The Team
Who We Are
Vaania Kapoor Achuthan
Founder and President
Hi everyone! My name is Vaania and it is an absolute honour to be serving as the President of the UCL Animal Rights Society! I’ve always been an animal lover and back in my home country, India, I’ve rescued over 50 animals including turtles, parrots and cats (yes my house looked like a sanctuary and yes my mom was on the verge of kicking me and the animals out several times)!
Through these experiences, I started reading extensively about the animal rights abuses that occur in factory farms and within the pharmaceutical and poaching industries, to name a few. I started discussing these concerns with friends at UCL and later realised that UCL does not have a society established solely to address the injustices that occur on a daily basis towards animals. So of course, we decided to set it up ourselves!
Summer Wyatt-Buchan
Welfare Officer and Media Editor
Hi everyone! I am Summer your welfare officer <3 and so most importantly - if you have any worries, concerns or would just like a chat please DM me I am happy to help. Alongside Vaania, I assisted in co-founding this society with a main focus on network building, social media building and event planning.
I am a lifelong vegetarian, I do not wear any animal products and have a dairy allergy. Animal rights and environmental effects of animal consumption has always been part of my life and I have always felt the need to stick up for those without a voice.
I look forward to working with this society in order to create a positive change and raise awareness of the issues associated with animal welfare. More broadly speaking sustainability has increasingly become my passion and so I hope to encourage other students to go down a path where we can save the planet.
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Elena Konstanty
Treasurer and Designer
Hello guys!! My name is Elena and I'm very excited to be your treasurer for the upcoming year. Alongside Vaania, I assisted in co-founding this society with a main focus on community building and design. I am looking forward to working together with you and supporting the welfare of animals, whether it be through volunteering at shelters or fundraising. My love for animals started at a young age when I lived in Oman and had the valuable opportunity to help baby sea turtles return to the ocean after they lost their mother. Since then I have tried to help animals in every country I moved to!
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I am vegetarian with lactose intolerance meaning NO DAIRY for me! That being said you don't need to be vegan or vegetarian to be part of this society. However, cutting back on meat intake or buying it in a responsible manner wouldn't hurt ;)
CJ Westwood-Dunkley
Events Director
Hi there, my name’s CJ and I’m very excited to be serving as the Events Director for Animal Rights Society! Alongside Vaania, I assisted in co-founding this society with a main focus on event planning. I have been vegetarian for three years and in those three years I have been tirelessly educating myself on how to lead a more sustainable lifestyle.
I am now vegan!! I have been a huge animal lover since a young age as I spent a lot of my time in nature while growing up by the seaside and a 5 minute walk from the Sussex downs :) I strongly believe that promoting the welfare of animals and the protection of their habitats across the globe will help build a healthier world for all of us (animals and humans) to live in. So I can’t wait to help this process along through this society! X
