CAMRA celebrates 50 years of volunteering this Volunteers’ Week

In celebration of Volunteers Week (1-7 June), the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is shining a spotlight on the volunteers that have made the organisation what it is for the last 50 years.

CAMRA is celebrating its 50th anniversary throughout 2021, following its official launch on 16 March 2021. During its golden anniversary year, the volunteer-led organisation is encouraging its members to take to social media to share stories of great volunteering moments from the last five decades. Testimonies from volunteers will also be shared daily on the official CAMRA social media channels, celebrating the hard work of volunteers across the Campaign. Volunteers are also encouraged to share their stories on the 50th Anniversary Hub: https://camra.org.uk/50-years/volunteering/

CAMRA has over 200 local branches that are led by dedicated volunteers sharing a love of real ale, cider, perry and pubs. Throughout its history, it has been one of the most successful campaigning organisations in the UK, all thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of its volunteers. This year, the campaign is celebrating 50 years of running beer festivals, lobbying Government for change, running numerous awards and developing bespoke pub finders and guides, all in support of the beer and pubs trade.

CAMRA’s National Vice-Chair Abigail Newton said: “The success of CAMRA owes so much to the hard work and dedication of our volunteers, who perform a variety of roles from organising CAMRA festivals and putting their time in behind the bar, to helping record and create our popular Pubs. Pints. People. podcast and devoting their evenings to committee meetings.

“Throughout the last year of change and turmoil for the world, our enthusiastic volunteers have been quick to adapt to the changing circumstances, throwing their weight behind our campaigns to support the industry and conducting CAMRA business virtually. Our volunteers bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Campaign and we are looking forward to celebrating our volunteers this week and sharing their stories.”

CAMRA is encouraging its members to tell their stories online, starting with Volunteers’ Week’s annual Twitter party, taking place between 11am and 12pm on Tuesday 1 June – an hour of thanks to those who have given up their time to help organisations such as CAMRA. The Campaign will be honouring its wide range of volunteers, from bar staff, stewards, the podcast team, writers and educators, to committee members, branch chairs and its National Executive. CAMRA will be amplifying the voices of volunteers throughout the week.

CAMRA’s 50th year will be marked throughout the year, with a host of activity including a new biography 50 Years of CAMRA, awards for campaigners, pubs and breweries, virtual festivals, and commemorative merchandise. Learn more on our 50th Anniversary page: https://camra.org.uk/50-years/

To find out more about Volunteers’ Week, go to https://volunteersweek.org/

ENDS