VfL’s History

• Born out of VHA (Vegetarian Housing Association)which operated sheltered housing with lunch for older vegetarians & vegans

• Model no longer viable• Residents re-housed and homes closed• Funds available to help older vegetarians and vegans

• VHA recognised need for advocacy services for older vegetarians & decided to set up new charity.

• VfL registered as Company & Charity - Summer 2007

• May 08 - launched VfL in National Vegetarian Week• Patron - Rose Elliot MBE• Also launched website www.vegetarianforlife.co.uk which includes:

– publications– recipe service– VfL UK List– news

Progress (Cont)

• Published Catering for older vegetarians and vegans – a 32 page guide

• Aimed at care homes, retirement schemes etc

• Includes recipes, menu planners and practical advice and distributed to14,000 care homes across UK

Progress (Cont)

• Abbeyfield Lymington list member

• Established VfL-UK List - of care homes and other caterers...

• ... who follow the VfL Code of Good Practice

• Membership reached 100 after launch• Now 670 plus members – across

England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland

Progress (Cont)

• Dec 08 - produced Christmas recipe leaflet• May 09 – commissioned telephone survey of 1,000 care

homes, 1 in 4 has a vegetarian resident

• Aug 09 – launched The Vegan Fund & The Vegetarian Fund which award grants to assist independent living

• Sept 09 - published and widely distributedVegetarian Living, a healthy-living handbook for vegetarians & vegans, or those who care for them

• Easter 2010 produced new Easter recipe leaflet for all UK List members

More work• December 2010 new Burns and

Valentines Recipe Leaflet • May 2011 launch of new Nutrition leaflet• April 2012 publication of Better for All

leaflet• Autumn 2009 developed one day

subsidised caterer training courses for care homes. A number of which have been held throughout the UK

Training DVD

• We have produced this short training DVD in conjunction with the Vegetarian Society UK – free copies are available to all our UK List members so if you are not a member why not join today?