Coming Up: What’s on in October

Opportunities to support wellbeing, make planet-positive food choices and see the world from a different perspective by considering how climate change affects animals.

What’s On – October 2026

Sober October
Sober October is a chance to take a break from alcohol for 31 days and reflect on how drinking affects your health and wellbeing. Alcohol Change UK runs its Sober October campaign to raise awareness of alcohol harm and support its work to reduce serious alcohol harm in the UK.

> Featured article: Alcohol affects us differently as we age and hangovers can hit harder. Kate Muir explores the science and how changing our drinking habits can bring new joy in Women & Wine: How to Make Midlife Magnificent.

National Vegetarian Week (October 1-7)
National Vegetarian Week is back, with a focus on budget-friendly, planet-positive foods such as beans, pulses and whole grains. 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

> See our vegetarian food and drink pages for more seasonal recipe ideas.

Walk to School Month
October is International Walk to School Month, organised in the UK by walking charity Living Streets. This year, the focus is on the wellbeing benefits of walking and wheeling to school, from building healthy habits and supporting mental wellbeing to giving children time to connect with family, friends and their local community. Not to mention helping children arrive feeling refreshed, focused and ready for the day ahead.

World Animal Day (October 4)
World Animal Day aims to raise the status of animals and improve welfare standards around the globe. This year’s theme, “See the world through their eyes”, encourages us to consider how animals are affected by the changing climate and to look beyond a human-centric view of the world.

World Mental Health Day (October 10)
World Mental Health Day is a chance to raise awareness of mental health and the importance of listening to people with lived experience. This year’s theme from the World Federation for Mental Health is “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change.” It highlights the value of listening to people’s experiences and using what we learn to create meaningful change. The Mental Health Foundation website has free tip sheets covering topics including doomscrolling and managing feelings of overwhelm.