health | ALIKIVI UK : NORTH EAST MUSIC & CULTURE

***Anna Malia, Ocean Rd, South Shie***lds. pic. Alikivi ***Feb 2026***

Anna set up North East Animal Rights (N.E.A.R) to campaign and educate about veganism and animal rights. They have around 30 members with branches in Newcastle and Teesside.

On 16th May N.E.A.R are hosting a Tyneside Vegan and Music Festival from 11am-3.30pm at Northumbria University Student Union, Newcastle.

‘We’re expecting the event to be busy. It seems the more we do the bigger and busier we get. We create a family vibe so we get all ages coming along’ explained Anna.

‘This is the seventh Tyneside Vegan festival which first started in Gateshead where the music was so popular that we decided to have live music playing as a regular feature. A lot of the music is original and it will be on through the day, all of the performers are vegan. They will be up on the stage and the main traders will be arranged around the hall.’

‘We try to offer an equal balance between food, ethical traders, music and social justice. It’s all aspects of animal rights as well as the environment – for example we have Climate Action Newcastle coming along as well as lots of charities and animal rights groups.’

‘We hope to attract new vegans who can come and meet others. It’s also a place where long term vegans like myself can safely come to and know there is going to be plant based food stalls with no animal products. Some festivals don’t offer that.’

‘People can bring their dogs have a browse of the stalls, eat some food and listen to music. A great day out. We also have a few stalls encouraging people to get involved in activism which can be scary for people if they look on-line, but we offer face to face contact which is important so they can meet the people they may end up doing activism with.’

‘I’ve been vegetarian since I was 14 and went vegan about 20 year ago. If people are interested in being vegan, I’d say research it first. Some say veganism is extreme – but there’s nothing extreme about not wanting to use or eat animals. Over the years I’ve seen a big difference in attitudes to veganism and the availability of plant based food.’

‘Veganism is a lifestyle, it’s what you wear and where you shop. A vegan wouldn’t have a leather settee or leather shoes. It’s as far as practical you can go with it – it can be hard living in a (currently) non-vegan world seeing constant adverts everywhere for animal body parts but being vegan itself is actually very easy. It’s not about eating free range this or grass fed that or buying locally. Whether you’ve bought locally or not I’m sure it doesn’t make any difference to the animal when they are on the kill floor.’

‘We actively promote veganism others might call it preaching – and they do. But when you think something is wrong you are morally obliged to do something about it. You act against it or for it. There is a lot of research which shows that if you are going to be violent towards animals you will be violent towards humans.’

‘We are an educational campaigning and pressure group so do not get involved in direct actions although we do support and attend protests and actions by other groups. We are non-violent and non-violence and peace is at the core of veganism – it’s the ultimate peace movement.’

Link to Anna’s interview (2021) with Ronnie Lee co founder of the Animal Liberation Front. Ronnie is a lifelong animal rights campaigner.

NEAR Interview with Ronnie Lee

Anna explained ‘Before social media, groups were forced to take more direct action to raise awareness of cruelty to animals and sometimes this led to them being put in prison. But activists are still being criminalised for animal right actions (and social justice actions) and while we would never condone violence towards an individual, we do support challenging the laws where they need to be. And there are many current cases of where the laws should be and are being challenged.’

‘A classic example of this is the fox hunting laws which are now being reviewed again as they have not worked in the way they were intended and sabs are still being assaulted on a weekly basis. And another is the reclassification of animal testing facilities as life sciences infrastructure in an attempt to stop protests – this is currently being challenged in the courts.’

‘What is our aim? We want to end all animal use. It’s not just about not eating animals it’s about not testing on them, not wearing them, not using them for entertainment, it’s about not seeing them for our benefit.’

To join N.E.A.R contact @northeastanimalrights on social media or contact @tynesideveganandmusicfestival

Links to previous interviews >>>

MEAT IS MURDER – with North East Animal Rights founder Anna Malia | ALIKIVI UK : NORTH EAST MUSIC & CULTURE

BAD EGGS – with Anna Malia founder of North East Animal Rights | ALIKIVI UK : NORTH EAST MUSIC & CULTURE

Alikivi March 2026

The title of this post is taken from the song and album by The Smiths released in 1985. In the title track songwriter and vocalist Morrisey delivers some powerful lyrics –

‘Kitchen aromas aren’t very homely. It’s not comforting, cheery or kind.

It’s sizzling blood and the unholy stench

Of murder

It’s not natural, normal or kind. The flesh you so fancifully fry

The meat in your mouth. As you savour the flavour

Of murder’.

In interviews Morrisey is outspoken about a number of topics including politics, royalty and animal rights.

‘Yes I’m aware of the song and Morrisey but I’m not a Smiths fan.’

said South Shields born Anna who worked in education for 32 years and in a secondary school for over 20.

‘I was lucky to be able to leave my paid work a few years ago and now do this full time. No one day is the same, I can be in the middle of typing up an article when a call comes in and have to drop everything. I wouldn’t have it any other way as I feel fulfilled with my work – but wish we didn’t have to do it as that would mean a world where animals are not used.’

Anna set up North East Animal Rights who campaign and educate about veganism and animal rights. They have around 30 members with branches in Newcastle and Teesside.

‘It’s quite large for an independent regional Animal Rights group. Some of the group also volunteer for a local wildlife rescue. It’s hard to work out how much of a difference you actually make. But when you rescue an animal, that animal becomes the most important person in front of you and you know you definitely have made a difference.’

When did you become aware of how we treat animals?

‘I was 14 in a biology lesson in school when I was expected to dissect fertilised eggs with chickens at different stages of development. I was absolutely horrified seeing these dead baby chicks who had been deliberately bred and then killed. My parents were equally horrified when I told them I wanted to be vegetarian. I hadn’t even heard of veganism then and didn’t understand that I was still contributing to the suffering of cows and hens.’

‘I was already considered different in school before I went vegetarian so just made my school life a whole lot worse. I didn’t know what else I could do to help animals. Then I saw an article in a newspaper about people trying to stop a bull run in Spain. So, I sent a postcard and letter to the Mayor of Pamplona where the bull run takes place.’

What is the hardest part of being a vegan?

‘One of the hardest things is other people, the lifestyle is easy – it just becomes something which everyone seems to have an opinion on regardless of whether we want it or not. And families and close friends are the worst!’

‘It’s all water off a duck’s back now, but it’s amazing how many people suddenly become obsessed with your health when they didn’t care before you told them you are vegan!’

‘A lot of people think being vegan is just about the food, but it’s about so much more – it’s a whole lifestyle – and you look at things in a different light when you become vegan.’

‘You walk down a street you see adverts for meat – we see the process and the animal. You look forward to Christmas – we dread it because we see an increase in animal slaughter. You see an advert for a reindeer event and don’t flicker – we see captive animals who shouldn’t be there. You look forward to Easter and we see rabbits and chickens used. You see cute chicks in egg hatching programmes, we see and deal with what happens and the casual disregard for them.’

‘We got told to stop ‘forcing our views on others’ but others views are constantly forced on us in most aspects of our lives. You look forward to going on holiday, we do too, but we are always conscious of how vegans are perceived abroad and also have to deal with cultural issues where animals are used differently to in the UK.

‘For most of my adult life I thought being vegetarian was enough then I came across some graphic footage on TV and photos in a magazine of what happens in an average UK farm – I realised I was still part of the problem. I essentially went vegan overnight and signed up to Animal Aid’s November vegan pledge and never went back.’

What are the group currently working on?

‘We get a lot of contacts about animal related issues and it’s great to be able to help. We rely on the public quite a lot to be our eyes and ears.’

‘We get people asking about who to speak to about dog cruelty or breeding animals. They contact us in relation to mobile zoos in schools or about their vegan child in school. A lot of issues are those which the RSPCA should investigate but cannot always due to lack of resources and having to prioritise.’

‘At any one time we have two or three investigations going on. They are complex and time consuming but we learn a lot from them. One of the biggest pieces of ongoing work is the South Tyneside Councils Animal Protection Charter.’

‘This came about because of a local issue we had with camels being used in a Christmas parade along King Street, South Shields. It had been going for around 6 years. After meeting with the leadership we eventually convinced them to drop the camels in 2020.’

‘We continued working with them afterwards and created a charter which is available for use in other councils across the UK. The council do an amazing job promoting the work within it and really work hard to engage residents with local animal-related issues, like those around seabirds.’

What does the future hold for North East Animal Rights?

‘I speak at a variety of schools and events and this year I’ve been invited to speak at the National Animal Rights March in London and a local event in Saltburn. I don’t find public speaking easy but it’s easier when you are passionate about your subject.’

‘I’m a deputy co-ordinator for North East Animal Save who are a group who run vigils at slaughterhouses – yes, it is as grim as it sounds, but unfortunately while people continue to eat animals it’s a necessary part of our work.’

‘My work is very full on my poor husband sees me fleetingly most days but understands the importance of what I do and is very supportive – he’s also a member of NEAR.’

‘But I’m a positive person – rather than looking at how far we still have to go, I look at how far we have come. When I was a child I had no idea what being vegan meant but I know from going into schools not only do children know what it means now but there are also vegan children there – that’s progress.’

For further information contact the group at >>>

Facebook @northeastanimalrights

Instagram @northeastanimalrights

TikTok @northeastanimalrights

Bluesky @neanimalrights.bsky.social

Threads @northeastanimalrights

North East Animal Rights – YouTube

Alikivi June 2025