Health and Safety - PLEASE READ

Dear Haslemere Fringe Festival Goers,

We are looking forward to welcoming you to Haslemere Fringe Festival 2024.

To make your visit as safe and enjoyable as possible we’d like to issue a few reminders….

Please check the weather forecast and don’t forget a hat, sunglasses and sun cream when necessary. Additionally, remember to bring an umbrella and wear wellies or other sensible footwear if rain is expected. Water and a variety of other drinks and food will be available to purchase in addition to free water fountains positioned within the festival, please check the site map for further information.

We would like to remind all festival goers that the festival takes place on a community greenfield site where the ground may be uneven and slippery when wet. Please wear sensible shoes and take care walking around the festival site.

Stewards, first aiders and security staff are on site to ensure your safety and security.

Please be aware that CCTV will be in operation across the festival site for the purposes of safety and security. Images are being recorded and maybe be reviewed.

General

 

Q. What are the opening hours of the Festival?
A. Friday from 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm, Saturday 11:00 am – 11:00 pm and Sunday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm.

Q. Are children welcome?
A. Absolutely – Haslemere Fringe is an ideal family friendly festival – we welcome children of all ages!  Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. There will be strictly no admission or re-admission to the site for under 17’s (Youth and Child ticket holders) without at least one accompanying adult.

Q. Are dogs welcome?
A. We welcome well behaved dogs under the following conditions: They must be kept on a lead at all times, only one dog is allowed per handler, and obviously you must immediately clear up any mess with appropriate bags and dispose of it in the bins provided. The Festival organisers reserve the right to exclude any dogs and their owners who are regarded as causing a disturbance.

Q. Am I free to come and go during the Festival?
A. Yes but you must have an appropriate wristband to be readmitted.

Q. Will there be medical support on site for emergencies?
A. Yes, St John’s Ambulance Service will be on site during the event.

 

Transport

Q. Is there parking on site?
A. No parking is allowed on site but there are three car parks within easy walking distance which we recommend.  There is a large parking area off Wey Hill opposite St Christopher’s Church, a little further on before you pass under the railway there is a large car park on Weydown Road, and then a further set of parking areas in the centre of Haslemere near the High Street. The most easily accessible of these is in Tanners Lane.  It should be noted that you must not use the M&S or Tesco Car Parks.

Q. Can I get there by rail?
A.  Getting to the Haslemere Fringe by rail couldn’t be easier.  Haslemere Railway Station is within easy walking distance, and Haslemere is a main stop on the London to Portsmouth line with connections via Woking and Guildford to further afield.   Book your train tickets with our transport partner South Western Railway now by clicking here: Buy Rail Tickets

Volunteers

The Haslemere Fringe Festival is a charity event run and supported entirely by our fantastic volunteer network from the local community and beyond.   Volunteers are vital to the vibrancy and smooth running of our event and most importantly to keep our ticket prices affordable. Volunteering also offers a great opportunity to meet new friends and be involved in a brilliant community event, and we reward with free entry to the day of the festival on which you volunteer.

Q. What do volunteers do?

Set up: Helping to set up the general infrastructure prior to opening. This role requires a degree of strength and agility.

Bar:  Serving customers, taking payment, keeping the bar area clean and tidy, taking instruction from manager and working at a busy pace.

Gate: Welcoming our festival folk, taking payment, scanning tickets, issuing wristbands.

Stewarding: Patrolling the site or stationed at points allocated, litter picking, and generally helping out as requested by our site manager.

Take down: On the Monday after the festival to take down fencing and infrastructure and any other jobs that the site manager may request of you.  As above this will require a degree of strength and agility.

Media: Creating and posting content to social media including updates, photographs and short videos. Your content may also be used on the big stage screen throughout the festival. Good communication skills and some experience and knowledge of the above will be required.

Q. How long is a volunteer’s shift?

Each volunteer shift is for 3 hours. The rest of that day is free for you to enjoy the festival, for free!

Bringing things on site

Q. Can I bring bottles and glass to the Festival
A To enable us to meet Health and Safety requirements, NO glass or bottles will be allowed on site.

Q. Can I bring alcohol on to site?
A. In order to meet the terms of our licence, alcohol cannot be bought on to the site. We do however have a very reasonably priced bar.

Q. Can I bring fold up chairs, windbreaks or gazebos to the Festival?
A. Fold up chairs are permissible on site but windbreaks and gazebos are not.

Q. Do I need to bring ID?
A. The Festival will be operating a Challenge 21 rule which aims to cut down on underage drinking. If you look under 21, you will be asked to prove that you are over 18 in order to buy alcohol on site. The ‘Challenge 21’ initiative encourages sellers of alcohol to ask for official forms of identification from anyone that appears to be under 21-years-old. If a trader suspects someone is under that age and doesn’t have the relevant identification, e.g. passport, photo driving licence, citisencard, they will not be served. Stewards on site also have the power to request proof of age if they see anyone drinking alcohol who appears to be under age. The scheme is being promoted because it can be very difficult to identify accurately whether someone is 17, 18, 19 or 20 but is usually easier to determine whether someone is 21. However, if young people have official identification to prove they are over the age of 18 they will of course be served legally.

Disabled

All disabled customers are welcome to join us at the Fringe

Q. Is there disabled parking?
A. Limited disabled parking is available on site and will be offered on a first come, first served basis

Q. Is there disabled access on site?
A. The whole site has good access for disabled people. The site is flat and completely wheelchair friendly with access available to all stages

Q. Are there disabled toilets on site?
A. Yes

Q. Can I bring my assistance dog on site.
A. Yes

Q. Due to my disability, I need the constant help of my carer, so can I bring them with me?
A. We have made the assumption that, whereas the disabled person might want to come to the Fringe, the carer may not and so we give the carer a free pass. We do not send out carer tickets. The disabled person must buy a ticket as normal and upon arrival on site with their carer, they will be given a free carer pass. Note: A free carer pass will only be given with appropriate proof of disability, which can be in the form of, eligibility for disabled living allowance (DLA), a disabled railcard or disabled parking badge.

Amenities

Q. Are there toilets on site?
A. Toilets are on site that are cleaned and serviced regularly.

Q. Is there a cash machine on site?
A. One is available outside Tesco within 300 yards of the site and at the Esso Garage within 100 yards of the site.

Q. Are there any hotels or B&Bs nearby?
A. Places to stay can be found through the Haslemere Visitor Information website

Lost Tickets/ Refunds

 

Q. I have received my tickets in advance but have lost them, can they be replaced?
A. If you’ve lost your tickets just login to your account on our ticketing site and reprint them. Click on this link to access your account: Haslemere Fringe Box Office

Q. Do you do refunds for advance tickets if it rains?
A. Unless the festival or a day is cancelled, we cannot refund advance tickets. No refunds will be offered should the line-up be altered from the one displayed on our website, literature, and social media, but we will always endeavour to ensure the line-up is full with the same quality artists as originally advertised.

 

Drugs Policy

The dealing in or use of illegal drugs is not condoned by Haslemere Fringe Festival.

Drug enforcement laws are as applicable on the Haslemere Fringe Festival site as anywhere else in the country. Security Officers will be on site and will deal with drug offences in accordance with national guidelines.

If you deal in drugs, it is likely that you will be arrested. Neither anti-social nor illegal behaviour will be tolerated and participants will leave themselves liable for eviction from the site.

The terms and conditions of entry are clearly shown at the Festival Entrance and state: “You may be searched at the entrance. Any items which the organisers consider may be used in an illegal or offensive manner will be confiscated. Persons suspected of carrying out illegal and / or offensive activities onsite may be searched.”

If you bring drugs with you, you risk having them confiscated, eviction from the Festival and possible arrest. If you buy drugs on site you risk getting ripped off; whether with fake substances or short deals. With pills, powders and liquids there is a risk that what you buy could be harmful and even life threatening. The police have made big efforts in recent years to crack down on the sale of drugs at Festivals. Dealing in or using drugs will result in ejection and exclusion with no refund.