Patron

Professor Joy Carter is former Vice-Chancellor of The University of Winchester. She is an academic with research based in geochemistry and health and was a former President of the international society in her field. She is also a Co-Chair of the Climate Commission for UK Higher and Further Education, Chair of St Ethelburgas Centre for Reconciliation and Peace and Chair of the National Governing Body (NGB) of Squash.

Professor Carter was formally the Chair of GuildHE, and for many years served on the Universities UK Board. She has also chaired the Cathedrals Group of Universities and the Church of England’s Advisory Group for the Foundation for Educational Leadership. As an ambassador for higher level skills and vocational learning, Professor Carter chaired the University Vocational Awards Council (UVAC). She was previously the Vice-Chair of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and a former board member of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA).

Professor Carter is patron of six charities and is a Deputy Lieutenant for the county of Hampshire. Passionate about all aspects of sustainability and social justice, she has interests in climate change, widening participation, sport and animal welfare. She is an ambassador for Religions for Peace International and a member on the Standing Committee on Nurturing a Sustainable Environment.

Professor Carter was awarded a CBE in the New Year Honours in 2018 for services to Higher Education.

Patron

Celebrated actor and animal activist, Peter Egan is extremely dedicated to all our campaigns including Ban Live Exports and End the Cage Age. Peter is known for his roles in popular TV shows such as Downton Abbey, Unforgotten and After Life. Peter is always keen to support our work when his busy schedule allows. As well as attending our rallies and events, he regularly shares our posts on his social media, helping increase our reach and build a strong army of support to end factory farming.

We are tremendously lucky to have such an actively involved Patron and Visionary.

Live animal exports from Britain cause huge suffering to both calves and sheep. We have no right to treat animals in this way!

Patron

Rose pioneered wide interest in cruelty-free cookery with Simply Delicious, published in 1967, and has since written over 60 vegetarian and vegan cookbooks. In 1999, Rose was awarded an MBE for services to vegetarian cookery. She is also an accomplished astrologer and Fellow of the Association of Professional Astrologers International (FPAI).

We are delighted to have Rose as a Patron and Visionary.

I deeply admire Compassion’s great work to end factory farming and hope that my own veggie cookbooks have helped many people on their personal journeys to reduce their meat consumption.

Patron

Distinguished actor and animal advocate, Jerome Flynn, is well known for his roles in popular TV dramas such as Game of Thrones, Ripper Street and Soldier Soldier. With a deep concern for farm animal welfare, Jerome is kindly supporting our End the Cage Age campaign. Jerome signed up to become a ‘Cagefighter’ for our End the Cage Age – European Citizens’ Initiative, boosting signatures right across Europe to become our biggest petition ever, and leading to a promise to end caged farming the EU.

With a genuine interest in our work, he shares our messaging across his social media, helping increase our reach and build a strong army of support to end factory farming.

We are delighted to have Jerome as a Patron.

As Bronn in Game of Thrones, I played a guy who I really wanted to be a hero but, likeable as he was, he didn’t bother turning up to save the world. Now, in real life, when it counts, I have the chance, as we all do, to stand up and do the right thing for our beloved farm animals. Let’s make our voices heard for those who have none.

Patron

Dr Jane Goodall, renowned ethologist and conservationist, is best known for her groundbreaking research of primates. She is founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a UN Messenger of Peace. Her research into the lives of the wild chimpanzees of Gombe in Western Tanzania began nearly 60 years ago and still continues today. Author of many books and featured in countless documentaries and films, Dr Goodall travels the globe raising awareness and offering solutions to the problems facing so many parts of our earth today.

Dr Goodall was awarded with a DBE in 2004.

We are honoured to have such a distinguished conservationist as a Patron and Visionary.

Patron

Actress Penelope Keith is well-loved in the UK, both for her comedy and theatre roles, staring in popular British sitcoms - The Good Life and To the Manor Born.

She has won several BAFTAs. Penelope is a keen gardener and keeps ex-battery farm hens. She has served as High Sheriff of Surrey 2002-2003 and is President of the south west Surrey branch of the conservation organisation, the National Trust.

Penelope was appointed an OBE in the 1989 New Year Honours and was awarded a CBE in the 2007 New Year Honours for charitable services. In the 2014 New Year Honours, she was made a Dame for services to the Arts and to Charity. Penelope is a long-standing Patron of Compassion and has also singed our Vision for Fairer Food and Farming.

Patron

BAFTA winning actress and dedicated campaigner, Joanna Lumley, has supported our work to end factory farming for decades. She has been actively involved in many of our campaigns including Ban Live Exports and End the Cage Age. Joanna is devoted to all the movements she stands by, and we are delighted to have such an influential, compassionate Patron and Visionary.

Compassion in World Farming has done an amazing job in achieving real changes for millions of farm animals. Huge challenges still face us – not least the global increase in meat consumption, which is driving the establishment of more factory farms. However, if we all get together and support Compassion’s work, I believe we will be able to achieve internationally the kinds of changes we have seen here in the UK and in Europe.

Patron

Star of the infamous Harry Potter films, actress Evanna Lynch, has been a Compassion Patron for several years. You may know the silver-eyed, otherworldly character of Luna Lovegood, but unlike her onscreen persona, Evanna has her feet firmly on the ground – especially when it comes to farm animal welfare. Since becoming a Patron, Evanna has attended numerous rallies and is always keen to convey our campaign messages to the millions of followers on her social media channels and ChickPeeps podcast. We are grateful to have such an enthusiastic animal advocate wave the Compassion banner in our fight to end cruel factory farming.

We can all agree that keeping animals locked up in tiny cages where they can't even stretch their legs is inhumane, intolerable and unnecessary. We don't have to tolerate this kind of cruelty. We are not trying to reinvent the wheel here, just asking for some basic compassion and kindness in the lives of these creatures who have given up so much for us.

Dear Humans

Patron

Deborah is a highly successful entrepreneur and Dragons' Den investor who spends her time between London and her Somerset home. She is devoted to an abundance of her own animals including, cats, dogs, horses, pigs, sheep and even geese.

Despite endless TV and business commitments Deborah, who is also a Compassion Visionary, has said that Compassion’s work is “something close to her heart” and has readily supported campaigns including Honest Labelling, End the Cage Age and Ban Live Exports. An extremely active Twitter user, Deborah regularly shares our message and engages with her followers on farm animal welfare topics.

The awful suffering endured by vulnerable animals transported over long distances, is truly horrific and completely unnecessary. I’m proud to support Compassion in World Farming as the driving force pushing for an end to live exports for slaughter and fattening from Britain.

Patron

We are delighted that popular naturalist and broadcaster, Chris Packham, has joined us as a Patron. The TV presenter, conservationist and photographer has been a wildlife enthusiast since he was a small boy. Chris has become a well-known champion for wildlife, fronting TV shows, The Really Wild Show and BBC Springwatch and Autumnwatch.

Passionate about finding a better way for us all to take action to protect our wildlife and the wider environment, Chris is a wonderful advocate to have on board and encourage others to help make a difference.

Chris has spoken in depth about his concerns regarding industrial scale farming and its impact on the natural world with Global CEO of Compassion in World Farming, Philip Lymbery.

Patron

Jonathon Porritt CBE, Co-Founder of Forum for the Future, is an eminent writer, broadcaster, and commentator on sustainable development. Jonathon has been a Compassion Patron and Visionary supporter for many years. From 2000-2009, he was Chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission, providing high-level advice to government ministers. He is Co-Director of The Prince of Wales's Business and Sustainability Programme. He received a CBE in 2000 for services to environmental protection.

In many respects, farm animal welfare is the ‘lost issue’ on the broad terrain of sustainable development. Yet without a robust, unyielding focus on the way we breed, rear and slaughter animals, the notion of sustainable farming will forever remain something of an illusion. And that’s what makes Compassion in World Farming so special. For forty years, it has provided exactly that focus, and with deep intelligence and humanity reminds us today (often very uncomfortably!) of some of the blind spots in our thinking about sustainable food and farming.

Patron

Michael J. Reiss is Professor of Science Education at UCL Institute of Education, a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, a member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics and a Priest in the Church of England.

He was a member of the Farm Animal Welfare Council/Committee and Director of Education at the Royal Society, in addition to serving as a member of the GM Science Review Panel, Specialist Advisor to the House of Lords Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures and Chair of EuropaBio’s External Advisory Group on Ethics.

We are delighted to have Michael's unwavering support as we campaign to end factory farming.

Patron

John Webster is Professor Emeritus at the University of Bristol. As Chair of Animal Husbandry at Bristol, he established the unit for the study of animal welfare and behaviour. A founder member of the UK Farm Animal Welfare Council, he first propounded the ‘Five Freedoms’, internationally recognised as standards defining good welfare. He is a former president of the British Society of Animal Science. He has published many books including A Cool Eye Towards Eden and Limping Towards Eden. His book Animal Husbandry Regained: The Place of Farm Animals in Sustainable Agriculture extends the principle of unsentimental compassion beyond that for the farm animals to embrace all concerns for the life on the land.

John is also a Visionary, having signed our Vision for Fair Food and Farming.

I have always held Compassion in the highest regard because they concentrate their concern on the welfare of those in the greatest need; the farm animals whom we exploit the most for the food they provide but whose lives we largely ignore. In recent years, Compassion (and I) have expanded our concerns to embrace the impact of farming on the whole living environment: flora and fauna, animals domestic and wild. What we share is the will to seek the best possible practical application of the principle of reverence for life.

High Profile Supporter

TV presenter, author and vet Marc Abraham OBE (aka Marc the Vet) is well known for appearing on The Paul O’Grady Show, and has since given pet advice on BBC Breakfast, ITV’s This Morning, the Alan Titchmarsh Show and Good Morning Britain, to name a few.

Marc is an enthusiastic animal welfare advocate and has supported many of our campaigns, including Ban Live Exports. Marc's published books include Lucy's law and Be More Mosquito.

Marc has also been extremely supportive of our campaign to Ban Live Exports and spoke at this year’s Ban Live Exports: International Awareness Day rally in London.

We’re delighted to have Marc’s ongoing support in our mission to end cruel factory farming.

High Profile Supporter

English actor and writer Mike Beckingham is well known for his leading role as Josh in the hit movie Redwood for which he won Best Actor at The British Horror Film Awards. Mike grew up in the countryside of Gloucestershire where he developed a love of animals. Lending his talents to Compassion’s cause, Mike stared in our award winning film, Time to Decide – a moving piece that explores animal cruelty throughout the ages. After shooting this, he told us how the experience of being in the picture changed the way he buys his food, forever. Every generation must make its mind up what injustice and cruelty it will tolerate.

Mike believes that the key to upturning society’s habit for ‘cheap’ meat is to inform people, so that they can make up their own minds and feel empowered. “It’s all about educating people. It comes down to the consumer, but they have to be given a level playing field – they need to know the facts. Mike also appears in our Dear Humans campaign film. The short, impactful film was commissioned to highlight the reality of millions of UK farm animals currently suffering in cruel cages and helped to secure over 100,000 signatures on a parliamentary petition calling on the Government to End the Cage Age.

We are extremely grateful for Mike’s support in the fight against factory farming.

Factory farming is hidden and that’s the scary thing – it’s all behind closed doors. We need to break down those doors.

High Profile Supporter

Verity Bowditch is best known for her starring role in reality TV show ‘Made in Chelsea’. In 2020 she joined forces with entrepreneur Mikey Pearce to launch Clean Kitchen, a sustainable, vegan restaurant chain with a mission to bring plant-based food to the mainstream. Having grown up on a rescue farm, Verity is passionate about making the world a better place for farmed animals.

Verity has backed many of our campaigns, including our work to Ban Live Exports, and our push to see animals recognised as sentient beings in UK law.

We are delighted to have her ongoing support in our goal to end factory farming.

High Profile Supporter

Founder of the Liz Earle Beauty Co. and Liz Earle Wellbeing Magazine, Liz is also a bestselling author, broadcaster (with regular appearances on ITV’s This Morning) and a campaigner for sustainable farming practices. An organic beef and sheep farmer, Liz is a pioneer of the Pasture For Life movement and an advocate for free-range, grass-fed milk and dairy production. Liz works with sustainable development projects in communities across East Africa, is founder of the charity LiveTwice, and an ambassador for Fairtrade Foundation.

Liz was honoured with an MBE for services to the beauty industry in November 1997. We are grateful to have Liz as a supporter and Visionary.

High Profile Supporter

Talented chef, writer, broadcaster and campaigner, Hugh is widely known for his uncompromising commitment to seasonal, ethically produced food and has earned a huge following through his River Cottage TV series and books. Hugh’s Chicken Run! Campaign, inspired many to buy only high welfare chicken. Following that success his Fish Fight TV campaign helped achieve EU laws to end fish ‘discards’. Hugh, who is also one of our Visionaries, believes we should eat less, but better meat.

We are delighted to have such an influential personality supporting our mission to end factory farming.

All over the world now, we’ve got booming populations with an increasing voracious appetite to eat meat. And it’s too much meat – for human health; for the welfare of farm animals; for our environment to sustain. We need a massive rethink.

High Profile Supporter

Actress Kate Ford is probably best known for her role as Tracy Barlow in hit TV soap Coronation Street. Kate has supported us for many years, participating in several of our campaigning events and demonstrations, including Ban Live Exports and End the Cage Age. Her engaging personality always attracts attention and Kate’s a natural when it comes to speaking with the media and public about our work.

We’re so pleased to have Kate help us to galvanise wider support to end factory farming.

High Profile Supporter

Vet and TV presenter James Greenwood is best known for his starring role in the children’s hit documentary series 'The Pets Factor'. As a practicing veterinary surgeon and the resident vet on BBC One's Morning Live show, he has devoted his life to caring for animals. James lives in Bristol with his husband on their small holding along with 20 sheep, 16 hens and a one-eyed labrador named Oliver.

James has backed many of our campaigns, including our work to Ban Live Exports, and recently hosted a panel discussion at our 2022 Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards.

We are delighted to have his ongoing support in our mission to end factory farming.

High Profile Supporter

Ecologist and broadcaster Ellie Harrison is well known for presenting features on BBC Countryfile. Ellie is extremely perceptive when it comes to educating people on the food chain, a challenge that she and the Countryfile team undertake on a weekly basis. We are delighted to have her ongoing support.

Compassion is a word that we never hear. I think it ought to be very much part of our consciousness in the world of farming and food.

High Profile Supporter

Respected author and former politician, Stanley Johnson, has worked in the field of environment, conservation and animal welfare for decades. As a Member of the European Parliament, he was Vice-Chairman of the Environment Committee and Founder-Chair of the All-Party Group on Animal Welfare.

He has received awards from the RSPCA, RSPB, WWF and Greenpeace for outstanding services to animal welfare and the environment, respectively.
Stanley is particularly passionate in his support for our global campaigns to End the Cage Age and Ban Live Exports. He is also one of our Visionaries for Fair Food and Farming.

It is truly wonderful to have the backing of such an inspirational and passionate advocate, delivering our messages to those who have the power to implement change for farm animals, and helping our mission to end cruel factory farming.

High Profile Supporter

British actress Virginia Mckenna is best known for her role in the film ‘Born Free’ which she starred in opposite her late husband Bill Travers. They established the Born Free Foundation in 1991, co-founded by their son Will. The organisation aims to ensure that all wild animals, whether living in captivity or in the wild, are treated with compassion and respect.

With a strong ethos to improve the lives of animals Virginia is a true champion for our work and a long-term supporter who we are truly grateful to have on-board.

High Profile Supporter

Father Ted and Eastenders star, Pauline Mclynn is not only a gifted actress and wonderful author but also a passionate animal welfare campaigner. She has supported Compassion for many years and helped engage the public to take action against factory farming. We are delighted to have such a spirited campaigner on board.

High Profile Supporter

TV presenter, vet and author Emma Milne is well known for her love of animals.

Emma is passionate about animal welfare and advocates better standards of care for pets, conservation of wildlife and an end to factory farming. We are grateful to have Emma’s ongoing support.

Emma took on the role of host for our 2019 Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards and has sat on the judging panel for Retail Marketing and Innovation Awards for several years.

Emma has also been extremely supportive of our campaign to Ban Live Exports and spoke at this year’s Ban Live Exports: International Awareness Day rally in London.

High Profile Supporter

Actress Carley Stenson is best known for her role in the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks and for playing Fantine in the London production of Les Misérables. Carley has been of great support to our campaigns including Ban Live Exports. It is fantastic to have Carley backing our work and supporting our mission.

Actress and singer Victoria Summer is best known for her role as ’Julie Andrews’ in Disney’s ‘Saving Mr Banks’ opposite Tom Hanks. Victoria is the founder of ‘Next Generation Role Model’ that shines the spotlight on up-and-coming young talent and interviews visionaries and leaders of the Next Generation
Victoria has supported us for several years with a particular interest in our Ban Live Exports and End.It campaigns.

We are delighted to have Victoria’s ongoing support in our relentless work to end factory farming and move towards more regenerative solutions for animals, people and our planet.

Gardener, florist, author, and proud owner of hens – Arthur Parkinson also cares deeply about farm animal welfare. He studied at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, then worked for the inspirational Sarah Raven, where he pursued his interest in growing cut flowers. Later, Arthur became head gardener for the potter, Emma Bridgewater, which inspired his first book, The Pottery Gardener. He’s also a regular on Sarah’s podcast, ‘Grow, Cook, Eat, Arrange’, and has shared his passion for nurturing and enjoying plants on the BBC’s Gardener’s World. At home Arthur keeps a mixed flock of rare-breed hens, which he regularly posts updates about on Instagram. It’s fantastic to have Arthur supporting us and helping to share our campaign messages to his audiences.

Arthur’s latest book, the beautifully illustrated memoir, Chicken Boy, launched in April 2023.