About us

Nau mai, haere mai. As one of the most active vegan groups in New Zealand, Vegan Christchurch reflects the excellent work undertaken by a group of dedicated members of the Christchurch Vegan Society – Te Rōpū Whēkana o Ōtautahi who run the organisation and this website.

While the organisation is run almost entirely on a voluntary basis, we provide valuable information on the importance and ease of a plant-based diet and the benefits of being vegan. Alongside this, we organise regular events, social hangouts, talks, meetings and displays as part of our educational programme, and we include many fun and social networking activities that vegans, vegetarians and those considering becoming vegan in Christchurch can enjoy.

Background

The Christchurch Vegan Society – Te Rōpū Whēkana o Ōtautahi has been advocating veganism since 2002. Historically, Christchurch has always nurtured a welcoming and supportive environment for vegans and vegetarians in New Zealand. As a nation with deeply-rooted pastimes of cruel and exploitative animal-farming practices that resounded the ‘meat and three veg’ culinary mantra, it has been commonplace for vegans and vegetarians to feel isolated, challenged and ridiculed. Today, thanks to progressive campaigning about the devastating effects of meat and dairy production by groups like us, this compassionate and ethical way of living has seen dramatic advancements forward. Consumer eating habits better reflect sustainability and less cruel farming practices. Eateries, caterers, airlines, hotels and supermarkets now offer ample vegan choices. Doctors and other health professionals are more positive of a plant-based diet and of course, New Zealanders are far more accepting to this ethical, sustainable and compassionate way of living than ever before.

Who are we

Every organisation tends to rely heavily on a few super amazing organisers and a handful of dedicated volunteers. The CVS is no exception. We have a fabulous team made up of a committee, one part-time staff member and a large body of volunteers. At a national level, we are the local representative of the Vegan Society of Aotearoa/New Zealand but are an independent organisation and our own legal entity.

What we do

The Christchurch Vegan Society – Te Rōpū Whēkana o Ōtautahi is made up of everyday kiwis who are just passionate about helping animals and the environment by helping to build a strong and healthy vegan community. We help people go vegan and stay vegan.

As part of our commitment to unite the community, we facilitate and support many relevant local community groups. This includes special interest groups that particularly support those who feel in even smaller minorities such as raw vegans, vegan gays and lesbians, and parents/families with vegans at home.

Our outreach programme offers a wide variety of social and fundraising events, stalls and large-scale festivals such as the Vegan Night Mākete, Vegan Expo, Vegan Film Festivals and Vegan Camps. We have also hosted movie and quiz nights, book reading session, potlucks and even a vegan fitness group.

We encourage you to get involved and be part of our community. There is always something happening so check out our What’s On page for the next event. We welcome everyone and anyone with an open mind to adopting a more compassionate lifestyle.