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CAMRA Waterway Sector Conference 21 March 2015 Presenter – Beverley Gobbett. Agenda. My role at CAMRA CAMRA – Brief overview Activation Perspective on Social Media Personal reflections. My role at CAMRA Festival Trainer Volunteer Committee Deputy Regional Director
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CAMRA Waterway Sector Conference 21 March 2015 Presenter – Beverley Gobbett
Agenda • My role at CAMRA • CAMRA – Brief overview • Activation • Perspective on Social Media • Personal reflections
My role at CAMRA • Festival Trainer • Volunteer Committee • Deputy Regional Director • Competition Organiser – M/cr • Member of the Nat. Tasting Panel • Asst Bar Manager at GBBF My roles
CAMRA – Brief Overview • Founded in 1971 • Independent, voluntary organisation campaigning for real ale, community pubs and consumer rights • UK, Northern Ireland and Channel islands – We have 16 regions, 215 branches and organise over 150 beer festivals per annum
Overview continued • 168,553* members (January 2015) • In excess of 5,000 committee post holding volunteers • Membership doubled in 8 years • Growth averaging 8.6% per annum over the past 5 years
Overview continued • Over 60% of our members join via our national website www.camra.org.uk • Membership is £24* per annum • A monthly newspaper and quarterly magazine • Concessions on publications, including the Good Beer Guide, • Free or reduced entry to every beer festival • Numerous third party benefits
Overview continued • In 2008 we developed an affinity scheme. Now working with numerous organisations offering benefits to our membership • Real Ale Societies • Investing in Volunteers – Training and Support
Activating Members POINTS TO CONSIDER • What is YOUR current situation • Barriers to volunteering • Sharing of successes and failures and what lessons can be learnt • What other support is needed
Barriers to Activation 36% of non active members said they would be interested in volunteering in future BUT: • Lack of communication • Some branches only contact members when they want help at beer festivals. Others not at all. • Members do not know what they can volunteer for • Afraid of making a fool of themselves • Perception of branches: • Full of ‘old men’ • Unwelcoming • Set in their ways • Hard sell • Committee members never moving on • The activities that the branch does do not appeal to me • Geographical barriers/transport • What’s in it for me • Lack of time
Are you getting the messages right? Times have move on?
Perspective on Social Media • Forward thinking – Embracing technology and have a diverse representation online • Investing – We are investing on our online service provision to members and volunteers. New interactive website to be launched in 2015 • Omni-channel communication - via our website, email campaigns, facebook 40k likes, twitter 47.4k followers
Thoughts I hope that this has inspired Personal thoughts on what Waterway Societies could be doing more of ...