News

The profits from every £1 ticket sold go directly to the Vegetarian Society, to fund a variety of programmes and initiatives that introduce vegetarian eating to a wider section of people, including those who might not have had the right information or the luxury of choice before.

We look at five ways your Veggie Lotto money helps build a kinder future.

Get stuck in. The Vegetarian Society Cookery School runs veggie cooking classes for everybody

Running cooking courses that empower

Cooking’s a useful practise - it’s therapeutic, confidence building and teaches life-skills. It can be used to practise a new language or put social skills to the test. The Vegetarian Society Cookery School works with a variety of groups to show them how easy and delicious veggie food is to cook and to help build up essential skills. Simply put, learning to cook can change lives. The cookery school works with groups with learning difficulties, mental and physical health issues, refugees, the homeless and asylum seekers and teaches them how to make dishes like cauliflower and chickpea curry, roasted vegetable plait and veggie sausage and apple casserole. Students from The Bradford Deaf Centre, recently attended one of these free classes, and liked one of their recipes so much, it’s going to be included on their Christmas menu.

Over 100 grants were given out last year by the Vegetarian Society to fund veggie get togethers

Funding events that bring people together

Each May the UK becomes awash with events for National Vegetarian Week (in 2018 it will be 14-20 May) that inspire people to go vegetarian. This year everyone from businesses to bloggers, and even the Hairy Bikers got involved creating vegetarian recipes, but next year you could get involved too.

The Vegetarian Society gives out grants each year to people and groups who want to put on an event that brings people together to enjoy some great vegetarian food.

This year grants, ranging from £50 to £2,000, helped bring over 100 ideas to life, including the Urban Community Chef in Belfast. It saw refugees from six countries create a veggie feast at a community centre that fed over 90 people and brought people together over inexpensive yet tasty meals from their homelands. Down on the south coast, Blueprint22, (a not-for-profit organisation that works with 16-25 year olds) baked 700 veggie cakes for elderly residents in care homes to enjoy. The organisation loved getting involved so much they’ve decided to go vegetarian as a result.

Accrediting vegetarian and vegan products

The Vegetarian Society has two Vegetarian Society Approved trademarks (a vegan one and a vegetarian one) that are used on products and on menus so you know what you’re eating adheres to their strict guidelines. If you’re not sure about a product, you can check if it’s licensed to carry a Vegetarian Society Approved trademark on their website.

If you’re at a food show this year then look out for the Vegetarian Society’s stand where they introduce newly accredited products. They’re at many shows including Just V in London, the go-to event for anyone looking to embrace a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. (In 2017, it takes place from 7-9 July and tickets are free).

There's plenty of info out there if you're thinking about becoming vegetarian or vegan

Offering advice and practical information

If you’re thinking of switching to a veggie diet or want more information on the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle then a great source of information is the Vegetarian Society’s handy guide to going vegetarian. It gives you everything you need to know in one place, from easy lunch recipes to understanding veggie nutrition. The Vegetarian Society creates numerous guides and information packs like these, and offers them either for free or at a hugely discounted cost, funded by its lottery ticket money.

Tuck in - the Vegetarian Society have lots of recipe ideas up their sleeves

Offering support when it’s needed most

Small acts of kindness mount up, and the Vegetarian Society acts as a support network for anyone who wants to take steps towards living a vegetarian lifestyle. It offers advice to parents who don’t know what to cook for their newly vegetarian child or teenager. It supports schools who want to promote meat-free dishes. It helps restaurants make sure their menus are labelled correctly. It’s even advised the Bank of England, after the furore last year over the use of tallow in the new five pound notes. And the Vegetarian Society can help you if you need it too.

Want to play the Veggie Lotto?

Buy Veggie Lotto tickets. There’s a weekly digital draw with seven guaranteed cash prizes each week, up to £25,000. All of the profits from every ticket sold goes towards funding the work of the Vegetarian Society.

After launching the Veggie Lotto earlier in May, we had a quick chat with our first big prize winner, Susan Sills, who won a lovely £353.70.

VS: Hello Susan, and congratulations! First thing’s first… How do you feel?

SS: Fantastic. I was really surprised to find out I’d won. I never win anything!

VS: Lovely stuff. So what made you decide to play the Veggie Lotto?

SS: It was a spontaneous decision, to be honest. There were many reasons that it made sense to me – an opportunity to help the Vegetarian Society, a chance to help me - the process was very convenient and all I had to do was press a button!

VS: Well, we’re delighted you decided to sign up too! So what are you planning to do with the winnings?

SS: The first thing will be to paint the garden fence! I’m going on a walking holiday with my girlfriends in a few weeks in Windermere, so this has paid for my hotel! I’m very happy.

VS: That sounds great… so what would you say to those who are considering signing up but haven’t yet purchased tickets?

SS: I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but you’ve got to be in it to win it! I never play the National Lottery or Euromillions myself as I think there’s never a chance of me winning with so many people buying tickets. Playing a lotto with fewer players such as Veggie Lotto definitely feels like you have more of a chance to win. It’s also supporting a cause that’s very close to my heart, and something I can benefit from both ways.

VS: That makes a lot of sense, Susan, thank you for saying so. Finally, is there anything else you’d like to add?

SS: I’d say that if you’re a member of the Vegetarian Society, I can’t believe you wouldn’t be playing! You could even end up winning!

If you’d like to be in with a chance of winning our top guaranteed prize like Susan, make sure you get your tickets for this week’s draw here.