Volunteer

If you want to volunteer to work at Wigan Beer Festival 2024, you’d be warmly welcomed. Please see below for a range of expected duties or, for further information, please contact staffing@wigancamra.org.uk

Please complete the online form preferably before 31st January 2024.

Click the image to start. Need the form in an alternative format? Contact the volunteer staffing officer : Karen Mears [e-mail]

SET UP DAYS

Tuesday 27 February 2024 – main duties are storage of delivered casks, unloading van of equipment from our storage unit, laying floor protection to the 3 bar areas and, once the scaffolding is erected, racking some of the beers (so volunteers need to be reasonably fit !) and installation of cask cooling system (by a specialist team). First deliveries can be any time from 8:00am. Protective footwear and gloves is essential (though we do have some spare gloves).

Wednesday 28 February 2024 – more racking and cooling of beers/erection of our bars. Retrieval of equipment from onsite storage etc – again involves manual handling.

OPEN SESSIONS

Thursday 29 February 2024 (morning) – some residual manual work on bars. Tidy of site, placement of banners and posters, sorting of glasses etc.

Thursday 29 February 2024 (afternoon) – early afternoon (noon to 1:00pm approx.) local beer competition – some staff may be enlisted to judging panels, some required to do table service. Immediately afterwards we need volunteers to clear and wash glasses etc in preparation for Beer of festival judging commencing around 1:30pm (outside judges) which also requires table service. Open to the trade and sponsors from 4pm until 5:30pm. Volunteers required to cover admissions, bar service to all bars, games and door security. From 5:30pm we are open to the general public which requires additional volunteers on all areas including token sales, membership, glass returns plus increased resources needed in all other areas. Bar service ends at 11pm but volunteers are still required beyond this time to undertake glass and token refunds, bar staff are required to prompt customers to claim any refunds and finish their drinks.

Friday 1 March 2024  – some volunteers required from 10:30am onwards to carry out glass wash and restock, more needed from 11am to tidy bar areas in preparation for opening at 12 noon. Close of business as Thursday. Friday between 6pm and 10pm is our busiest time when we can always use more volunteers in all areas !

Saturday 2 March 2024 – as with Friday but more hands required early doors (from 10am) as we open at 11:30am. We close to the public at 10pm but expect as many staff as possible to stay behind to work until around 11pm to help clear up whatever they can to reduce the workload for Sunday. In particular we need to sort out the equipment we have on loan from the Manchester store so that it can be returned on the Sunday. We will aim to have a drink or two of whatever we have left afterwards but have to vacate the hall at 12:30am.

TAKE DOWN

Sunday 3 March 2024 – volunteers required for a variety of tasks – depending on what we managed to do Saturday evening. This can involve dismantling bar sections, removal and sorting of casks from stillage, stacking equipment according to whether it is to be returned to our own remote store, the Manchester storage unit, onsite storage, or collection to return to CAMRA HQ. Washing and pack up of stock glasses. Pack up games equipment. Take down and pack up of banners and posters etc.

FESTIVAL THANK YOU TRIP :
Details to be confirmed nearer date – free or subsidised places to volunteers based on hours worked.

NOTE : we cannot guarantee specific roles as all duties need to be covered to ensure the festival’s success. Volunteers should maintain a flexible approach as they may be moved to cover other tasks as required. A refusal to undertake any reasonable task assigned to you may result in withdrawal of all staff privileges. We are all volunteers but each team has designated managers to direct you in your work and agree when you should take your breaks. Staff intending to work from the start of any session which is open to the public should aim to arrive for their first session of duties at least 15 minutes before opening to allow for issue of staff Polo Shirts and allocation to roles before the public arrive. On arrival at the venue all volunteers should report to Carol or Gillian at membership/staffing desk to sign in and be assigned their duties.

IMPORTANT! All volunteers at our event will be expected to comply with CAMRA and Wigan volunteer guidelines, health and safety procedures, Covid and standards of behaviour policy. Copies of these policies will be issued by email nearer the event which will confirm your services are required.

Applications to work at our festival implies agreement to all of the above, anyone in breach of the policies may be asked to leave the event immediately and will not be invited to volunteer at a future festival