CAMRA in the                  

EREWASH VALLEY

CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) in the Erewash Valley started in 1996 when a small group of like-minded real ale people met at the Good Beer Guide listed pub The Dewdrop in Ilkeston. Their aim was to form the Erewash Valley branch of CAMRA in an area that was largely neglected by the neighbouring CAMRA branches of Nottingham and Derby.

We began life as a sub branch of Nottingham CAMRA until May 2000 when we decided to break free and step out on our own,  growing from strength to strength until we can now boast a branch membership of over 350 local members, a steady rise year on year of around 25%. However, it would be nice to welcome a few more at our branch meetings or on our social trips, so don't be scared - come along and join in the fun.!!

 Erewash Valley Branch.

 Now - I can hear a number of you asking  "Where is EREWASH VALLEY? " - well if you are a canal enthusiast you will probably know, but for those of you who aren't then the easiest explanation would be that the area covered by our branch is about 11 miles from north to south and 4 miles from east to west lying along the valley of the Erewash river. Please see our branch area page for more details of the towns and villages covered.

  Please see the Erewash Valley CAMRA Meetings'n'Socials page for details of forthcoming real ale events and details of contact names and numbers at Erewash CAMRA.

CAMRA REACHES THE 100,000 MILESTONE

Members of CAMRA are today thrilled to announce a landmark moment in their 38 year history as their numbers swell to 100,000 members. Despite many campaigning successes over its 38 year history, CAMRA is pledging to push middle-age to one side as it steps up its campaigns to save Britain's pubs and get a fair deal for beer drinkers. As the UK heads for a general election next spring, CAMRA is pushing for reform of the beer tie, fair taxes on beer, minimum pricing regulations to stamp out loss-leaders in supermarkets, zero duty rate on low strength beers, planning law reforms to protect pubs and for a central Government policy framework to protect and promote well-run community pubs.

CAMRA was formed in 1971 by Michael Hardman, Jim Makin, Graham Lees and Bill Mellor, when an idea of a campaign arose whilst they were bemoaning the state of British beer and pubs during a holiday in Ireland. Popularity for the then-named Campaign for the Revitalisation of Ale quickly grew, and membership levels rose sharply, with CAMRA boasting over 5,000 members by the end of 1973.

In the early years of the organisation, CAMRA quickly formed three key campaigning tools, which remain integral to this day. The year 1974 saw CAMRA publish the Good Beer Guide for the first time, selling 30,000 copies in the first 7 months of its release. In the same year, the Corn Exchange, Cambridge, played host to the first CAMRA beer festival, with half of the beer supply in the venue selling out in the first day. And lastly, CAMRA's first national celebration of real ale in September 1975, the Covent Garden Beer Festival, which was a predecessor to today's Great British Beer Festival.

In recent years, CAMRA's rising membership figures have been attributed to an increasing number of consumers trying real ale for the first time. In the last year alone, membership numbers have increased by 9.7%, and since the beginning of the twenty-first century, numbers have almost doubled!

In a poll to UK consumers, CAMRA asked the public what they thought the organisation's biggest campaigning success has been over 38 years. Results showed that 41% believed it be the continued existence of real ale in the majority of pubs, with 11% thinking it to be the greater flexibility in pub opening hours.