The Worthing Beer and Cider Festival runs from Friday morning until Saturday evening. However, volunteers are needed from Wednesday through to the end of the event, including packing up after the festival closes. Without volunteers, the event cannot take place.
Why Volunteer?
- Help create a fun, safe event for all attendees
- Free food from Piglets Pantry during your session
- Your own festival glass to sample drinks while on duty
- Meet fellow beer enthusiasts and be part of the team
Wed
Heavy Setup
Thu
Preparation
Fri
Festival Day 1
Sat
Festival Day 2
We get access to The Rooms at the Guildborne Centre around 8:30am. A freight lift allows us to move equipment, stillage, and barrels up to the first floor.
Initial Tasks
- Unload the hire van containing stillage and CAMRA equipment into the lift
- Receive the CAMRA pallet and unpack it upstairs
The Stillage: A large Meccano-style set comprising steel legs, spans, and feet. Wear gloves when handling as it can be sticky from previous festivals. Volunteers split between ground and upper floors to unload.
CAMRA Pallet: Brought upstairs on a pallet truck, containing stands, banners, scanners, glasses, and equipment. Includes an electronic cask lifter for safely placing full barrels on the stillage.
Floor Protection: Spill-proof rubber matting is rolled out and taped to the floor to protect against spillages.
Venue Setup: Tables and chairs are arranged to create customer seating areas. The ticketing desk is also prepared.
Building Phase
- Build the stillage as a team - placing feet, holding legs, and assembling crossbars
- Receive cask and keg deliveries throughout the day, checking against the master list
- Number each cask so the upstairs team knows where to place it
- Use the cask lift to position barrels on the stillage
- Build the CAMRA members stand and put up posters/banners
End of Day: Around lunchtime, volunteers take a well-earned break at The Selden for refreshments.
A specialist comes in to cool and tap the barrels and set up the keg area. This is a less physical day focused on final preparations.
Main Tasks
- Stuff programmes with beer festival voting slips
- Put out bar mats, signs, and posters around the venue
- Lay out leaflets and promotional materials
- Set up glasses and prepare the ticketing area
- Mop floors and empty drip buckets after casks are tapped
Shorter Day: Most tasks are complete before lunchtime.
Important: Volunteers must arrive early for a health and safety briefing and to sign in before the festival opens.
After the briefing, volunteers are assigned to different roles. See the volunteering page for full role descriptions.
Available Roles
- Door Team: Ticket scanning and applying wristbands
- Cash Desk: Taking money and card payments for tokens
- Glass Distribution: Handing out glasses (especially during the initial rush)
- Membership Stand: Processing CAMRA member discounts
- Bar Manager: One per bar to coordinate volunteers
- Bar Staff: Serving customers at the bar
- Glass Collecting & Washing: Keeping glasses in circulation
- General Cleaning: Managing spillages and tidying
Age Verification: Customers are age-checked at the door. Bar staff should only serve people wearing wristbands.
Session Reset (16:00 - 17:00)
Between sessions, the venue is refreshed:
- Wipe down tables and clear rubbish
- Empty bins and sweep floors
- Lay out fresh glasses and programmes
- Empty beer spillage buckets
- Quick rest break for volunteers
Some volunteers arrive an hour early to reset the venue from Friday night. The festival then runs the same as Friday.
Festival ends at 21:30 - Pack down begins immediately. We progressively close sections of the hall to start clearing while the event winds down.
Pack Down Tasks
- Wipe tables and return them to storage
- Empty all bins and sweep floors
- Stack chairs and move to the walls
- Take down posters and stands
- Re-pack the CAMRA pallet
- Move empty casks and kegs to the balcony
- Disassemble the stillage and carry to the lift
- Unload the lift to the waiting van
- Remove and dispose of floor matting
Ready to help?
Check out the volunteering roles available and sign up!