The Student Union has been running an initiative this month, ‘Plant Made March’, to encourage students to explore a more plant-based lifestyle. This is incentivised by various discounts around the SU on plant-based foods and drinks.
To coincide with this, I spoke with Vegetarian and Vegan Society president Jesselyn Whiteside for this issue’s Society Spotlight.
How would you describe the society in a sentence?
Veg soc is a place where like-minded people come together to eat food, make friends and have fun.
Can non-vegetarians/vegans join?
Yeah, definitely non-vegans. We welcome all vegetarians and vegans. We want to be an inclusive space for everyone who just wants to incorporate vegetarian and vegan food into their diet or learn more about it.
How long have you been involved in the Society?
I first joined the society in November 2022 after coming to a social on my own, and I instantly made connections with people I’m still friends with now. It was such a good group of people and a great way to socialise and enjoy things I already loved to do, so I went to most events for the rest of the year and was then encouraged to go for President this year. It’s been an amazing experience so far, largely due to having such great committee members and getting to meet new people joining the society.
What are the main events to expect from the society?
Lots of socials that revolve around food. We do a lot of events where we offer free food to our members, whether that’s something we’ve cooked, like our recent vegan brunch or picnics. There’s also our infamous pizza pres, where we order a bunch of vegan and veggie pizzas and then go out afterwards.
We have a partnership with Nam Song, too, so our members can enjoy a 15% discount and special deals on coffee, and we’ve just had an end-of-term meal there, too.
How often are they held?
We try to do events every 1-2 weeks, and they’re always publicised on our Instagram.
Any particular favourites?
I loved going to Bar One Karaoke, it was such a laugh, and so was the ABBA night we went to at Leadmill together. Our Christmas meal at Temple of Fun was a really special night with everyone, and it was so good to support one of the few remaining independent vegan restaurants here. Our Halloween party was a hit, too – who doesn’t love blue punch and eating nachos?
What plans do you have for the rest of the year?
We’ve actually been meaning to do Laser Quest, so hopefully, we can fit that in! Although we love to socialise, we also want to lean into the campaigning side after Easter – hosting discussions or debates, activism workshops, or talks. We’re also hoping to host a charity event or two, and in summer, we’ll be doing at least one walk (and pub trip) in the peaks.