Media Release

6th June 2006

?Overwhelming success? for Viva!?s Incredible Veggie Roadshow in York

An unprecedented number of people flocked to York?s Guildhall, St Helen?s Square, for Viva! ?s Incredible Veggie Roadshow last Saturday 3 June. Over 2,242 people were counted through the door by the time the event closed at 4.30pm. The thirteenth show in the tour exceeded all expectations, with the York Roadshow attracting more visitors than any of the previous ones ? even those in Brighton, Manchester and Edinburgh. Everything you could ever have wanted to know about going, being or staying veggie/vegan was on tap, including delicious food tastings from vegan food manufacturers.

Viva! ?s roadshows were a huge success last year when they visited 12 cities. Average attendance was 1,400 and post-show questionnaires were thick with praise. The year culminated in Europe?s largest-ever veggie event at Wembley Conference Centre ? The Incredible Veggie Show ? which had an incredible 5,000 visitors. A third of those attending the shows were meat eaters looking for help in cutting down their intake.

Viva! is an international animal campaigning group with offices in the UK, USA and Poland and carries out undercover investigations to expose animal abuse. Successes include ending the sale of ?exotic? meats such as kangaroo and crocodile by all big supermarkets, stopping the debeaking of ducks in the UK, slashing the export of Polish ?meat? horses to the EU and persuading a US supermarket chain to entirely rewrite its animal welfare codes. Viva! also offers help to people wanting to go vegetarian or vegan.

?Number thirteen wasn?t unlucky for us ? or the people of York! We are absolutely delighted that so many local people came along and I believe it indicates a fundamental change in people?s attitudes to animal cruelty, health and the state of the planet. It was a fun day out and a celebration of veggie living but the underlying message was deadly serious?, says Juliet Gellatley, Viva! ?s international director.

Colourful images from the day can be viewed at:

http://www.viva.org.uk/roadshows/post_york (Hi-res versions are downloadable from the page)

Due to an unprecedented demand, Viva! ?s new It?s Time to Go Veggie magazine ran out on the day. The colourful 40 page guide, which provides all the information anyone could ever want to help them change to a healthier diet, is available free of charge from Viva! for anyone who missed out. To obtain a free copy simply ring Viva! on 0117 944 1000, email info@viva.org.uk or write to Viva! at 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH. Web: http://www.viva.org.uk.

The Incredible Veggie Roadshow is organised by Viva!, and sponsored by the Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation, Beanie's Health Foods, Farmaround, Plamil Foods and The Redwood Wholefood Company.

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