Organisers of a popular real ale event in Chesterfield suffered a bitter blow when they learned that they were not permitted to collect for a school appeal despite raising thousands of pounds for good causes in previous years.

Volunteers who run Chesterfield CAMRA’s annual winter beer festival were hoping to collect at least £400 for Ashgate Croft School’s playground fund at their 25th event in the Winding Wheel Theatre.

Jane Lefley, secretary of the branch, said: “Usually we would have gone to the entrance with our charity bucket. This year, someone was shouting in the foyer ‘where’s the charity bucket’ when the officials of the Winding Wheel were there and I said it’s in front of our telly at home. An official asked ‘What’s the charity?’ and I said ‘Ashgate Croft School – it’s in the programme’ and he said ‘you can’t, you can only collect for the Mayor’s Appeal’. I really let rip and said ‘I can't believe you're coming two hours into the festival and telling us this’. I was livid.

“Over the years we’ve collected thousands and thousands for charity. Last year we collected £600 for Edale Mountain Rescue, we’ve raised £1,000 for Air Ambulance and seven years ago I had my head shaved on stage for Macmillan Cancer Research and we raised £2,500. Every festival we usually raise about £400 or £500."

Chesterfield CAMRA's winter beer festival attracted a record turnout to the Winding Wheel.

placeholder image — Chesterfield CAMRA's winter beer festival attracted a record turnout to the Winding Wheel.

Recycled unused beer tokens at the festival accumulated £241.20 which Chesterfield CAMRA will be donating to the school. Jane said: “The Rutland have agreed to collect any donations towards the new playground at Ashgate Croft at their anniversary weekend coming soon.”

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “We understand that there are a wide range of very worthy charities and causes across the borough, and the council seeks to support a range of local causes through our annual Mayor’s Appeal. Any collections made at the Winding Wheel Theatre are done so in support of the Mayor’s Appeal only. This year’s Mayor’s Appeal is in aid of Derbyshire Law Centre, Chesterfield Royal Charity, supporting staff’s Health and Well Being post COVID and Rural Action Derbyshire’s Feeding Chesterfield initiative.”

Generous sponsorship ensured the 2025 winter beer festival went ahead after the CAMRA branch was hit with a 33% increase in the cost of hiring the Winding Wheel. Jane said: “Last year we paid £7,200 and this year it was £10,000. Marriotts Drilling sponsored the auditorium and there were 19 barrel ends with the names of sponsors on them. if it wasn't for their contribution we wouldn't have been able to have a festival this year. The festival has been at the Winding Wheel for 25 years and brings good support to Chesterfield’s pubs, takeaways, public transport and hotels.”

Cllr Sarvent said: “Like local authorities across the country, the council is facing extreme pressures on our budgets. Difficult decisions have had to be taken to protect the essential services that our most vulnerable residents rely on, and this has included increases in charges for some of our discretionary services. We discussed this with regular hirers of the theatre, and the wider community, when shaping the final proposals last year.

“We are pleased to welcome popular events like the beer festival in our venues and we spoke directly with organisers, Chesterfield CAMRA, in summer 2024 to make them aware of the changes to fees for hiring the venue. This ensured they understood the increased fees and had time to find an alternative venue if these were unaffordable, but they decided to proceed with the 2025 event as planned."