27th Bury Beer Festival 2009
Dear Member
Bury Beer Festival 2009
I wrote to you recently about the problems we were having in attracting sufficient numbers of volunteers to ensure that we could successfully run a beer festival in Bury this year and asking for branch members help in ensuring that the event could go ahead. We were particularly lacking help in the key pre festival organisation as well as volunteers to work at the festival and in its set up and take down.
Regrettably I have to inform you that while we did get some offers of help, for which thanks, there was insufficient response overall. In particular the key organisational areas remain unfilled. The Organising Committee met on Monday 17 th August and discussed the position, concluding unanimously that the festival could not go ahead as planned. The Branch Committee endorsed that position. I have therefore, with regret, to advise you that Bury Beer Festival 2009 is cancelled.
Clearly this is a disappointment to us all, but put simply, without volunteers, such cancellations are inevitable. We really do need to attract more active members to ensure that we can run the branch as effectively as possible. Your committee will be meeting soon to discuss the implications of this cancellation and to plan for the future. Rest assured, we are intent on restoring the vigour of the branch, by attracting more active participation and will be discussing how we might achieve this.
One thing is already in place. All our Branch Meetings for the next six months will be held centrally in the Baum (40p off a pint for CAMRA members) in Rochdale starting at the earlier time of 20.00. Please come along and show your support for the branch at the first meeting on 3 rd November. (You are of course welcome to attend the other meetings held before that date too. Details are on the web site.)
Peter Alexander
Branch Chairman