If you are, or are thinking of becoming, a CAMRA member there’s a huge range of financial benefits, but we hope the main one is that you are part of one of the biggest consumer groups in the world, campaigning to promote real ale, the wonderful pubs it is served in, and the people who brew and serve it – summarised as pubs, pints and people!
When CAMRA was founded, campaigning often meant going on demonstrations with placards, to try to prevent the closure of one of the few breweries left at the time. But as times have changed, the organisation has grown and been awarded the status of super complainant, and campaigning is now generally focused on government and local councils and their policies.
Member’s subscriptions, and money raised from beer festivals. primarily pays for the permanent staff needed to analyse and respond to government policy, across areas such as beer duty and VAT, competition (the ‘tie’), planning rules and enforcement, business rates, and, more recently, support for pubs and breweries in the face of first COVID and now the energy crisis.
Locally, the main benefit of being a member is free entry to Norwich Beer Festival at all sessions, and the excellent range of socials we organise – promoting our pubs and breweries by buying their beer, and adding to your social life at the same time has to be a win-win!