Animal Aid : 30 years of campaigning for cruelty-free living

Penny Goater

I first contacted Animal Aid in 1979 (at that time it was being run by Jean Pink from an ‘office’ in her kitchen!). I had no inkling of the impact this contact would have on my life and on those close to me. I formed a local Animal Aid group and we held regular fundraising events. Our jumble sales became quite famous in rural Somerset because of clothes donated from a contact in London – the queues outside would often be like a Harrods sale! Leafleting, collections, veggie ‘taste-ins’, debates and demos – Animal Aid’s work was groundbreaking with its hands-on approach and it was wonderful to be part of it all.

I am disabled and I remember pro-vivisectionists shouting ‘you should be grateful for experiments on animals’ at demos. I got my own back during street collections, when some people gave more generously because they thought I was collecting for ‘the handicapped’.

Those were exciting days. We were very naïve but full of optimism. I spoke to other local groups and increasingly to schools and colleges. The response from children and young people was exceptional and I volunteered to help Animal Aid develop a national youth group. I ran it from my home with help from family and friends. Membership increased steadily and we formed Youth for Animal Rights, which was also linked to Compassion in World Farming. By 1985 it had become too much for me (only the bathroom wasn’t utilised for storage space!), so Animal Aid took over and the Youth Group is now an established and thriving part of the organisation. Thank you, Animal Aid, and many congratulations on your 30th anniversary!

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