As preparations are underway for this year’s Stone Food and Drink Festival, the organisers are once again looking for local people willing to help make it all happen.
The Stone Food and Drink Festival is now in its 21st year. Over two decades, it has grown into one of Stone’s biggest annual weekends, drawing visitors into the town and filling the park with food stalls, demonstrations and family friendly activities.
Behind the scenes, though, it relies heavily on volunteers.
To give people a chance to find out what’s involved, organisers are holding a volunteer recruitment evening on Tuesday 24 February at Granville’s in Stone, starting from 7 pm.
The evening is intended to be informal. There’s no presentation or hard sell. Just a chance to have a drink, grab some nibbles and talk through what volunteering at the festival actually looks like.
This year’s festival runs from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 May, with additional help needed in the days beforehand while the site is being set up. Across that time, volunteers take on a wide range of roles.
Some help welcome visitors as they arrive. Others work on the gates, support traders, keep the site tidy or lend a hand in the demonstration kitchen. There are also roles selling reusable cups and helping with general day-to-day tasks as the weekend unfolds.
Organisers say there’s flexibility built in, with different roles available depending on people’s interests and how much time they can offer. Some volunteers get involved for a single shift. Others commit to more.
For many, it’s a way to give something back to the town. For others, it’s simply a chance to be part of an event they already enjoy, and to see how much work goes on behind the scenes.
Anyone interested in attending the recruitment evening is asked to confirm in advance by emailing volunteers@stonefooddrink.org.uk.
There’s no obligation to sign up on the night. The focus, organisers say, is simply on starting the conversation.
