Veganuary | The Mill, Harrods, Papa John’s & more join Veganuary’s Workplace Challenge as 2022 gets underway

Veganuary – the global pledge to try vegan for 31 days – is thrilled to welcome a wealth of businesses that will be taking part in the Veganuary Workplace challenge as Veganuary 2022 gets underway!

In their own words, here are some of the reasons top British businesses are embracing vegan eating this January:

Cian O’Brien, Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles UK, who is personally taking part alongside the team, says:

“Our business is focussed on driving increased sustainability. As a responsible vehicle manufacturer, we are focused on driving electrification and play a leading role in shaping future mobility in a sustainable way. However,  sustainability is broader and the opportunity to make a personal contribution through changing our habits has to be explored. Hence, I am happy to try Veganuary and encourage colleagues to give it a go as sometimes small changes can make a real difference”

Michelle Kendrick, Executive Producer at The Mill – a global creative and production agency with offices around the world, says:

“The driving force behind me wanting to take on the Veganuary Workplace Challenge has to be the planet. Having seen environmental issues come to the forefront in recent years, it’s so important we do all that we can to help reduce our carbon footprint.

Here at The Mill this January, we will be swapping all meat and dairy products in our studio, as well as providing vegan catering at our events, so staff can explore the many delicious plant-based alternatives that are available on the market.

We will also be hosting a series of live virtual talks with various sustainably platforms for our global teams in London, New York, LA, Chicago, Berlin and Bangalore, so they can learn about the benefits of a plant-based or reduced dairy/meat diet both for the planet and for their overall health.”

Liz Williams, Papa John’s UK Managing Director, speaking on behalf of Papa John’s International which is encouraging staff in 45 countries to take part, says:

“2022 marks the first year of the Veganuary Workplace Challenge at Papa John’s, and another small step in our Plant Love mission. Through this global campaign, our aim is to plant love for the people, planet and communities we serve, and in doing so, demonstrate the benefits of plant-based food and how nature makes many pizza ingredients better. Milestones in our Plant Love pledge include the ongoing expansion of our plant-based and flexitarian offering, as well as plant-based and vegan industry award wins in the UK and Middle East. The call to sign-up to Veganuary’s 31-day challenge has been shared with colleagues in over 45 countries, many have  answered, and they will be supported through January and beyond with helpful tips and plant-based recipe inspiration.”

Other businesses taking on Veganuary’s Workplace Challenge this January include top professional services firms PwC and EY – both repeat participants; Suffolk County Council; Action for Children; M&S; London Southbank  University; Hastings Direct; Cauldron/Quorn; Higgidy, Aveda Global and the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt (RJAH) Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Toni Vernelli, Veganuary’s Head of Communications, says:

“It’s great to have so many businesses putting their values into action by taking part in Veganuary’s Workplace Challenge. It’s a fun way to unite their teams in a shared experience while demonstrating their commitment to reducing their impact on the planet and improving the health and wellbeing of their employees. With a recent YouGov survey showing that 34% of Brits are interested in trying a vegan/plant-based diet*, we’re sure their employees will appreciate this helping hand.”

More than 582,000 people from 209 countries and territories officially took part in Veganuary last year and the charity expects to reach a huge milestone this January with a total of two million sign-ups since the campaign began in 2014! With campaign hubs now in the UK, US, Germany, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and India, Veganuary is truly a global phenomenon.

You can find out more about Veganuary via their website. You can also get in contact with Michelle and our Creative Production team via our contact page.