Coming Up: What’s on in October

From campaigns promoting kindness to animals and celebrating vegetarian food, to important conversations about mental health and access to services, October is full of opportunities to make a positive impact.

What’s On – October 2025

National Vegetarian Week (October 1-7)
“Helping the environment can feel overwhelming, but each of us can make a difference, and it’s easy to do. By reducing or cutting out meat, we can lower our carbon footprint, helping the planet and all its occupants. That’s why I am supporting National Vegetarian Week”, says TV presenter and conservationist Chris Packham. You can sign up on the Vegetarian Society website for a free digital booklet of vegetarian and vegan recipes.

Chetna Makan's chickpea and yogurt curry recipe

Featured recipe: Chickpea Yogurt Curry from Easy Indian Vegetarian by Chetna Makan

Walk to School Month
October is International Walk to School Month, organised in the UK by the walking charity Living Streets. This year, you can participate in the ‘Autumn Street Safari’, a free downloadable scavenger hunt designed to make your journey to school more engaging. Activities include spotting a zebra crossing, puddle jumping, tree hugging and finding feathers. Download the activity sheet to discover interesting things to see and do as you walk, wheel or scoot to school.

Living Streets: Walk to School Month

World Animal Day (October 4)
World Animal Day aims to raise the status of animals to improve welfare standards around the globe. This year’s theme is ‘Save Animals, Save the Planet’. In celebration of 100 years of World Animal Day, the 100 Acts of Kindness campaign encourages individuals, families and community groups to pledge acts of kindness for animals and the environment. Simple actions like feeding birds or donating to rescue centres can create a ripple effect of compassion and make a significant impact.

World Mental Health Day (October 10)
“A day for coming together, starting important conversations about mental health and challenging stigma,” says the Mental Health Foundation. The charity suggests many ways to get involved, including planning a Tea and Talk event. This year’s theme is ‘Access to Services – Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies’, highlighting the importance of people being able to protect their mental health whatever they are going through, because everyone deserves good mental health.