A ROSSENDALE charity mission is set to visit 675 towns across the UK to highlight animal welfare.

The Ahimsa Animal Project, led by vegan farmer Anand Ennis-Cole, from Water, will see 10 volunteers visit high streets, and shopping centres, to deliver their message of peace towards the animal kingdom.

The tour begins on March 1, and takes in destinations from Blackburn to Bournemouth.

Mr Ennis-Cole and his team will be dressing up as animals in an attempt to engage with youngsters, and teach them the importance of wildlife.

He said: “We believe animals have as much of a right to exist as we do.

“We want to engage with people, not just children, but adults too.

“We are motivated by our spiritual teacher, Satguru Sri Ramana, and her teachings of oneness.

“We aim to raise awareness of our vegan farm and the work we do with animals, and how veganism is a lifestyle.

“It’s about being conscious of ourselves, and our environment.

“Our engagement with the wider society is the reason that we exist.

“We are extremely passionate about creating change in the world and focus our work in several areas.”

The word ‘ahimsa’ means ‘not killing’, or ‘non-violence’, in Sanskrit and is one of Hinduism’s forem-ost religious duties.

Mr Ennis-Cole’s Meadows Farm, in Dean Lane, houses around 50 injured animals. He said: “We take in injured, or ill animals, and help them recover.

“We also provide people on low incomes with the means to neuter, or spay, their animals.”

The Shiva Trust, the charity which is co-ordinating the Ahimsa project, is also planning to plant more than 400 trees at Meadows Farm on March 24.