Tynedale’s thirst for growth
Their flourishing annual Beer and Cider Festival was the perfect sign off to a successful season on and off the pitch for Tynedale RFC, based in Corbridge, Northumberland.
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Their men’s first XV finished sixth in their league, with flanker, Graeme Dunn, making his 300th appearance and being applauded at the end of season awards. Age grade rugby is thriving, with teams at every level for boys and girls, and the club offers ladies’ touch rugby for women and girls over the age of 16.
The club’s share of their profits from the Beer Festival will go towards further upgrades to their clubhouse, allowing for future fundraising events and improving the environment for players and members.
Production crew, carveries and annual beer festival
The club is always on the lookout for ways to increase their income stream. With plans to restructure their bar and social areas, they host regular Sunday carveries and have hired out their car park to the production team working on the TV series Vera.
The biggest event in Tynedale RFC’s calendar is their annual Beer and Cider Festival. Held in conjunction with the charitable organisation the Tynedale Lions, the event hosts both a women’s touch and a men’s 7s tournament, which this year became international when two Californian teams entered. The men’s 7s tournament is in honour of Stu Ridley, a former player who died in 2015 after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.
Organiser, Steve Hull, said: “The initial idea of the Beer Festival came from two neighbours who were members of the rugby club and the Lions club. Both clubs were looking for new ideas to raise funds. It was decided that they would organise a beer festival and in 2002, the first Tynedale Beer Festival was held in a modest way inside the clubhouse. Over the years, it has grown to be the largest beer festival in the Northeast. In June 2023, we welcomed over 6,500 visitors to the event.”
The festival profits are split between Tynedale RFC and charities selected by the Tynedale Lions, making it the biggest fundraising event of Tynedale RFC’s year. Since the inaugural festival, over £900,000 has been raised for the club and a variety of different charities; mostly local charities based in the northeast.
Volunteers making a difference
One of the reasons for the festival’s success is that it is run entirely by volunteers. This year, a team of 200 helped to plan, organise and run the festival. Steve Hull commented: “The 200 volunteers are a combination of rugby club supporters and members, Lions members, members of public and rugby players. The festival is a good all-round community event and keeps our rugby community together during the off-season. The same volunteers also give their time to the rugby club, helping in various ways. We are always looking for more volunteers!
“The way we’ve approached it is to move forward each year, always evolving and improving. That’s the secret to making an event that people come back to year after year.”
