The Glasladies Collaboration Series Festival, held on 7th May, has raised £450 for local charity Ubuntu Women Shelter.
The Glasladies Beer Society became the first female/non-binary organisation to host a beer festival in Glasgow. It was the culmination of a collaboration series with seven local breweries.
The society was founded to provide a safe and inclusive space for women and non-binary people in an otherwise male dominated industry. Supporting the Ubuntu Women charity, a black feminist orgnisation, was a natural fit.
A spokesperson for the charity said: “We are honoured to be sponsored by the Glasladies Beer Society and very pleased to accept their generous donation of £450. The funds will be used to support the work we do to provide practical support to women and non-binary people who do not have recourse to public funds.
“Being sponsored by a beer festival was not something we expected, but the group and their mandate aligns well with our organisation’s values, and we are grateful for their help in spreading the word about our work.”
Jennifer Dickson, a member of the festival planning committee, said: “We wanted to raise awareness about the need for real change in our industry. We tried to eliminate many of the things we didn’t enjoy about other festivals, while making sure we did all we could to ensure that our event was welcoming to a wide range of people.”
The success of the festival — which sold out in advance — has shown that a small, non-corporate group can organise a family-friendly, accessible event, showcasing the variety of the local brewing industry, while still adhering to professional-level event standards.
Welcome boost
The breweries that participated were full of praise for the event. Phil Sisson, owner of Simple Things Fermentations, said: “The whole project has been a real welcome boost for the breweries at a time when positivity isn’t always so easy to come by.
“People always talk about the importance of supporting small producers. The Glasladies Beer Society consistently turn those sentiments into action, which makes it all the more valuable and appreciated.”
Harry Weskin, of Dookit Brewing, said: “Thank you and congratulations to all the team at Glasladies! The festival was a great success and all your hard work really paid off. It’s so exciting to have a festival like this on the Glasgow scene. I was extremely proud that Dookit could be a part of it.”
The society would like to build on this success, and plans for future events are already under way. In the meantime, they welcome local women and non-binary people to join the Facebook group and help grow the community.
