Day in the life of Vegan Events UK organiser, Victoria Bryceson

Victoria Bryceson runs a series of Vegan Events UK vegan festivals across the country which are organised in partnership with her charity, Miracles Mission.

www.miraclesmission.org

www.veganeventsuk.co.uk

6.00am

Wake up and get ready whilst answering last minute queries online

6.30am

Drive to the festival (car pre packed and ready the day before)

7:00am

Arrive at the festival and unload the car. Set up the tables and chairs for exhibitors and lay table names out. Make sure that anybody who has booked electricity is by a socket. Set up our own charity (Miracles Mission) merchandise stalls and our free sample and literature stalls. Set up the front entrance.

8:00am

Exhibitors and volunteers start to arrive. Prep volunteers on how they can help exhibitors unload their vehicles and give out stall maps to the volunteers so that they can direct exhibitors where to go should they not have checked their maps pre-emailed to them

9:00am

Final social media promotion of the event and prepping volunteers on what to do during the day when the event opens as well as answering exhibitor queries.

10:30am

Open the festival to the public. Stay at the front entrance to ensure that the volunteers here are confident on the process and what they are doing.

11:00am

Check the volunteers on our own stalls are confident and know what they are doing

11:30am – 4:30pm

General management of the event. Greeting speakers and demo hosts, directing them to where they will be speaking and making sure their equipment is set up for them. Checking that exhibitors are all OK. Checking volunteers are OK. Crowd management and general public query answering.

4:30pm

Festival closes to the public. Pack away our own equipment and stalls. Pack away the tables and chairs as exhibitors leave.

6:30pm

Leave the festival and ensure a group of volunteers will distribute surplus food donated by stall holders, to local homeless people.

And here’s the story of how she set up her charity, Miracles Mission, a non -profit animal welfare organisation that works with sick, injured and difficult animals.

I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro a couple of years ago to raise charity funds and as I love mountain climbing it started off as the most incredible experience.

However I began to suffer from extreme altitude sickness on just day 2 of the climb which was far too early to be able to realistically make it to the top. I am very very determined though and really pushed myself to keep going. I ended up being sick 22 times on the way up over the next few days and I had to be given a personal guide to monitor me at all times as they take sickness really seriously.

I struggled to keep any food down and hardly ate or drank anything. I was climbing so slowly because I was physically exhausted from not being able to eat and drink and at the end of each day I was just having to be in my tent as I had no energy at all. But not getting to the top wasn’t ever an option. I got into my tent the night before the summit day and lay down absolutely completely exhausted, I didn’t have any physical strength left. The guides were very reluctant to let me keep going but I convinced them to let me.

This might sound crazy but I was doing the climb for one dog in particular Prince, who was the first stray dog I ever rescued in Borneo and the real founder of my charity, Miracle’s Mission but he very sadly passed away that night I somehow saw him next to me. I felt he was letting me know that I had gone far enough and it was OK to not carry on to the top. I woke up in the morning and was more determined than ever despite then knowing it was OK if I didn’t make it.

Somehow I had a renewed strength and I could keep going. I know 100% that if my heart hadn’t been so much into the climb and reaching the top that I would never have made it. I can say 100% that it was definitely not physical strength that got me to the top, it was sheer determination and love for the cause.”

My charity, Miracle’s Mission is a non-profit animal welfare organisation that works with sick, injured and difficult animals. My mission is to provide a place of safety for animals in danger, to educate on the need for neutering both pets and strays and to neuter stray dogs and cats to prevent the birth of more dogs and cats onto the streets.”

Miracle was a dog who was rescued from the streets of Borneo at 1 week old before her tiny eyes were even open. She had several injuries and was very weak but she made a miraculous recovery and is now strong, happy and healthy living with her adopted brother Ben, sister Star and sister Tess. I’m now working towards saving many more stray dogs and other stray animals all around the world, starting in Borneo where Miracle was rescued.

www.miraclesmission.org