Mark Wakeling’s journey from hunter and soldier to vegan animal sanctuary owner is captivating.  The son of a man who ran livestock markets, where he worked as a boy, he used to hunt and fish and then became a soldier. After years in London as an actor and acting teacher, he returned to the country to find peace at Amberwood Sanctuary. 

👉🏽Founded in 2021, his sanctuary currently looks after 42 animals – 10 cows, 27 sheep and five pigs. The sanctuary is located at a former beef farm in the Oxfordshire countryside of England.  ✨Their mission is to provide a safe home for animals who otherwise face slaughter.   ✨This experience of turning a beef farm into a vegan sanctuary has inspired Mark’s vision of making it happen everywhere.   For more information, visit   About Our Show    Listen now by clicking the play icon below.  We’re also on , , , and .  Get the latest episode straight to your mobile device or computer. It’s automatic and completely free.    Copyright owned by Viva! Bristol 2023. Not for re-use without our written agreement. All featured music and content used by permission. Produced by Faye Lewis for Viva!.

In this episode, we are joined by Emma Håkansson, an incredible activist from Australia who is campaigning for the end of animal exploitation within the fashion industry while also reducing the toll fashion has on the environment and the people who work in the industry.  She founded her organisation, Collective Fashion Justice, to enable changes by educating future fashion minds, creating conversations with industry professionals and working towards legislative change.   Emma is the author of How Veganism Can Save Us, Total Ethics Fashion and the soon-to-be-released Sub-Human: A 21st-Century Ethic; on Animals, Collective Liberation, and Us All. She was also heavily involved in the production of Slay, the pioneering documentary that investigates fur, leather and wool, greenwashing and the impact that brands using animal skins have on people, the planet and animals.  In this eye-opening conversation, Emma sits down with hosts Issy and Rachel to discuss:  her vegan journey and how she got into activism, including the production of Slay  the fashion industry's lack of transparency in material sourcing and the price animals pay for our fashion choices  the ethical conundrum of choosing which fabrics to wear in a world that glamorises the use of animal skins  debunking myths around the alleged sustainability of wearing animal products — and much more    Find out more about Emma here:   About Our Show   Listen now by clicking the play icon below. We’re also on , , , and .   Get the latest episode, straight to your mobile device or computer. It’s automatic and completely free.   Copyright owned by Viva! Bristol 2023. Not for re-use without our written agreement. All featured music and content used by permission. Produced by Faye Lewis for Viva!.

Andrew Fearn, the quiet half of Sleaford Mods, the bedroom musician half and the half that soundtracks the caustic narratives of the other half, Jason Williamson, opens up about his vegan journey, compassion for animals and trying to do what he can.   Sleaford Mods have described their work as "electronic munt minimalist punk-hop rants for the working class." Williamson is responsible for the words, Fearn for the music. Sleaford Mods songs have been described as embittered rants about such topics as unemployment, modern working life, celebrities and pop culture, capitalism, and society in general.  In this conversation, Andrew and Faye discuss topics, such as:   austerity and poverty in the UK   becoming very famous and what it feels like   Andrew's interest in charities, from Viva! to Shelter   the best places for vegan food while touring  playing the Sydney Opera House   how he tries to use his platform to highlight causes he cares about    About Our Show   Listen now by clicking the play icon below. We’re also on , , , and .   Get the latest episode, straight to your mobile device or computer. It’s automatic and completely free.   Copyright owned by Viva! Bristol 2023. Not for re-use without our written agreement. All featured music and content used by permission. Produced by Faye Lewis for Viva!.

Dani Taylor is a vegan figure competitor and champion, the co-founder of VeganProteins.com, and also a co-founder of PlantBuilt.com  As an overweight child and adolescent who believed that was the way she was “meant to be”, Dani switched to an ethical vegan diet and lost 30 pounds. At this point, she realised she had the power to change the way she looked and felt.   She began lifting weights and doing cardio, and she is now a gold medal champion several times over and one of the best professional athletes in the bodybuilding community.  In this conversation, Dani and Faye discuss topics such as:    the resounding success of the PlantBuilt team, who obliterated the competition at Mr America across bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, kettlebell sport, and CrossFit   the myths surrounding diet still pedalled by the meat and dairy industries   Dani's journey into personal training and her reasons for going vegan  how anyone can make a positive change through their diet and exercise  Find out more about Dani and the PlantBuild team here:     About Our Show   Listen now by clicking the play icon below. We’re also on , , , and .   Get the latest episode, straight to your mobile device or computer. It’s automatic and completely free.   Copyright owned by Viva! Bristol 2023. Not for re-use without our written agreement. All featured music and content used by permission. Produced by Faye Lewis for Viva!.

Georgie Purcell, the Animal Justice Party MP, and a distinguished member of the Victorian Legislative Council representing Northern Victoria, made headlines in 2020 with her courageous inaugural speech.  Despite being the youngest woman ever elected in the state, Georgie faced adversity head-on, openly addressing her past as a stripper and confronting the online abuse and misogyny that followed. Since then she has worked tirelessly for both animals and humans alike. She sits down with Faye to delve into her remarkable journey, tracing her path from activism to the halls of power. Join us as she shares her resilient pursuit of equality and justice, using her platform to advocate for meaningful change. In this conversation, Georgie and Faye discuss topics, such as:   parliament being a 'boys' club   Georgie's early start in activism her recent setback on duck shooting not being banned in Australia  a real need for change in politics and structures globally the incredible work she has achieved to date and what is next    About Our Show   Listen now by clicking the play icon below. We’re also on , , , and .   Get the latest episode, straight to your mobile device or computer. It’s automatic and completely free.   Copyright owned by Viva! Bristol 2024. Not for re-use without our written agreement. All featured music and content used by permission. Produced by Faye Lewis for Viva!.

Ed Winters is a vegan educator, best-selling author, public speaker and content creator, widely known for his viral debates, speeches, and video essays.  In this episode, Issy sits down with Ed to discuss his new book How to Argue With a Meat Eater (And Win Every Time), his nine-year vegan journey, how his mindset shifted from thinking vegans were humourless and attention seekers, to being one of the leading voices in the movement.   In this conversation Issy and Ed discuss topics, such as: Ed’s childhood and how university changed his mindset Specism  Rupert the Hamster, his companion animal and his love of broccoli   Expression, vulnerability in having your views questioned  Culture wars and pseudo science  Critical thinking  Listen to the full episode here  Watch the Episodes On Also on Viva!  Spotify  Apple Music

In this episode, Issy sits down with Captain Paul Watson, a pioneering animal rights activist who founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an anti-poaching and direct action group focused on marine conservation activism.  In this episode, Issy and Paul discuss:  the release of his new book Hitman for the Kindness Club his direct action saving animals in the oceans and his lifetime commitment to making the world a better place for all its inhabitants His fascinating knowledge of marine biology and passion for all animal life    About Our Show   Listen now by clicking the play icon below. We’re also on , , , and .   Get the latest episode, straight to your mobile device or computer. It’s automatic and completely free.   Copyright owned by Viva! Bristol 2024. Not for re-use without our written agreement. All featured music and content used by permission. Produced by Faye Lewis for Viva!.

The Vegan News Minisode with Faye Lewis  Bringing you the latest news from the world of veganism: Episode 30: February 2024 Welcome to the Vegan News Minisode, brought to you by leading vegan charity Viva!. Presenter Faye is this month joined by Rachel as they bring you the latest plant-based lifestyle, food and animal campaigns news from around the globe.    In this episode, Faye and Rachel discuss Veganuary, a 3D-printed vegan eel, the , how a 100% switch to plant-based diets in England could save the NHS £6.7 billion a year and the criticism surrounding Mark Zuckerberg's new ‘beef’ farm...

The Vegan News Minisode with Faye Lewis  Bringing you the latest news from the world of veganism: Episode 28: December 2023 Welcome to the Vegan News Minisode, brought to you by leading vegan charity Viva!. Presenter Faye is this month joined by Rachel as they bring you the latest plant-based lifestyle, food and animal campaigns news from around the globe.    In this episode, Faye and Rachel discuss having a vegan Christmas, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, and their Viva! highlights for 2023...

The Vegan News Minisode with Faye Lewis  Bringing you the latest news from the world of veganism: Episode 27: November 2023 Welcome to the Vegan News Minisode, brought to you by leading vegan charity Viva!. Presenter Faye is this month joined by Issy as they bring you the latest plant-based lifestyle, food and animal campaigns news from around the globe.    In this episode, Faye and Issy discuss how , ), the charges brought against  , , the horrifying news that and much more...