About Us

Students Against Animal Cruelty (SAAC) is a new national organisation created to support, stimulate and encourage students who want to make a difference for animals. We aim to create a network to link existing student groups and help to create new ones, allowing students across the country to share their ideas and experiences. We can also give help and advice on various issues, from campaigning for better provision of vegan food on campus to studying without harmful animal use. SAAC caters for students in all reaches of the UK, and runs on from the success of a group under the same name that Alexia Weeks set up at Southampton Solent University in 2006.

SAAC is run by Alexia Weeks, Julia Oakley and Alex Claridge, all past or present students and dab hands at all things veggie and animal related!

Alexia

Alexia Weeks

Alexia studied Journalism at Southampton Solent University and has worked for various ethical ventures such as Lifescape magazine, Veggie Vision and an international animal rights organisation. In her third year she set up SAAC and with a wonderful group of people helped spread the compassionate but cool word around the university and local area. In this time, SAAC hosted veggie food fayres, a debate on vivisection with top scientists from around the country (we won too!) and other activities. She is 23 and her favourite food is pizza with mushrooms, faux chicken and lots of vegan cheese.

Julia Oakley

Just around the time that Alexia was graduating and looking to take her university group national, Julia was also thinking that better provision was needed for students wanting to get active for animals. A mutual friend put them in touch and SAAC national was born. Julia's background in Physics made her the obvious choice to develop the website & technical side of SAAC, a role which seems to involve rather a lot of swearing at the computer! Other interests include science in general, classical music and complementary therapies.
Alex

Alex Claridge

Alex is currently studying English at Nottingham University, where he is the social sec and general dogsbody for the University's Vegetarian and Vegan Society. He discovered SAAC whilst trying to set up a similar national group from scratch and the rest, so they say, is history. Likes include animal rights (duh!), theatre and classic horror movies. Alex is 19 and his favourite food is tofu, in all its many wonderful forms!