Become a School Speaker with Animal Aid

By volunteering with Animal Aid, Nigel gives school talks in the North of England to both primary and secondary school children, focusing on different aspects of animal welfare and veganism according to the age group.

Primary School Talks

For primary school children (ages 5-11), Nigel’s sessions are designed to be bright, engaging, and interactive. These talks typically include:

Colourful Wall Charts and Resources: Visual aids that are bright and engaging to capture the attention of young children. These resources help in illustrating key points about animal welfare.

Activities: The sessions involve a variety of activities such as listening, talking, watching, writing, discussion, and playing games. These activities aim to teach children about the needs of companion animals, the importance of adopting rescued animals, and ways to help protect wild animals.

Environmental Awareness: Nigel also discusses things that everyone can do to help the environment and insects - and what not to do, like littering, for example - promoting a holistic view of compassion and care for all living beings​.

Secondary School Talks

For secondary school children (ages 12-18), the focus shifts to more complex issues related to veganism and animal rights:

Presentations and Discussions: Nigel provides detailed presentations on veganism, covering ethical, environmental, and health aspects. These sessions often include showing films to support the information being presented.

Q&A Sessions: After the presentations, Nigel engages students in discussions, answering questions and encouraging them to articulate their views on veganism and animal rights.

Interactive Activities: Depending on the time and resources available, these sessions might also include interactive activities such as quizzes or group tasks to help reinforce the message​ ​.​

Becoming a School Speaker

Animal Aid provides training and support for individuals who wish to become
school speakers like Nigel. Here’s how you can get involved:

Training Workshops: Animal Aid runs workshops to train potential speakers.
These workshops cover various aspects of giving talks and running activities
in schools. Attendees are assessed and provided with feedback to ensure
they are well-prepared.

Resources Provided: Animal Aid supplies all the necessary resources, including
films, activity ideas, recipes, PowerPoint presentations, and more. This ensures
that speakers are fully equipped to deliver informative and engaging sessions.

Finding Schools: Animal Aid helps speakers by finding schools in their area that are
interested in arranging talks. They also provide support in organizing and planning
these sessions.

Cookery Demonstrations: For those with an aptitude for cooking, there is also the opportunity to give vegan cookery demonstrations. These sessions typically involve demonstrating how to prepare a simple vegan meal and can include a film showing, Q&A, and group activities​.

Volunteer Requirements

Knowledge and Skills: Volunteers need a good knowledge of animal rights issues and adaptable communication skills. They should be able to plan and report effectively and have good email communication skills.

DBS Check: All volunteers are required to have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which Animal Aid can arrange.

Commitment: The number of talks a speaker gives is flexible and can be adjusted based on their availability and the demand from schools in their area​.

For more detailed information and to get involved, you can visit Animal Aid’s website.w