Our Community

We strongly believe in building a strong and united community as a crucial part of advancing our cause.

When we are unbreakable as a team, we are unbeatable as a movement.

Without a strong sense of community, our movement crumbles, hindering our ability to carry out our crucial work for animals. We understand that interpersonal conflicts are bound to occur so our goal is to empower activists to work through these conflicts in a healthy and constructive way. Maintaining a positive and inclusive community that people feel a part of is vital as we work together to achieve animal liberation.

OUR STRATEGIC FOCUS

Building a resilient community

There’s nothing more important to We The Free than ensuring the sustainability of our activism. We’ve learned that in order to be as effective as possible, volunteers and organizers must feel safe, appreciated, and empowered. For this reason, We The Free’s main strategic focus is to inspire and support strong and resilient communities.

3 WTF volunteers holding hands in a circle and laughing. 
work hard, play hard

A focus on team-building

At We The Free, we follow the “work hard, play hard” philosophy. While we realize that getting out in the streets is important, we understand that no community can thrive without also focusing on team-building. That’s why every local WTF team holds monthly community events where people come together to have a good time while doing good for their communities. A beach clean-up followed by a group dinner? Count us in!

WTF Volunteers sat on camping chairs and listening intently to each other.

I think WTF has an air of inclusivity to all. I'm queer and I feel WTF is inclusive of all genders, sexes and races.

- Anonymous WTF Volunteer

RESOLVING CONFLICTS

Crafting solutions together

The prevalence of infighting across our movement is one of the reasons for founding WTF: when we surveyed over 1100 vegan activists, they told us that infighting and toxic communication were leading causes of burnout and withdrawal from activism. The typical experience of WTF volunteers is relatively harmonious, and disagreements often don’t seem to “blow up”. This is not accidental, and a lot of work goes into this behind the scenes, from the work we put into intentional culture development, how we have inducted and supported local and regional leaders, and the training we have provided both.

James Hattersley, Executive Director of WTF, delivering the Inspiring Behaviour Change workshop.

Ready to make a difference?

Be part of our movement and be a voice for farmed animals. Find a team near you, or apply to be an organizer and start your own!

A few of our awesome events

  • WTF Organiser drawing on the pavement with pink chalk.

    World Chalking Day

    📍 Canterbury, UK

    The Canterbury team get creative with an impactful form of artivism for World Chalking Day.

  • A group of WTF volunteers pose for a photo holding signs and banners whilst a child falls off a hand trolley.

    3 Minute Movie Challenge

    📍 Sydney, Australia

    The WTF Sydney team take a chaotic group photo after holding a successful 3 minute movie challenge event.

  • WTF volunteer talking to a member of the public over a stall.

    Leeds Vegan Festival

    📍 Leeds, UK

    The Leeds and Bradford teams hosted a stall at the Leeds vegan festival so visitors could experience our 3 minute movie challenge.

  • WTF volunteers posing with WTF signs and a green Plant Based Treaty banner.

    Plant Based Treaty Collaboration

    📍 Toronto, Canada

    The Toronto team collaborate with Plant Based Treaty and Animal Save Movement at the University of Toronto for their first 3 minute movie challenge event.

  • 2 WTF volunteers showing their stall set-up at Vancouver Vegan festival.

    Vancouver Vegan Festival

    📍 Vancouver, Canada

    The Vancouver team provide education on veganism and encourage those who are already vegan to get active at the Vancouver Vegan Festival.

  • A drone photo from the air of WTF volunteers laying beside colourful chalk on the pavement.

    World Chalking Day

    📍 Canterbury, UK

    The Canterbury team get active for the animals with some chalking for World Chalking Day.

  • WTF volunteers at VCO posing by a huge purple "VEGAN" sign with a blue festival tent in the background.

    Vegan Camp Out

    📍 Bicester, UK

    Our amazing staff and volunteers took the opportunity to attend 2023's Vegan Camp Out and even did some activism in the process.

  • WTF volunteers marching with signs such as "Love Over Harm" and "Protect Animals. Cancel the Grand National"

    Grand National Protest

    📍 Liverpool, UK

    We joined forces with Animal Rising to stand in civil resistance against the barbaric practice of Horse Racing by slow-marching around Aintree Racecourse.

  • WTF volunteers and staff posing in front of a blue marquee at Vegan Camp Out.

    Vegan Camp Out Stall

    📍 Bicester, UK

    Our amazing staff and volunteers took the opportunity to attend 2023's Vegan Camp Out and even did some activism in the process.

  • WTF team taking a group photo covered in bright glow in the dark paint.

    Glow in the Dark Hide & Seek

    📍 Waterloo, Canada

    The Waterloo team take a quick break from activism to focus on team-building with an epic game of glow-in-the-dark "human hunt" at Victoria Park.

  • 4 televisions under a marquee with members of public watching the screens with headphones on.

    Solidarity Day

    📍 Birmingham, UK

    A day of incredible solidarity in Birmingham as over 130 activists from several organisations gathered to take a stand against the exploitation of animals.

  • WTF team playing games on a green field with a cathedral in the background.

    Picnic at Kirkstall Abbey

    📍 Leeds, UK

    The Leeds team play team-building games like Huckle Buckle and The Human Knot during their picnic together at Kirkstall Abbey.

  • The Bournemouth WTF team posing for a group photo with signs and a large banner.

    3 Minute Movie Challenge

    📍 Bournemouth, UK

    The Bournemouth team gather together for a 3 minute movie challenge event that truly made an impact.

  • WTF volunteers marching with banners that read "Protect Animals. Cancel the Grand National" and "The World is Changing"

    Grand National Protest

    📍 London, UK

    We joined forces with Animal Rising to stand in civil resistance against the barbaric practice of Horse Racing by slow-marching around Aintree Racecourse.