Young Members Task Group

CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, is extremely proud of its hugely diverse membership. Around 80,000 individuals of all ages, backgrounds and both sexes enjoy their CAMRA membership. With over 6% of the total national membership being aged between 18 - 30 years old, it was felt that a section of this website should be dedicated to show the activities of this thriving group of Young CAMRA Members.

What is the Young Members Task Group (YMG) and what do they do?

The YMG was formed to campaign on issues that affect Young CAMRA Members and to promote and encourage the drinking of Real Ale among young people (in this context "young" means the 18 - 30 age group).

We also encourage Young Members and young people to join in with the numerous social activities that are organised nationwide as well as getting Young Members to become more involved in CAMRA at local, regional and national levels.

The YMG has a committee, which is made up of younger members. The Young Members Group Committee (YMGC) have a responsibility to reflect the interests of all Young Members.

We hold four YMGC meetings a year (the next YMGC meeting will be in Leicester on Saturday 15th July 2006 at 1pm, at the Leicester Gateway, 52 Gateway Street, Leicester, LE2 7DP), where we discuss issues that matter to Young CAMRA Members. Our YMGC meetings always have a set agenda and a level of business we have to get through on matters that affect Young CAMRA Members. These meetings are usually carried out much more quickly than most other CAMRA meetings because we try to keep our meetings lively and interesting and we have a deadline of 4pm.

We all enjoy the social side of the campaign too (because it's not all work, work, work), so we go on very informal pub-crawls of the local city/town after each of the meetings - not always knowing what pub we're going to next because our guides are local Young Members. These pub crawls leave the meeting venue at 4.30pm. 

All Young Members are welcome to attend the meeting or pub-crawl if they're unable to make it to both and young non-members are welcome to join us on the pub crawls. The YMG is also here to help Young Members and young people if they want to set up a Real Ale Society in their University. 

Contact details of the YMGC members can be downloaded from the Young Members Section of the CAMRA web-site here. 

For all young people under 26 years old or any full time student, the full UK membership rate of £18 (£21 Joint) per annum, is reduced to £10 (£13 joint), reflecting CAMRA's commitment and determination to attract younger members. If you join by Direct Debit, you’ll get 15 months membership for the price of 12.

Affiliated Membership is open to University Real Ale Societies. Details about Affiliated Membership and Affiliated Membership rates are available from Tony Jerome (details below).

Do you want to set up a Real Ale Society?

We can give advice on how to approach the powers that be in your University in order to set up a Real Ale Society.

Does your Student Union Bar serve Real Ale?

CAMRA can help by providing information about Real Ale in a Bottle and breweries that can supply small casks of Real Ales, as well as providing help, information and advice on other issues. Your local CAMRA Branch Members will be able to suggest good Real Ale pubs in your area.

Are you part of a Real Ale Society at University?

Affiliated CAMRA Membership could be what your University Real Ale Society is looking for and will really benefit your society members. Ask Tony Jerome about affiliation and he will tell you about the merits and incentives that this new scheme has to offer!

How can I get involved?

There is a CAMRA Young Members Google Group. The Google Group was set up as a discussion group so that Young CAMRA Members can air their views about subjects related to their membership, including Young Members social events and CAMRA policy, as well as talking about pubs, breweries, beery news. Just E-mail Gus Manning (the Chairman of the YMGC) at gusintheymgcpub@yahoo.co.uk to request to join.

To get involved with Young Members social events in your local Branch area, and in the wider South West Region, just E-mail or ‘phone your local Branch Young Members' Contact (BYMC) or Social Secretary to find out what events are being organised for Young Members, and then turn up - it really is that easy.

The whole of the UK is covered by local Branches of CAMRA, who should be in the process of finding local volunteers to become a BYMC. This person works alongside the local Branch Membership Secretary and Social Secretary and is responsible for organising trips and events for Young Members in the local Branch area.

If you're already an active Young Member within your Branch, you could consider standing for the role of BYMC in your local Branch. There are 7 Regional Young Persons Membership Co-ordinators (RYPMCs) and almost 50 BYMCs nationwide, the South West Region has a RYPMC and also has 5 Branches with a BYMC, so contact your Branch Chairman or Branch Committee if you'd like to stand for the post of BYMC in your local Branch.

       Contact details of all BYMCs and RYPMCs can be downloaded from here.

Details of pub-crawls, working socials and other social events that are organised by and for Young CAMRA Members, can be found in the 'Young Members Diary' page of the Young Members Section of the national CAMRA web-site. Just contact the person organising the event and then turn up - it really is that easy!

Come and join us on our social events, we're a friendly bunch of Young Real Ale Drinkers who always enjoy good beer, good company and a good day out. Most of our events are open to members and non-members.

Please feel free to come along and enjoy yourself at these events even if you don't live in the area they're in. Don't forget that CAMRA members get a discount at Express by Holiday Inn, check out the Members Section of the CAMRA web-site.

The Young Members section of the national CAMRA web-site can be accessed here. 

With suggestions and input from Young Members and young people, we hope this page will grow into a more informative and exciting part of the website.  

• Want more information on any of the issues covered in this Young Members page?

• Have ideas for subjects you'd like to see on this page?

• Want to get involved but you're too shy?

Please contact:

The Young Members Group (YMG) Committee

E-mail CAMRA-YM-Committee@googlegroups.com

OR

Gus Manning, Chairman of the Young Members Group.

E-mail gusintheymgcpub@yahoo.co.uk or phone 01623 471774 or 07734 084083.

For more information about any aspects of Affiliated Membership and setting up a University Real Ale Society, please contact:

Tony Jerome, Senior Press & Marketing Manager at CAMRA HQ.

E-mail tony.jerome@camra.org.uk or phone 01727 867201.