Awareness And Appreciation Of The Vegan Society Soars Despite Covid-19 Pandemic

Last year has proved some of the most challenging for charities around the world. While some have struggled financially others have been forced to make redundancies. Yet in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, new data shows the prominence of and trust for The Vegan Society has hit an all-time high. 

The survey, aimed at those who describe themselves as vegan or vegetarian, was conducted by Attest on behalf of The Vegan Society. 

It found that in the twelve months from March 2020, respondents who said they were already very aware of the organisation and its work increased by 15%, from 27% to 42%, while those who were reasonably or very aware jumped from 59% to 72%. 

When asked whether they felt the charity was relevant, 88% said they agreed, while 86% think it is trustworthy and 84% consider it to be modern. Interestingly, the number of people who said they ‘strongly agree’ to each statement increased by at least 5% from the same time last year. This was most notable for “charitable”, with strong agreement rising from 26% to 38% and general agreement landing 77% - less than 3% said they disagreed.

While several society employees were placed on furlough during the first national lockdown, things returned to normal by November, with the charity even taking on additional permanent staff members and a handful of new remote volunteers. 

Despite government restrictions, cancelled events and exhibitions, the society still achieved a number of successes in 2020 including hosting the first ever digital International Vegan Rights Conference, registering 15,206 products with the Vegan Trademark and launching the Future Normal campaign. For the second year running it was also an official partner of Veganuary.

And while there was an initial drop when the first lockdown was announced, there was also an increase in supporter numbers, ending the year with 71,197 supporters and 8,373 members - a record high. The data shows 80% of vegans sampled showed an interest in joining as members.

Francine Jordan, spokesperson at The Vegan Society said: “After an incredibly challenging year, it’s fantastic to see that The Vegan Society is still very much on everyone’s radar. It’s also encouraging to see that more and more people, some whom may not have even been aware of the society this time last year, consider it the go-to organisation when it comes to veganism and rely on it for inspiration or support.”

The society also experienced positive results in the Vegan Trademark awareness survey. As in 2020, the Vegan Trademark was the most recognised and most trusted vegan certification logo in the UK - compared to seven other competitors. This was also true for every respondent, whether they described themselves as vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian etc. 

You can find out more about the Vegan Society, the Vegan Trademark and joining as a member by visiting The Vegan Society.