Fox on the Run

It is often said that no one is irreplaceable. There are, however, some people who become so associated with an organisation, who are literally the face of the institution they work for, that you never imagine them not being there. Just think: Manchester United without Alex Ferguson. Or Virgin without Richard Branson. Difficult isn’t it. How about the Vegetarian Society UK without its Chief Executive Tina Fox? Weird or what? And yet, Tina has decided that after 11 years, it is time to pass the baton.

In an interview with The Vegetarian, she describes some of the highs during her 11 years at the helm. One of them was the transformation of Parkdale – where she was the site manager - from a run-down building to a pleasant working environment with excellent accommodation. Another one was the 2002 World Vegetarian Congress in Edinburgh where she worked on every aspect of it, from the food to the post-Congress tours. You can understand why Tina describes her role as CEO as "fantastically varied."

Asked about the future, she says that life is an open book now. Some of her plans include becoming more active with the local Cats’ Protection League and returning to the Green Party for which she stood for Parliament and wrote the Party's animal rights policy. Writing is definitely something she would like to do more of and she’s also thinking of becoming involved in the commercial side of vegetarian food production. As far as the future of the organisation is concerned, she would like for Veg Soc UK to keep the positive image they have now and, that way, to keep the respect they currently have from the media. At the same time, she feels that the society could be more outspoken in certain areas, one of them being the environmental benefits of a vegetarian diet.

We met Tina Fox for the first time at the European Vegetarian Congress in 2005, in Riccione. We sat together over lunch and one hour later, were convinced that her enthusiasm and humour could convert even the most ardent carnivore to vegetarianism. And that was before attending one of her workshops. I guess the best way to sum up Tina Fox is in her own words: "people are much more likely to accept a helping hand if it is offered with a smile, and not a snarl."

Spot on Ms Fox! We wish you all the best for whatever you decide to do in the future.