Guidelines

Dietary Requirements: Please advise us of any requirements, allergens or intolerances you have and don't be afraid to let the staff in the Volunteers’ Canteen found in the Volunteer Village know of any preferences and requirements. The canteen team will be happy to cater for your needs, but they need to be informed what they are. The information you have given on the staff form is also forwarded to the catering team for their information. We however strongly advise you introduce yourself to the canteen staff and make them aware of any food allergies you have to make sure they are aware.

Medical Conditions: To protect you, we do not want you to do anything which would be harmful, so please list any medical problems that may be aggravated by any of the tasks required at the beer festival. We have a team of First Aiders on site at all times and if your condition is more serious, we will advise them of it in case of emergency. The information provided will be treated in confidence. The information may be used in the case of a medical emergency where you may require treatment from first aiders or paramedics. We won't share this information unless required. The information will only be used in relation to your volunteer role at the Great British Beer Festival and will not be kept after the event.

Parking on Site: Parking is very limited in London plus the Congestion Charge Zone may affect you depending on your route (check out www.cclondon.com for details). The new Ultra Low Emission Zone may also affect your travel. Please check tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone for more info. The allocation of accommodation is very much determined by your parking requirements so please only bring a vehicle if absolutely necessary. There is no parking at Olympia due to the development work going on at the venue.

Working Time: We need you to indicate the hours you intend to work, along with the meals you intend to eat at the CAMRA Volunteers Canteen, and the nights for which you require accommodation or accommodation subsidy allowance. On days when the festival is open to the public (from Tuesday - Saturday) the working time should be taken in blocks based around the two core sessions of 1200-1800 and 1700-2300. Please mark these sessions as solid working time, breaks can be arranged with the manager of the section you are working on a daily basis. If you are unable to work complete sessions, please indicate the hours you do expect to work and provide a reason on the form. Outside of the core sessions, please just indicate the individual hours you are available to work.
NOTE - Don't forget to leave your session off blank (we would expect people working the whole event to take one session off throughout the course of the festival). Tutored Tasting session will be classed as a session off.
NOTE - Only experienced festival workers are required on the first two days of setup (Thursday and Friday) and the Tuesday of take down. You will need permission from your line manager to work on these days, and you need to indicate your line manager’s name on the form for validation. Other set up and take-down days (Saturday, Sunday & Monday for set up and Sunday & Monday of take-down) are restricted to permanent staff, deputy managers and managers.

Accommodation: Wherever possible we would like people to arrange their own accommodation. If you have booked your own accommodation, CAMRA will provide an accommodation allowance of up to £45 + VAT per person per qualifying night. To claim this back, complete an expenses claim form (available from the Staffing Desk) and submit it accompanied by a valid receipt for all nights claimed. NOTE: You will need a VAT receipt, showing the hotel VAT number if you wish to claim the VAT element back.

For those unable to arrange their own accommodation, we provide free accommodation in university halls of residence subject to minimum work criteria being met. We do require a damage deposit of £75. This is required in advance of arrival at the festival. This can be done by providing your credit or debit card details to act as a guarantee. The system will only take your credit or debit card details and confirm they are valid; you will not be charged anything unless we are billed for damage in the room or loss of keys. Please be aware that the damage deposit will also be kept for no shows and cancellations after the deadline. Please indicate if there is anyone you would prefer to be near in the halls accommodation.

To qualify for accommodation (either allowance or in halls), volunteers are expected to work a minimum of 8-hours for each set-up/take-down night and a minimum of 10-hours for each night on open days (Tuesday to Saturday). Accommodation/allowance is only provided on days that you work, or the day before you commence work. If you require accommodation in halls, then you are required to work a minimum of three consecutive days.

Whether claiming the accommodation allowance, or requiring free halls accommodation, it is important that the Accommodation box is checked for each day you are claiming.

Halls accommodation this year is either at Roehampton (which is the only halls to offer parking facilities) and a small number at Imperial North Acton (note this is a different Imperial to the one we have used previously).

Accommodation is in single ensuite rooms only. We will not be using the breakfast facilities in the halls, and meal vouchers will not be issued this year. Instead there will be an enhanced free breakfast offer from the Volunteers’ Canteen, as well as the usual cooked breakfast available to purchase.