[Taken from VegNews]
"Behind the scenes" may not be the phrase that comes to mind when one thinks of Heather Mills, but maybe it should be. Of course, the majority of the world still knows her best for her divorce, but this year, Mills has made her mark on all things veg—and when we say all things, we mean all things.

"The more fabulous vegan products, the better," she says. From food to fashion to fish-free vitamins, Mills has her fingers in more pots than just about anyone we know. Her omnipresent name in the media this year—always closely followed by the word "vegan"—has helped catapult cruelty-free living into the mainstream. In fact, keeping her myriad projects straight can prove to be its own challenge. Her umbrella company is Be@One, under which fall her VBites restaurant ("a cool place to hang out," according to its creator), line of refrigerated packaged meals, newly acquired vegan meat and cheese brand Redwood Foods, and recently launched recycled clothing line, also named Be@One. Got it?

While her business plan is decidedly Marquezian, it seems to be working. Since opening on July 4, Brighton’s VBites has seen a steady stream of customers and requests for franchising, with the first US location set to open October 3 in the Bronx, NY. All of her products undergo nearly constant upgrades: she’s working on making potato-starch-based packaging for her refrigerated dinner line, so plastic can be taken out of the production, and she’s creating an algae-based EPA-DHA omega-3 blend to add to her VBites line of faux meats that will also soon be available as a supplement. For her out-of-the-spotlight work, Mills works closely with animal-protection groups like Viva! and The Humane Society of the United States. She donates freely ("I put every bit of cash I’ve got into these projects"), and supports burgeoning businesses like Beyond Skin, with which she’s obsessed. "They’ve really stuck to their ethics," she says of the vegan footwear company. "They haven’t gone over to China [for production]."

With so much currently on her plate, what does the future hold? Possibly a more toneddown version of the highly outspoken—read: preachy—Mills the tabloids tend to report. "It can come off as lecturing. Now I’m hitting 42, and I’m realizing there are other ways to show people that there’s a vegan, ethical, environmentally friendly alternative." And she’s hoping that the VBites line of faux meats will take off, literally. "Richard Branson’s a good friend of mine and just gave up eating beef, so I’m hoping we can work to get VBites on Virgin Atlantic." Though she seems to be at the eye of her own storm of veganism, Mills is optimistic about the future. "There’s always sense in what seems like madness at first." Whether in the spotlight or behind the scenes, Mills’ tireless activism is making sense.

On Saturday, 16 August in Washington, D.C., USA the world’s oldest and largest animal rights conference sponsored by FARM presented Heather Mills with the prestigious “Animal Rights Activist of the Year” award for her leadership, extraordinary advocacy, campaigning and passionate commitment to the animal liberation and welfare movement. Citing her numerous legislative, regulatory and campaign successes Farm Founder and President, Alex Hershaft thanked Heather for all of her accomplishments on behalf of the nearly 1,000 conference attendee’s representing over 60 different animal protection groups spanning nine countries.

The attendee’s at Saturday’s awards ceremony gave an overwhelming warm reception to Heather when she received the award, spoke about her various campaigns and encouraged all to understand the magnitude of their work and “the power one person can have to make a difference” when acting on, and following their passions! Many were unaware of the span of Heather’s charity work and the magnitude of her respective campaigns.

Heather encouraged the fellow activists to continue their commitment and passion to helping others make the world a better place, to continue to follow their hearts and follow the FARM priorities of advocating for a plant based diet to save animals, protect the environment and to improve our personal, and communities, health and wellness.

She also addressed her vision of advocating, educating, and providing the opportunities for so many more who want to make a difference in their own social responsibility quest to access healthy, great tasting plant based products. Heather commented that she was truly touched by the standing ovation of the audience, the interest in her work and the receptivity to her vision of bringing healthy plant based recipes to the masses.

For more information visit: http://www.arconference.org/

To see Video please read News story.

The awards are held each year by the Vegan Society. Vegan society members vote for their favourite vegan companies, product and people.

Heather commented below upon receiving the award:

2007 Vegan Society Achievement Awards

I would like to express my gratitude to the Vegan Society & all those members that nominated me for this achievement. Although I have won this award it is through the accumulation of all our voices to continue to principally create an awareness of why it is so important to avoid animal products. No matter who you are or how small or large everyone's input counts. So once again it is an honour & let us all remember those animals that have no say.

Thank you,

Heather Mills

Heather Mills PRESENTED Heather Mills GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP IN HUMAN SECURITY - October 11, 2006 University of California Irvine

Heather Mills personally presented the 2006 HM Graduate Fellowship in Human Security at the University of California Irvine Policymakers, activists and scholars, students and interested members of the Orange County community gathered on Wednesday, October 11, 2006 for the Human Security Summit at the University of California Irvine. Heather Mills presented the Heather Mills Graduate Fellowship in Human Security to Ted Gaulin - a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science for his project on "Human Security and Climate change in Western Sudan : An Interdisciplinary Study of the Conflict in Darfur".

The Heather Mills Graduate Fellowship in Human Security was established in 2004. in honour of the significant security issues made by Heather Mills. The fellowship allows graduate students to undertake original research on pressing security and enables CUSA (Center for Unconventional Security Affairs) to help prepare the next generation of business, policy and academic leaders for the challenges they will face.

The Award Ceremony Included a keynote lecture by General Romeo Dallaire (pictured with Heather above) who received the 2006 CUSA Human Security Award for his heroic actions to save lives and protect the vulnerable in Rwanda in 1994, while serving as UN Force Commander and for his subsequent efforts to educate, support and provide leadership to the world community on pressing humanitarian issues.

Heather Mills with 2005 and 2006 Heather Mills Fellowship winners Dina Giannikopolous, 2005 Heather Mills Fellowship winner for "Disability and Poverty Alleviation: A Cambodian Case Study" Gaulin wins 2006 HM Fellowship Ted Gaulin 2006 Fellowship winner for project "Human Security and Climate change in Western Sudan : An Interdisciplinary Study of the Conflict in Darfur".

For more information please see UCI Center for Unconventional Security Affairs' at University of California Irvine

Related Links:

www.cusa.uci.edu & www.cusa.uci.edu/david_bornstein.htm

On 10th September 2005, Heather received an Humanitarian Award from PETA at their 25th Anniversary Gala in Hollywood. Hosted by comedian Fred Willard and Pamela Anderson, more than 2,000 PETA supporters watched as Jamie Lee Curtis presented the award to Heather in recognition of her campaigning work for animals as well as for her ongoing campaign for a European ban on cat and dog fur. Heather, who appears on the cover of PETA’s 2004 Shopping Guide For Caring Consumers, recently agreed to narrate PETA's brand new video expose of the horrors of Chinese fur farms. Curtis called Heather "a true friend to PETA and animals" and added: "Heather has inspired consumers and retailers to leave fur where it belongs – on the animals."

PETA - www.peta25.com

Heather was delighted to attend the Unesco benefit gala for children in need on the 6th November 2004.  Heather is very aware of some of the fantastic projects implemented in the developing world by this organization.  The fundraising gala was organised by special ambassador Ms. Ute-Henriette Ohoven.   A wonderful lady who works tirelessly to mobilise attention, support and resources for UNESCO’s education programmes for children in need worldwide.

Heather was honored at this gala evening with the inaugural UNESCO for Children in Need Award for her huge commitment and unceasing dedication for the victims of landmines.  About a third of those who suffer landmine explosions are children.  Heather is the founding patron of No More Landmines, which has raised over £6.5m to date, funding clearance of 21 million square metres of mined land and benefiting more than 400,000 people.  Through her work, No More Landmines is now the largest funder of landmine clearance in the world.  The award was presented by Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, then federal minister for economic cooperation and development in Germany.

Heather commented:

 “I am thrilled to have been given this award; I am a great admirer of UNESCO and the wonderful work the Education for Children in Need programme does to help vulnerable children.

“The annual UNESCO Children in Need gala, in Germany has become a major international charity event - a celebration in which leading circles of the business and artistic community rally around the ideals of UNESCO and its education programmes.  The funds raised enable UNESCO to implement education projects in numerous developing countries to give children the opportunity to get an education and job training.”

The Education for Children in Need programme is entirely funded from private donations.  Since 1992 Ute-Henriette Ohoven amazingly has helped raise some 25 million Euros for this programme, which directly supports some 207 projects in 75 countries, helping hundreds of thousands of children and adolescents.  Vocational training, schools, food, shelters and diverse projects help to rescue the most vulnerable street children, victims of wars and disasters, sick and disabled youngsters from a miserable life and early death and giving them the chance to help themselves.

Many of the children in the areas where Unesco works are often surrounded by the frighteningly real possibilities of exploitation with many poor children being forced into prostitution, or groomed to become child soldiers from a terrifyingly young age.  A clear message concerning what the evening was about was given by Koichiro Matsuura, director general of UNESCO “

“This gala 2004 is for these millions of children, an open window on life, hope and the future.  By supporting projects that bring direct concrete and visible help to the excluded children.  We are building tomorrows generation and giving a new meaning to the word future, they need us, they need you!  Let us not disappoint them.“

Songwriting legend Phil Collins also received the award in recognition of his work for his “Little Dreams” Foundation which helps to realise the dreams of children between the ages of 4 and 16 who have a special gift or talent in athletics or the arts.”

1,400 VIP guests from around the world attended this high profile event including Vivienne Westwood, Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu, top model Bibi Russell from Bangladesh and Costa Rica’s president Nobel Peace Prize winner Oscar Ainas Sanchez.  Lisa Stansfield,  Kool & the Gang, and the young Israeli singer Liel all performed at the Gala, together with children from both Israel and Palestine, as a symbol for peace and tolerance in the Middle East and the rest of the world.

The International Association of Lions Clubs was founded by Chicago businessman Melvin Jones in 1917. His dream was to encourage local business clubs to expand their horizons from purely professional concerns to the betterment of communities & the world at large.

Now 94 countries are represented by 1.35million members , who answer the needs that challenge communities across the world.

Heather Mills made an appearance at the London's Lions Convention.

Dr Elliot Shubert, Lions District Governor & the Lions of 105, honoured Heather with a MELVIN JONES FELLOW AWARD. This was to acknowledge her work with war victims who have lost their limbs & her dedicated support for No More Landmines who raise funds & awareness to rid the world of landmines.

Following an earthquake in India, Gujart 2001, Heather flew to India & launched an appeal to the LIONS CLUBS in the area to buy more that 5,000 artificial limbs for people who had lost their legs in the disaster.

Please visit www.haverhilllionsclub.org-index.html

Heather Mills, Open University Sesame Honorary Graduate for 2003

Saturday 21 June Portsmouth

Philanthropist Heather Mills is a patron of No More Landmines and a United Nations Association Goodwill Ambassador, who has campaigned to raise funds and awareness to rid the world of landmines. She counsels people from across the globe who have lost limbs in accidents, through illness or as a result of terrorist activities. Her work has earned her a multitude of international awards. In August 1993, she was involved in a road accident with a police motorcycle and suffered the loss of her left leg below the knee. Her prosthetic leg had to be regularly replaced – prompting her to instigate a nationwide appeal for the donation of unwanted prostheses for amputees and survivors of landmine explosions around the world.