Meet the team
The passionate team behind The Vegan Society of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Meet the board members:
Amanda Sorrenson
National Coordinator, Instagram Manager and Vegan Speaker
Amanda Sorrenson
National Coordinator, Instagram Manager and Vegan Speaker
Amanda has been vegetarian since childhood and vegan since 2003.
She is from Auckland has been a board member and the National Coordinator since 2011. As a board member she’d like to ensure that the Vegan Society continues to increase its resourcing and building of the vegan community so that we can help people become and remain vegan in New Zealand.
Claire Insley
Media Spokesperson and Content Writer
Claire Insley
Media Spokesperson and Content Writer
Claire became vegan in 2000, having been vegetarian since she was 15. She has been a board member since February 2015. She volunteered for Greenpeace for over 20 years, including a year of sea time. Improving the visibility of veganism in mainstream media is part of her mission. She currently lives a low carbon lifestyle on the West Coast in Buller, teaching qi gong and offering therapeutic massage and Reiki. She has authored a book “The Way of the Rainbow Warrior”.
Helen Fletcher
Finance
Helen Fletcher
Helen has been involved with the Vegan Society since 2015, the same year she took off her blinkers to discover what went on behind closed doors in animal agriculture and dairying. Between being a busy mum to two young vegan kids and working for a vegan cheese company, Helen helps the Society on the financial side to ensure that we are financially sound and compliant.
Mark Fitzpatrick
Vegan Living Talks Coordinator
Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark has been involved in animal rights since a teenager, initially in Ireland’s embryonic movement and later in the much more developed UK movement. A hunt saboteur for many years, Mark has been vegan since 1989 and got involved with the NZ Vegan Society via his vegan outreach Inititive called “Vegan Living Auckland”. He is currently helping raise two beautiful plant-based children and has a background in mental health nursing.
Chris Huriwai
Māori Content Creator
Chris Huriwai
Chris went vegetarian at age 13 and transitioned to vegan after watching the Earthlings documentary in 2016. Chris is of Ngāpuhi, Ngati Porou and Te Atiawa descent. Coming from a background of extreme sports and working in the Maori health and social sector, Chris brings his experience of being a Maori vegan and community worker to his animal rights activism, working to encourage Maori to embrace the lifestyle for its benefits while also striving to create activist communities/resources throughout the country. Chris is currently based in Te Whanganui-A-Tara.
Holly Robinson ACIM
Digital Marketing
Holly Robinson
Holly moved to New Zealand with her daughter in 2018 having travelled the country many times and fallen in love with the lifestyle. Having turned Vegan in 2017, she loves creating new recipes and making them for her non-vegan friends and family. Holly is an Associate member of The Chartered Institute of Marketing and offers the society digital marketing guidance and assistance.
Meet the team:
Hannah Lessells
IT
Hannah Lessells
Originally from the UK, moved to Wellington in 2005 and now living on the West Coast, Hannah joined the board in 2011. She has been vegetarian from birth and vegan since 2008. She originally got involved with the Vegan Society through creating a vegan community on facebook for Wellington and finding other vegans in the area for support and friendships. After 10 years of serving on the board, she remains a vital part of our IT.
Adrian Hatwell
Vegan Magazine Editor
Adrian Hatwell
Adrian has been a member of the Board since 2017, helping out with the Awards since their inception, He has stepped down from his Board role to concentrate on his other tasks recently. Giving himself a better work life balance, as he also edits a top photography magazine and has a teenage son.
Jana Kaster
Designer, Magazine Layout and Food Editor
Jana Kaster
Originally from Germany, Jana moved to Aotearoa in 2010. She has been plant-based and vegan for more than 20 years. Trained as a graphic designer she supports the Society in various design projects since 2011. She also does layout and food editing of our NZ Vegan Magazine.
Jo Sim
Challenge Project Manager
Jo Sim
Jo runs our 21 Day Easy Vegan Challenge. A veggie since 11years old, and vegan since 2005, she is committed to animal protection and has worked and volunteered for animal charities across the globe in various capacities. Jo also has a passion for sustainable travel, social justice and works with non-profit, Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Canterbury in the South Island. Originally from Scotland, she now calls Aotearoa home.
Meg McKenzie
Website Layout and Updates
Meg McKenzie
Originally from the UK, Meg moved to South Island, NZ in 1990. She has been vegan since 2019 and deeply regrets it not being sooner. She immediately channelled her energies into volunteering and street activism through the Queenstown Vegan Society and later mentoring on the 21 Day Easy Vegan Challenge. Her design background is now being put to use through creating and managing the QVS and the NZ Vegan Society websites.
Tina Rush
Facebook Manager
Tina Rush
After being vegetarian since her early 20’s, Tina’s daughters convinced her to become vegan in 2017. She came back to the Manawatū 9 years ago after living in Greece for 26 years, and is a recruitment professional. With an interest in design and communications, Tina loves being involved with the Vegan Society’s Facebook page and hopes to bring you fun, engaging and thought provoking content, in the hope that being vegan will become more accessible and commonplace to the mainstream audience.
Augustine Kopa
Pasifika Vegan Cookalong Coordinator and Host
Augustine Kopa
Cook Island mother of 4 gorgeous children- lived in Rarotonga for 12 years making the move over in 2019.
Been vegan since 2020 and a passionate gardener. Love cooking and connecting with other pasifika and Maori people. Cook by budget, time and whatever’s going on in the garden.
Our volunteers and area representatives:
We also give thanks to our amazing team of other volunteers who help out so much with the Vegan Society’s important work. They might help keep our website up to date, run stalls, help out at Vegan 101s, do some admin work, film vegan VIPs and so much more! Together they contribute some 500 hours of work every month. GO TEAM!
Contact a Vegan Society representative in your area:
Can't find a representative in your area? Chat with us about becoming one!
Auckland
Amanda Sorrenson
amanda@vegansociety.org.nz
Auckland/ Waiheke Island
Aya
amc.photog@gmail.com
Christchurch
Christchurch Vegan Society
info@veganchristchurch.org.nz www.veganchristchurch.org.nz
Coromandel
Joy Sachell
joysatchell@xtra.co.nz
Dunedin
JDunedin/ Otepoti Vegan Society
doves@doves.og.nz
www.dovesnz.weebly.com
Hamilton & Waikato
Sarah Oliver
saraholiver222@gmail.com
Hawkes Bay
Donna Hossack
donna444@gmail.com
Invercargill
Invercagill Vegan Society
info@invsoc.org.nz
www.invsoc.org.nz
Kapiti and Horowhenua
Eric Wolff
horowhenuaVeg@outlook.co.nz
Motueka
Eerainuh
me@eerainuh.com
Nelson
Jordy and Jeremy
jordybeans@gmail.com
Whangarei
Cathy Duffield
09 432 0714 or 027 630 4628
Northland
Kayla
vegannorth@outlook.com
Palmerston North
Palmerston North Vegan Society
veganpalmy@gmail.com
www.veganpalmy.org.nz
Queenstown
Kat Gallop
admin@veganqueenstown.org www.veganqueenstown.org
Rotorua
Tony Bland
rotovegan@gmail.com
Taupo
Samantha Goodwin
samantha.goodwin@live.com
Tauranga
Zara Lynch
zara.lynch@gmail.com
Timaru, Oamaru and Waitaki
Jane Thompson
sud.grrl@gmail.com
Wanganui
Tamsin Forest
tamsinif@hotmail.co.nz
Wellington Upper Hutt
Lynda Mountford
lynzoe@clear.net.nz
Wellington
Sally
sally@faisandier.co.nz
Westport
Claire
claire@vegansociety.org.nz