Drinkaware Crew branches out to keep Nottinghams festival revellers safe at Splendour Festival
Alcohol education charity, Drinkaware, in partnership with Splendour Festival, is launching a new scheme to keep festival goers safe. This will be the first festival outside London to have Drinkaware Crew.
The Drinkaware Crew builds on the success of the existing scheme already active in bars, pubs and clubs across Nottingham, which help to keep younger drinkers safe. Drinkaware Crew are staff who are specially trained by the charity to interact with festival goers and support people who might be vulnerable as a result of drinking too much.
Nottingham was the first city in the UK to have the Drinkaware Crew scheme, first launched in 2014, and has been rolled out in 18 cities across the UK.
Drinkaware Crew will be easily recognisable and present for the duration of the festival. They will mingle in pairs around the festival, wearing branded Splendour/Drinkaware Crew clothing for easy identification, and offer assistance where needed, from helping vulnerable people to handing out bottles of water. As well as reactive support, they proactively promote a positive atmosphere, by talking to customers queuing to enter the festival, and engaging with them during the event.
Drinkaware Chief Executive Elaine Hindal said:
“Drinkaware are delighted that the Splendour Festival has taken the decision to introduce our highly successful Drinkaware Crew scheme.
“Four years ago, Nottingham was the first city to have the scheme in bars, pubs and clubs, so it’s a natural progression to now introduce it to festivals, and a festival in Nottingham, to help keep people safe.
“We are confident that Drinkaware Crew will prove to be an effective tool and look forward to seeing it in action.”
Julie Tippins, Head of Compliance, DHP Family, said: “Over the 10 years we have been staging Splendour, we’ve seen it more than double in size and it now attracts around 25,000 people. It has a wonderful family friendly atmosphere where everyone comes together to enjoy the music, comedy and fringe entertainment. As a responsible and experienced venue operator and concert promoter, we take a progressive approach to ensuring we provide an environment that is safe and welcoming to all and we are proud to be the first festival outside of London to be welcoming the Drinkaware Crew.”