What a year it’s been. This time last year, we were oblivious to all the changes that were on their way – lockdowns, tiers, vaccines, the lot. But it turned out to be a truly significant time for all of us here at Vegan Food & Living, for the magazine itself, and we’re sure for you as well.

A year ago, we needed your help – and you continued to prove yourself to be the loyal, kind, and dedicated audience we love. This time, we want to pay that help forward. We want to help charities which are themselves being such a huge help to our communities.

That’s why we are aiming to raise a whopping £1000, split across three charities – Vegans Against World Hunger, Vegan Food Bank North East, and Made in Hackney. And we’d love for you to help us give something back after a life-changing year.

Of course we know that not everyone is in a position to donate – and that’s totally fine. But if you have enjoyed Vegan Food & Living this past year, if our recipes and our community have helped you even just a little bit, then we hope you’ll help us in giving back. Please consider sharing the love, and giving what you can.

Made In Hackney's Community Meal Service

Vegan community cookery school and charity Made In Hackney launched its community meal service in March 2020, two weeks before the first national lockdown. At the peak of lockdown they were delivering 500 meals a day across Hackney to residents – pensioners, families, people with health conditions – who were shielding or who had been economically impacted. To date they have provided over 65,000 meals and are currently supporting 200 people with six nutritious, culturally varied vegan meals a week delivered to their door by a friendly team of cycle couriers. The service is more than food, but a vital source of connection, conversation and support at this difficult time.

In this third lockdown and beyond, the need for this service is greater than ever, so Made In Hackney is now fundraising to be able to continue this service for at least the next year and incorporate training for local young people at the meal service. They also provide free and paid for online cookery classes, and a one-to-one telephone health and wellbeing support service for community members who are not online. To find out more visit www.madeinhackney.org

Vegans Against World Hunger

Vegans Against World Hunger helps to alleviate human hunger without hurting animals. They run Bath Vegan Food Bank and support other vegan hunger relief projects both in the UK and worldwide. For details of the projects they support, visit www.vegansagainstworldhunger.org/projects/

Vegans Against World Hunger and Bath Vegan Food Bank are run entirely by volunteers.

Bath Vegan Food Bank

Vegans Against World Hunger set up Bath Vegan Food Bank in May 2020, in response to the unprecedented rise in the use of food banks due to COVID-19. They provide those that need help with vegan food and other essential items such as toiletries and household products. Everything Bath Vegan Food Bank provides is vegan, but they support everyone we can, vegan or not.

Vegan Foodbank North East

Vegan Foodbank NE is a community-led organisation collecting donations and making up vegan food bank parcels for those in times of need. No questions asked.