Animal Rights & Welfare

Join me for relaxing Art Workshops at London parks and pubs! THIS WEEK; I'll be at the back of Penderals Oak, near the beer garden windows, from 3.30pm \~ look for art stuff on the table 🎨 ( nearest tube to pub; Holborn ) 👣😊🍻 Explore your creativity no matter what your skill \~ we'll take inspiration from our surroundings, each other, I'll provide tips, advice, and a few arty magazines and more, from my own collection 😊 Just £5 suggested donation, or whatever you can afford ; I provide all the Art materials, just bring your imagination 😊 \~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Details \~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Each week, the workshops will be at different locations, a park in warm weather, a pub in cold/rainy weather 😊 Generally they'll be in the late afternoon into the evening, occasionally from around lunch time 😊 See you soon 😊

**Join our Discord for smaller weekly events and to chat with other London Anime Meetup members**: [https://discord.gg/JmNdncgkyf](https://discord.gg/JmNdncgkyf) Join us for a fun evening filled with discussions about the latest anime and manga releases after work with a drink. Whether you're a seasonal or old school viewer, this is the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow enthusiasts, share recommendations, and maybe even discover a new favourite series. You just need to bring yourself and some ID (over 18s only as it is a pub). Look forward to seeing you there!

Join me for relaxing Art Workshops at London parks and pubs! THIS WEEK; I'll be at the back of Penderals Oak pub, near the beer garden windows, from 3.30pm Explore your creativity no matter what your skill \~ we'll take inspiration from our surroundings, each other, I'll provide tips, advice, and a few arty leaflets and postcards from my own collection 😊 Just £5 suggested donation, or whatever you can afford ; I provide all the Art materials, just bring your imagination 😊 \~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Details \~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Each week, the workshops will be at different locations, a park in warm weather, a pub in cold/rainy weather 😊 Generally they'll be in the late afternoon into the evening, occasionally from around lunch time 😊 See you soon 😊

Join me for relaxing Art Workshops at London parks and pubs! THIS WEEK; I'll be at the back of Penderals Oak, near the beer garden windows, from 3.30pm \~ look for art stuff on the table 🎨 ( nearest tube to pub; Holborn ) 👣😊🍻 Explore your creativity no matter what your skill \~ we'll take inspiration from our surroundings, each other, I'll provide tips, advice, and a few arty magazines and more, from my own collection 😊 Just £5 suggested donation, or whatever you can afford ; I provide all the Art materials, just bring your imagination 😊 \~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Details \~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Each week, the workshops will be at different locations, a park in warm weather, a pub in cold/rainy weather 😊 Generally they'll be in the late afternoon into the evening, occasionally from around lunch time 😊 See you soon 😊

Hi Architects, Welcome to our the inaugural AWS London Well-Architected User Group Meetup!!! 🥳🥳🥳 The AWS London Well-Architected Meetup is the latest chapter in the most popular AWS Meetup group globally. At each meetup we covered off various pillars of AWS best-practice in detail including insights from industry leaders that specialise in the Well-Architected Framework. And a drones giveaway. We'll be announcing more speakers during the coming months but our speakers this month include: * **Are you Well-Architected? Will Lawrie - Business Development Manager @ AWS** * **Well-Architected as a Business Tool: Translating Pillars into Business Outcomes - James Harding, Technical CSM @ Green Custard** * **Understanding and Remediating Opportunities** **-** **Aoife Egan, Cloud Optimisation Solutions Architect II @ AWS** This month's menu will include: * Pizzas * Beer * Wine: Big and red 🤤 So come join us at 5:30 for a 6pm start, followed by beer, wine, pizza and friendly networking after our talks :-) \*\*\*NB: No entry to the building after 6pm. Photo ID required.\*\*\*

**——————————** **Event Description:** **——————————** Welcome product enthusiasts! We're a meet-up group that hosts regular speaking events for those interested in the world of **digital products** and **doing things differently!** Each meet-up features new guests from some of the most influential product companies around the world, providing unique insights, tangible ideas, and new techniques to help drive change from the inside out. **————————** **Event Format:** **————————** 🚨 **This is an in-person event only.** 🚨 **————** **Venue:** **————** **Our Product Unleashed London Event:** We are hosted in the beautiful event space @ **[Accurx](https://www.accurx.com/)** We're looking forward to seeing you there! **———————** **What to expect:** ⚡ This event will be made up of 3 X speakers dropping knowledge bombs in the form of 20 minute talks straight into your minds 🤯 **———————** **SPEAKER 1** **———————** **Micaela Dixon** Micaela Dixon is a Senior Product Designer at Picsart, working on AI-powered creative growth experiences used by millions of people worldwide. She specialises in designing human-centred AI systems that balance trust, delight, and user agency. Alongside her industry work, Micaela is the founder of The AI UX School, where she teaches designers how to confidently design, prototype, and think critically about AI products. Her work sits at the intersection of UX, AI, growth ethics, and product strategy. **————————** **About the Talk:** **————————** **Building Trust and Encouraging Critical Thinking: Designing AI Experiences That Do Both** In this talk, Micaela explores how teams can intentionally build AI experiences that create trust without encouraging blind reliance. Through real product examples and practical UX patterns, she shows how interaction design, language, feedback loops, and system transparency can help users stay engaged, informed, and thoughtful when working with AI. ***The session reframes trust not as “users believing the system,” but as users feeling supported, capable, and in control.*** **———————** **SPEAKER 2** **———————** **Erin Casali** Erin is a VP/Director of both product and design, with over 10 years of experience in each. She has a hybrid approach with design, product, and engineering in her background, and a skillset including psychology and change management. Her unique blend of skills, including psychology and change management, enables her to foster collaboration and break down silos. Driven by a passion for improving lives through her work, she empowers teams to reach their full potential. She advocates for purpose, transparency, and diversity, fostering a culture of trust and agency. **————————** **About the Talk:** **————————** **Engaging with genAI Beyond the Hype** The world of genAI is split between doomers and boomers (the other kind), where it can be really hard to distinguish between what’s useful and what’s not. According to one side, everything is amazing and our jobs are going to disappear soon. According to the other, genAI is evil and needs to be resisted at all costs. ***This talk will provide pragmatic tools to navigate the world of hype between the two sides, and define how to gain valuable skills.*** **———————** **SPEAKER 3** **———————** **Chris Compston** Chris is a London-based product coach who has led product operations for brands like Bumble, Farfetch and Reward Gateway. He specialises in designing Product Operating Models that drive organisation toward impact. A prolific speaker and writer, Chris focuses on how intentional, repeatable practices help modern product teams thrive. **————————** **About the Talk:** **————————** **How to Woo** How do you steer the ship when you aren't the captain? In product development, your success rarely depends on your ability to give orders. Instead, it relies on your ability to influence people that you have no direct power over. We often call this stakeholder management, but in reality, it is the art of the "Woo". An approachable, human way of winning people over to your side. In this talk, we will explore why the hard sell often leads to friction and how you can shift from pushing requirements to pulling people toward a shared vision. Drawing on real-world successes and failures from Bumble, Farfetch, and Reward Gateway, we’ll look at how to navigate conflicting interests and complex personalities. ***You will learn a practical approach to understanding hidden motivations, shaping the narrative around your ideas, and ultimately empowering others to feel they are making the right choice for themselves. The goal isn't just to get a yes. It is to build a partnership where everyone feels they’ve won.*** **—————————————** **Support from:** **—————————————** We are kindly hosted by our friends at Accurx. **——————————** **About your hosts:** **——————————** Product Unleashed is brought to you by your hosts **[John Griffin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-griffin-designer/)** and **[Dominic Port](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-port/)**. The duo has worked on the design of products of all shapes and sizes and bring their energy and enthusiasm to this unique meet-up, packed with great guests and knowledge - for anyone interested in levelling up their game in the world of products.

***They*** *say there's no such thing as a free lunch, but they're wrong!* **[FoodCycle](https://foodcycle.org.uk/who-we-are/)**'s lovely volunteers use [unwanted food](https://cityharvest.org.uk/about-city-harvest) to produce three course, [meat-free recipe](https://foodcycle.org.uk/recipes/) (tell them you're vegan) **[community meals](https://foodcycle.org.uk/community-meals/)** across [England](https://foodcycle.org.uk/find-a-meal/), that are free to all. [FoodCycle Woolwich](https://foodcycle.org.uk/location/foodcycle-woolwich/) ([map](https://maps.app.goo.gl/XVEi9poq68YRxQX86)\|[video](https://youtu.be/5VEIsN1aCk4)) is every Friday (with rare exception; I'm notified by text), at **[Woolwich Common Community Centre](https://www.wccc.org.uk/)**'s accessible [main hall](https://www.wccc.org.uk/gallery?pgid=l3le3lp7-1daa7232-8086-4a0d-82cb-1c2a7887d105). I sometimes help the Hosting team, and have met a few other vegan [volunteers](https://volunteer.foodcycle.org.uk/opportunity/a1dQs000000fmvPIAQ), inc. chef and fellow [SE18 Vegans](https://www.facebook.com/groups/SE18Vegans) member John, who has a vegan daughter like me :-) P.S. You can bring food containers, in case of leftovers.

If you love anime & manga then please join us for our weekly meetups, where we basically just sit, chat and read anime & manga! We usually sit in the back of the pub. If the weather is nice we may sit outside at the back of the pub, or even outside on the downstairs floor. In this meetup, you can BYOM (bring your own manga) or read one from the selection we will bring. See this as an opportunity to discover, recommend or simply enjoy Japanese comics & anime with like-minded people! Note: This is not a book club. Also, the TCR bar is kind enough to allow us to use their space to host this meetup, and has asked if possible for attendees to support the venue by purchasing a drink or food while you're there. Please don't bring your own food or drink to consume at the venue, as the venue does not allow this! You can also join our discord group: [https://discord.gg/nDMBbQ2CKu](https://discord.gg/nDMBbQ2CKu)

***N.B. [VEGANS AND VEGETARIANS ONLY](https://www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/definition-veganism) please DO NOT attend if you're not vegan or vegetarian! Team event, with guests going via WhatsApp too; please join any waitlist, in case someone drops out.*** **[THE FRIZZLE QUIZZLE](https://theoldfrizzle.co.uk)** pub quiz is every Sunday from 8pm, with team '**Vegan work it out**' ([WhatsApp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/HE0ZYn0j7nm57ToF3mZR4O)\|[FB](https://facebook.com/groups/162749524100603/?multi_permalinks=2063484967360373)) and vegan grub (VG) on the [menu](https://theoldfrizzle.co.uk/menus). General knowledge questions, spot the intro, music round, mystery voices, TV themes, picture round, puzzles, and more. **£2.50** on the day to take part, first place gets **£75**, second £50, third £25, plus win drinks! Cashless pub, kitchen closes 8:30pm.

If you're a Trekkie who loves anime, this meetup is for you! We love it when worlds collide (Strange New Worlds x Lower Decks we're looking at you) and we love cosplay mashups even more. Join us for a casual hangout at a new con we're sure you'll enjoy. Whether you are a new Trekkie or have been a fan for many years, everyone is welcome to attend our events; we're an inclusive bunch and we welcome all abilities and all degrees of geekiness. **London Anime & Gaming Con \|** Saturday 21st February 2026 🕓4:00 - 6:00pm 📍Mirrors Bar inside the Novotel London West (5 minutes' walk from Hammersmith Tube stations, Piccadilly, H&C, Circle and District lines) 👕Cosplay is always encouraged and optional. Bonus points for Star Trek Anime mashups! 🎟️Information & tickets [here](https://winter.londonanimecon.com/) **Location & Accessibility Info** Novotel London West is just a five minute walk away from Hammersmith Tube Station. To get there, you simply exit the tube station (turn right if coming off the Picadilly/District lines, turn left if coming from H&C/Circle lines) and the hotel will be on your right. Follow the stairs leading up to the hotel. Entrance is on Hammersmith Road, NOT the main hotel entrance. Those requiring an accessible entrance are advised to use the main hotel entrance on Shortlands. -- Follow us [@uss_londonium](https://www.instagram.com/uss_londonium) for stories & photos!

Join us for a screening of *Okja* as part of our ongoing *Pooches & Popcorn* dog-friendly movie nights. *Okja* follows a young girl trying to protect a genetically engineered animal from a powerful corporation, blending adventure with social commentary. The film includes moments that some viewers may find emotionally intense. 🎟️ **Free entry**, just RSVP! 🗓 **Saturday 21 February 2026** 🕡 arrive from **18:30** · 🎬 movie at **19:00** 📍 [Karamel Club](http://www.musicglue.com/karamel) - [4 Coburg Rd, London N22 6UJ](https://maps.app.goo.gl/9pKfu6McuPZ9N3hF7) *💬 [Group chat](https://londonvegannetwork.netlify.app/PoochesAndPopcorn) in the **London Vegan Network** community on WhatsApp* 🐾 Come on your own or bring your pups, but **please only dogs who are comfortable around other dogs and people in a busy indoor setting**. 🍿 Arrive early to grab food, settle in, and get comfortable. 🎬 We aim to start the movie around 19:30. 🌭 Karamel’s fully vegan kitchen and bar will be open all evening, with their "Cinema Special" combo on the menu. 🚉 Closest stations: **Wood Green** and **Alexandra Palace**. ♿️ **Step-free access** and a **wheelchair-accessible toilet** are available.

Join me for an exploration of the V&A East Storehouse! I'll be outside, or just inside sat near the entrance if its raining, of Saint Espresso HereEast Coffee Bar, next to the main entrance of V&A East Storehouse, between 11.45 & 12pm, then we'll head into the museum 😊👗👘🎨 We'll explore the Storehouse for a few hours; there's vegan options in the museum e3 Bakehouse, and around 3ish or so, nearby we may get a late lunch / early dinner at Westfield Stratford. See you there! 😊

**MEAL VENUE:** The Bhel Poori House AKA Indian Veg, 92/93 Chapel Market, Angel, N1 9EX · London. Angel Underground Station, Northern Line OR Bus: 472. If driving, there is free parking in and around White Lion Street and Penton Street. It is an all you can eat Indian buffet for £12ish. We usually have the table at the back of the restaurant. **THEY ONLY TAKE CASH**....... (please bring small notes and change :-) ) (drinks & non-buffet deserts extra ) It's an all you can eat buffet. Most of the food is vegan. Non-vegan items are labeled. **FULL DETAILS AT:** https://www.meetup.com/vegetarian-419/events/313338622/?

***They*** *say there's no such thing as a free lunch, but they're wrong!* **[FoodCycle](https://foodcycle.org.uk/who-we-are/)**'s lovely volunteers use [unwanted food](https://cityharvest.org.uk/about-city-harvest) to produce three course, [meat-free recipe](https://foodcycle.org.uk/recipes/) (tell them you're vegan) **[community meals](https://foodcycle.org.uk/community-meals/)** across [England](https://foodcycle.org.uk/find-a-meal/), that are free to all. [FoodCycle Woolwich](https://foodcycle.org.uk/location/foodcycle-woolwich/) ([map](https://maps.app.goo.gl/XVEi9poq68YRxQX86)\|[video](https://youtu.be/5VEIsN1aCk4)) is every Friday (with rare exception; I'm notified by text), at **[Woolwich Common Community Centre](https://www.wccc.org.uk/)**'s accessible [main hall](https://www.wccc.org.uk/gallery?pgid=l3le3lp7-1daa7232-8086-4a0d-82cb-1c2a7887d105). I sometimes help the Hosting team, and have met a few other vegan [volunteers](https://volunteer.foodcycle.org.uk/opportunity/a1dQs000000fmvPIAQ), inc. chef and fellow [SE18 Vegans](https://www.facebook.com/groups/SE18Vegans) member John, who has a vegan daughter like me :-) P.S. You can bring food containers, in case of leftovers.

***N.B. [VEGANS AND VEGETARIANS ONLY](https://www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/definition-veganism) please DO NOT attend if you're not vegan or vegetarian! Team event, with guests going via WhatsApp too; please join any waitlist, in case someone drops out.*** **[THE FRIZZLE QUIZZLE](https://theoldfrizzle.co.uk)** pub quiz is every Sunday from 8pm, with team '**Vegan work it out**' ([WhatsApp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/HE0ZYn0j7nm57ToF3mZR4O)\|[FB](https://facebook.com/groups/162749524100603/?multi_permalinks=2063484967360373)) and vegan grub (VG) on the [menu](https://theoldfrizzle.co.uk/menus). General knowledge questions, spot the intro, music round, mystery voices, TV themes, picture round, puzzles, and more. **£2.50** on the day to take part, first place gets **£75**, second £50, third £25, plus win drinks! Cashless pub, kitchen closes 8:30pm.

Please join us for the Cat Appreciation Meet-up event at Costa Coffee Finchley Road on Saturday 21st February at 2.30pm. Please come along to the café and catch up with old and new friends alike. Food and drinks are available, and please bring your cat photos! See you there! Christie Website: https://www.costa.co.uk/?utm_campaign=fd60f55b-3ccd-4d90-ac53-51a9e82eb49d&utm_source=local Address: 12 Harben Parade, South Hampstead, London NW3 6JP

Join me for a new regular walk... **The Gardens of South London & Vegan Delights** \~ Nature, food & Walking 😊 We'll gather from 11.30am to 11.45ish, outside Kennington station \~ Bring, or buy, vegan picnic food to share 😊 ( if too chilly, we'll find somewhere vegan/vegan friendly to have lunch ) We'll explore gardens and parks, picnic in a park, and afterwards, walk as far we like, maybe including the Thames. See you there 😊 \~\~\~ DETAILS \~\~\~ Each month we'll explore the gardens & parks of South London, have a vegan potluck picnic lunch, or find a vegan or vegan friendly place in colder weather, and later, weather permitting, head down to the Thames via Vauxhall or Bermondsey. The route may vary slightly each month and we may go west or east down the Thames later. Latecomers, we can meet you by the café in Kennington park, or I may post a restaurant name or pub we may be in. Looking forward to exploring South London & enjoying vegan delights 😊

🥪 Join the **Drooling Vegans** for a visit to **The Coven of Witches 🧙‍♀️** 🗓 **Saturday 21 February** **🕐 13:00 until we're full (couple hours?)** 📍 [The Coven of Wiches](https://linktr.ee/covenofwiches) 🗺️ [Indoor Market, Unit 38, 98 Wood St E17 3HX](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ywnxmHqf9CfgatRx8) The [Drooling Vegans](https://londonvegannetwork.netlify.app/DroolingVegans) are going back to Walthamstow, location of our first [food crawl](https://www.meetup.com/londonvegan/events/309042043/) inspired by [Sean’s blog post](https://fatgayvegan.com/2025/07/04/sandwiches-with-a-spellbinding-twist-in-walthamstow/) about the delicious sandwiches at [The Coven of Wiches](https://linktr.ee/covenofwiches) \- whose third birthday is coming up\! Great opportunity for another Drooling lunch 🤤 We'll start at 13:00 and hang around for at least a couple of hours - feel free to arrive any time. Please join our [group chat](https://londonvegannetwork.netlify.app/DroolingVegans) in the **London Vegan Network** community on WhatsApp in advance. We'll use it to share [the Coven's weekly menu](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c_JSSIEp1z-diFrks5CvPg6uR7KyYmqd/view), and run a poll to help the venue stock up with the ingredients for the most popular sandwiches. After lunch, some of us will head to Karamel for [the 'Pooches & Popcorn' screening of Okja](https://www.meetup.com/londonvegan/events/312584908/).

Join me for a Twisted Tour of British Culture, exploring stories of Highgate & Hampstead! We'll gather 11.30am>11.45ish, outside The Gatehouse pub, Highgate Village \~ discover tales of Comedians, Poets, Musicians, Film & TV, & more, plus I'll read poems, sing a song or two, & more 😊 £5 suggested donation or whatever you can afford. We'll get lunch from somewhere vegan friendly, and later on after sunset, we may head to a pub for drinks & maybe dinner 😊 See you soon 😊

**Whose knowledge is centred in design? Whose voices are heard, and whose are overlooked?** Join us for an interactive workshop that goes beyond surface-level inclusion to critically explore power, culture, and equity in design practice. **What to Expect** This isn't your typical design discussion. Through hands-on activities and guided conversation, we'll challenge dominant design assumptions and rethink what truly accountable, inclusive design looks like. Led by **Sakshi Mathur**, this gamified workshop explores **Decolonising Ecological Knowledge** — examining how we might design more responsibly with diverse communities, non-human actors, and local knowledge systems. **Who Should Attend** * Designers and Researchers at any career stage curious about decolonial approaches * Anyone already engaging with equity and justice in their practice * Those questioning whose perspectives shape the products and systems we create * People seeking space for honest reflection and learning Whether you're completely new to decolonising design or already working with these frameworks, you'll find space to reflect, learn, and connect with others navigating similar questions. **About the Ticket** The ticket cost is to hold your place and ensure commitment from attendees. **All participants who attend the event will be offered a full refund of their ticket price.** This approach helps us plan effectively while remaining accessible to those with financial constraints. Come ready to participate, question, and imagine design differently.