact got over £3 discount (10%) today at Holland & Barrett.

    lv

  5. #5

    Default Re: are you a member of the vegan society?

    I'm a life member of the vegan society and I get 10% off at my local health food store/cafe so it's pretty good value in that respect but there aren't too many places that give VS discounts. You can find out who does discounts in the magazine though. With regard to the discount card IIRC it's only valid up until the next issue of the magazine.

  6. #6
    cedartree cedarblue's Avatar
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    Default Re: are you a member of the vegan society?

    was a member of the vegan soc - not any more though.

    i just buy the mag off the shelf if i want to read a mag with lots of pictures, minimal text, same old recipes and plenty of spacing out of articles

  7. #7
    cobweb
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    Default Re: are you a member of the vegan society?

    ^ he-he
    i do feel that the magazine has gone down hill recently, i don't bother with my membership anymore and i've noticed my son is no longer interested either.

  8. #8
    twinkle toes's Avatar
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    Default Re: are you a member of the vegan society?

    ohh thanks everyone and thanks harpy for the offer that was very nice of you
    i'm not sure if i will bother joining either the vegan or vegetarian society, although 10% off everything in holland and barrett from the vegetarian society sounds pretty good..

    but you know what, now i am intrigued as to why you were overthrown leedsveg, i mean it sounds pretty intriguing to me. was it some kind of power struggle or was there some kind of scandal involved? i need entertaining!!

  9. #9
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: are you a member of the vegan society?

    Unfortunately I've only managed to find the Winter 2009 edition so far and the card in that has expired but I'll send you the next one when it comes if you're interested to try it.

    I haven't tried claiming the veg society discount in H&B within living memory but perhaps I should. At one time it seemed to involve going on a particular day of the week and then waiting while they painfully inscribed the transaction in a large ledger with a quill pen (perhaps I'm mis-remembering the last bit, but not the painful writing).

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    Default Re: are you a member of the vegan society?

    I used to be a member of the vegan society but I let my membership lapse (it ran out last month), but I do plan to renew at some point.

    I can't say I ever used the discount. Unless there is somewhere you shop loads that does give discount; its really not worth it to join for the 'perks' of membership.

    They didn't ever send me the magazine either (so I'd have to go out and buy it anyway) and its not that great...

    They keep doing non vegan things in there like: using data from Cancer Research and doing an article about a lady who kept her own chickens to eat their eggs... Also the cartoon they do is really really bad!!! Its nice to read something in print about veganism though.

    It is worth joining them to be connected to veganism. Although I don't always agree with where the VS is heading; they have always made the effort to get back to me over stuff and they are useful for info and advice...

    They are an organisation whose purpose is to promote and support a vegan lifestyle, there are worse people you can give your money to!

  11. #11
    leedsveg
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    Default Re: are you a member of the vegan society?

    Quote twinkle toes View Post
    but you know what, now i am intrigued as to why you were overthrown leedsveg, i mean it sounds pretty intriguing to me. was it some kind of power struggle or was there some kind of scandal involved? i need entertaining!!
    Ha! Ha! I was joking. Natalie who took over from me could not have been nicer. She has worked really hard over the years promoting veganism and she's been a lot more outgoing and dynamic than I could ever be. She's also a very good cook and I think that Leeds Veggie Vegan Society were lucky to have her in charge. Sophie is now replacing her and although I've not actually met her, people who have, say she's another good 'un.

    lv

  12. #12
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    Default Re: are you a member of the vegan society?

    When I joined, I just thought 'I am a dietary vegan' meant that I was a vegan, and 'I am not a dietary vegan' meant that I wasn't a vegan at all; as I didn't think 'dietary vegan' existed. I chose, 'I am a dietary vegan', So does that mean I told them I was not a vegan at all? :S
    They should really clear that up, as it's very confusing.
    Last edited by megrainbows; Jun 13th, 2010 at 06:57 PM. Reason: forgot something :P
    "Life is life – whether in a cat, or dog or man. The idea of difference is a human conception for man’s own advantage."

  13. #13
    patientia
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    Default Re: are you a member of the vegan society?

    Every vegan is a dietary vegan just like every vegan is a vegetarian.

  14. #14

    Default Re: are you a member of the vegan society?

    I decided not to join after receiving a very hard sell from one of the Vegan Society board about their vitamin tablets. The almost-vegans in the audience ended up terrified. In my opinion, there was a lot of misinformation being espoused.

  15. #15
    Keane
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    Default Re: are you a member of the vegan society?

    Quote cedarblue View Post
    was a member of the vegan soc - not any more though.

    i just buy the mag off the shelf if i want to read a mag with lots of pictures, minimal text, same old recipes and plenty of spacing out of articles
    Ditto. It serves a purpose I think primarily to provide information, mostly to those who have made a recent transition from being (ovo/lacto) vegetarian, but I don't know why anyone would feel the need to retain membership for more than a few years.

  16. #16
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    Default Re: Are you a member of the vegan society?

    I have been a member of the Vegan Society for about twelve years or so. I do think the magazine is a little thin on content these days and that there could be more promotion done in the media but I still keep my membership up as they are at least trying to promote veganism in schools and to publish literature. There was also a Dr Frey Ellis memorial fund which was used to fund medical research though (correct me if I'm wrong) this appears to have been wound down. I haven't used a discount though there is a list available of places that offer it. I just always seem to forget about it. If you want to donate to a good educational cause and receive a quarterly magazine then by all means join. I wouldn't recommend it just for the discounts though. With regard to the Vegetarian Society, it would stick in my throat to give money to an organisation which promotes the consumption of dairy products and eggs, whatever other good work they do. That's just my point of view and you may feel differently.
    “You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.

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    Default Re: Are you a member of the vegan society?

    I'm a member, not for what I get but for what I can contribute to the vegan cause. For me contributing through a subscription makes sense because I have very little free time to do stuff individually but I can fund some good work. However, if you're short on money and have some free time, it would probably be even more valuable to volunteer your time for a worthy cause.

  18. #18
    leedsveg
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    Default Re: Are you a member of the vegan society?

    Quote lastx View Post
    With regard to the Vegetarian Society, it would stick in my throat to give money to an organisation which promotes the consumption of dairy products and eggs, whatever other good work they do. That's just my point of view and you may feel differently.
    As previously mentioned, I'm a member of both societies. To be fair to the Vegetarian Society, their magazine often has articles giving full info about the dairy industry, the egg industry and so on. It's a sad fact of life that many people will go veggie but for whatever reason, no further. Even people who do move on to veganism are often grateful that for them, there was the 'halfway house' of vegetarianism, the move from omni to vegan in one step being too much.

    leedsveg

  19. #19
    Keane
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    Default Re: Are you a member of the vegan society?

    I also used to be a member of the Vegetarian Society, in fact of the two I heard of that first via a local group. Having said that, when I made the transition from omnivorous to lacto-vegetarian back in 1986, I wasn't aware that there was a 'vegetarian society' and I had never heard of the word vegan. My reason for joining the Vegetarian Society, as with my later decision to join the Vegan Society, was to obtain information. A few years membership of each was enough to find out all I wanted to.

  20. #20
    Ex-admin Korn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are you a member of the vegan society?

    Quote starlight View Post
    I'm a member, not for what I get but for what I can contribute to the vegan cause. For me contributing through a subscription makes sense because I have very little free time to do stuff individually but I can fund some good work.
    That makes sense.
    I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.

  21. #21
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    Default Re: Are you a member of the vegan society?

    this is a very interesting thread twinkle toes

    As for me when I went vegan I thought about joining, but I'm not really the type of person who joins things, I prefer not to be a member of anything, not really sure why..........I didnt even know that you could get a discount, and I do like to get the vegan mag once in a blue moon.........but I just dont really associate them with me that much, so I would say save your money!! You dont need to be a member of anything to be vegan after all.....

    Anyways I bet you have resolved this issue by now, and I hope you have found a great job!!

  22. #22
    polkadot duck Lisey_duck's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are you a member of the vegan society?

    I was a member for a couple of years, but let it lapse because I was a) skint and b) needing a bit of space from some personal issues connected to the organisation. I'm thinking of joining again now though.
    I kissed a duck - and I liked it

  23. #23
    leedsveg
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    Default Re: Are you a member of the vegan society?

    Quote BlueGreenEyes View Post
    As for me when I went vegan I thought about joining, but I'm not really the type of person who joins things, I prefer not to be a member of anything, not really sure why..........I didnt even know that you could get a discount, and I do like to get the vegan mag once in a blue moon.........but I just dont really associate them with me that much, so I would say save your money!! You dont need to be a member of anything to be vegan after all.....
    The only problem is that if we all save our money and don't take out, or renew, membership of the Vegan Society, then there is no more Vegan Society. And no more Vegan Society means that a person wanting an occasional Vegan Magazine, won't be able to get it.

    Leedsveg

  24. #24
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are you a member of the vegan society?

    I feel the Vegan Society is worth supporting even if you don't agree with every aspect of it, or derive much personal benefit from it. The two things that they do that I particularly like are providing information and encouragement to new vegans and trying to make veganism more visible to the media. It would be nice if they did more of both but I imagine the main constraint is funds.

    Having said that, when money is tight I can see that membership of things would be an obvious area to economise in!

  25. #25
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    Default Re: Are you a member of the vegan society?

    Fair enough leedsveg, I can see what you are saying, it just doesnt change the way I feel about it. I really dont like organisations in any form and that includes the vegan society, I am sure does great work and if I ever get over my dislike of organisations it will be the first one I join.

  26. #26
    leedsveg
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    Default Re: Are you a member of the vegan society?

    ^^

    Hopefully the Vegan Society will still be around if you ever feel like joining.

    As with Starlight and Harpy, I like the way the VS provides info and support, especially for new vegans.

    lv

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    polkadot duck Lisey_duck's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are you a member of the vegan society?

    Anyone else tried to join online and had issues with the security certificate their bank uses?
    I kissed a duck - and I liked it

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    Default Re: are you a member of the vegan society?

    Quote harpy View Post
    Unfortunately I've only managed to find the Winter 2009 edition so far and the card in that has expired but I'll send you the next one when it comes if you're interested to try it.

    I haven't tried claiming the veg society discount in H&B within living memory but perhaps I should. At one time it seemed to involve going on a particular day of the week and then waiting while they painfully inscribed the transaction in a large ledger with a quill pen (perhaps I'm mis-remembering the last bit, but not the painful writing).
    Ha! I think you are probably referring to the time when you had to hand over your card for inspection BEFORE they started processing your items - presentation of your card at the end would result in long and loud sighs, ringing of the bell for the manager, more sighs from the staff member and the queue of shoppers now lining up behind you, and cancelling of the whole transaction before they processed them all again. And then they had to write it all down in a separate book! I don't remember the quill pen, perhaps you're a couple of years older than me...

    Hopefully its different now - I haven't had a discount card for years.

  29. #29

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    Default Re: Are you a member of the vegan society?

    Quote leedsveg View Post
    As previously mentioned, I'm a member of both societies. To be fair to the Vegetarian Society, their magazine often has articles giving full info about the dairy industry, the egg industry and so on. It's a sad fact of life that many people will go veggie but for whatever reason, no further. Even people who do move on to veganism are often grateful that for them, there was the 'halfway house' of vegetarianism, the move from omni to vegan in one step being too much.

    leedsveg
    I picked up a couple of copies of the Vegetarian Society magazine at the West Mids vegan festival last month - and was surprised at how many articles were slanted towards veganism. I don't remember this slant when I was a member, which was admittedly a few years ago - do you think they are gradually leaning towards veganism?

    I'm not a member of the Vegan Society (to get back to the point of this thread) but I am a member of Viva. Viva appear to me to be more active in the vegan education and activation field, so I chose them over the Vegan Society.

  30. #30
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are you a member of the vegan society?

    do you think they are gradually leaning towards veganism?
    I think a lot of the active members of the Vegetarian Society are vegan - some of them are also active in the Vegan Society, and I believe a lot of the local groups also represent both groups. Others such as leedsveg can tell you more about that.

    I still haven't tried my Vegetarian Society card in the local H&B but if I do I'll let you know what sort of pen they use, or maybe they've fallen back to stone tablets now

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