A very active friendly and enthusiastic local group has existed for years in Swindon; Swindon Veggies and Animal Concern. Its run by the wonderful Marilyn who welcomes new folk with open arms.

She organises regular stalls with leafletting, demos, picnics, restaurant visits, school talks, library displays and email updates.

Contact her for more info; go to the Links page and look for Swindon Veggies and Animal Concern (under the Information and Support heading). An hour or two helping out on a stall would be greatly appreciated especially if you can give Marilyn at least a weeks notice so that she can plan a rota. Help is always needed- as little or as much as you can fit in to your schedule…

Recent successes include; £285.47 was collected for South West Swans Jan 2010 £30 sent to LACs in December 09 and £30 to SOS Orangutans. 113 signatures to keep the hunting ban plus £45.19 collected for LACs 76 signatures to stop trade in Orangutans. November 09 £350 collected for donkeys in the holy land. October 09 £151.25 for Campaign Whale with 203 signatures against porpoise and dolphin hunts. Stall at the Animal Bazaar raised £25 for VIVA and £25 for the Vegan Society. September 09 78 signatures gained agains pheasant shooting and 81 signatures in favour of protecting wildlife and £35.76 collected. June 09 £199.95 for Animal Aid with 52 signatures against shooting May 09 £130.45 raised for Uncaged with 66 signatures to boycott Herbal Essences April 09 stall raised £30.25 and 72 sigs against primate experiments. £30 was sent to safer meds campaign. Plus Marilyn persuaded Renezvous restaurant to stop selling shark fin soup. Stall in March 09 raising £28.54 and 93 sigs to petition on shark finning and 98 against bullfighting. £30 has been sent to PETA fo buy school talks educational materials and £25 to the Shark Trust. A stall has been booked for use at the Old Town Festival in Swindon for the Pewsey Hunt Monitors. Marilyn and Maggie spoke at Peatmoor Primary School 13 Feb 09 informing kids on the dangers to wildlife of rubbish- school was very impressed and will be getting them back to do it again. February 21 09 125 signatures collected on a ban greyhound racing petition, 60 cards sent calling for a ban on primate testing in europe, £60 sent to Greyhound Action, a collection for the Farm Animal Sanctuary that raised £201.50 on January 17 09, a fantastic vegan Xmas lunch at the Circle Restaurant in Avebury on December 14, collection for Donkeys in Israel and Palestine November 29 08 which raised £415.50, a stall (October 11 2008) for Campaign Whale with a collection that raised £127.70 to help end the cruel and unnecessary slaughter of whales. There were 140 signatures to a petition protesting the treatment of Dall's porpoise and 263 signatures to encourage Iceland to stop killing whales. Lynn organised a collection for the Oak and Furrows Wildlife Rescue Centre which raised a terrific £335.89

Kind donations have allowed the following contributions to be made; £50 has been donated to Vegfam, £50 to Viva and Europeans for Medical Progress and £50 to the Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation. In December 08 £40 to the Vegan Society and £40 to the Pewsey Vale Hunt Monitors.

On 13 September £36.65 was collected for VIVA and 84 signatures against the testing involved in production of Herbal Essence and 40 signed up to the veggie/vegan/ meat reducing Viva pledge.

The Forest Festival on 30 August 08 raised £91.31 from the game of lawn darts and the info stall attracted lots of attention.

On 14 June 08 £142.89 was raised for Animal Aid. 21 June 08 £50 raised at Animal Bazaar for Whale and Dolphin Conservation. Pewsey Hunt Sabs raised £150 at stall at Old Town Festival 28 June 08. £100 was raised at Wroughton Carnival on 5 July 08 for Hilllside Animal Sanctuary. Carol and Dave raised £52 at the Childrens Fete for the Farm Animal Sanctuary. £205.31 was raised for the Monkey Sanctuary by a stall on 26 July 08.

Uncaged stall on 24 May 08 raised £126.40 and 72 signatures against animal testing of cosmetics, 80 signatures against animal testing of food additives and 80 signatures for Proctor and Gamble boycott pledge. Anne Snelgrove local councillor took a pledge to eat vegetarian for a week. 103 signatures were collected for Dr Hadwen Trust on 26 April 08 to support the replace animal experiments in Europe petition and £165.77 raised.

A stall on March 1st 08 raised £28 for the Shark Trust. 154 signatures were collected for China Bear Rescue Petition and 102 signatures for Action for Sharks and Rays Petition. A stall on March 29th 08 gained 56 signatures for Grand National Petition and 68 signatures for Petition regarding Cat and Dog eating in China. £15 was raised for Animal Aid. On April 26th 2008 £165.77 was raised for the Dr. Hadwen Trust with 100 signatures collected.

£18.10 has been collected from a tin in Swindon Pulse for the Vegetarian Society and a further £16.30 in December 08 Well done everyone!

Go to events section for up coming stalls, talks and displays organised by Marilyn. Please come and help out, you'll have a terrific time.