Volunteer Agreement

Pint of Science Volunteer Agreement

A PDF copy of the volunteer agreement can be downloaded here

Introduction

Pint of Science is a non-profit social enterprise that bring researchers into local pubs, cafes and public spaces to share their findings with their local communities. We offer a platform that supports researchers by providing them with public engagement opportunities, organisers by empowering them to curate their own science events, and our audience by giving them the opportunity to engage with research happening in their local area.

Pint of Science wouldn’t be possible without the tireless efforts of our volunteers, which includes both our organisers and our speakers. We’re determined to make sure our organisers and speakers gain something from taking part in Pint of Science, be it learning new skills, making new friends or gaining new opportunities (hopefully all the above!).

As an organisation, we want to make the following commitments to our volunteers. Pint of Science will:

  • Support all volunteers by providing an organisational framework within which they can work effectively
  • Only use volunteers in roles that we feel offer valuable experiences and opportunities, and do not make excessive demands of a volunteer’s time
  • Ensure that all volunteers have a means by which to have their concerns or complaints heard and addressed
  • Provide regular opportunities for our volunteer community to provide feedback that will influence the activities we offer and the direction we take as an organisation

For any part of this document that refers to contacting the Directors, we can be reached using [email protected].

Guidelines

i. Recruitment

Pint of Science recruit volunteers based on enthusiasm and commitment, and we will never discriminate based on background (including age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity or religious belief). If you want to help communicate research to the public and you’re willing to give up your time to do so, we will do our best to find you a rewarding role where one exists.

We are typically approached by people looking for a volunteering opportunity, under which circumstances we will put them in touch with their local team who will be able to provide more details on available roles. If we are seeking volunteers we will advertise via social media, our own mailing list and locally within universities.

ii. Induction and training

We induct and train all volunteers via two main channels; firstly, an organised hierarchy of knowledge and responsibility (see diagram below) that ensures there is always somebody to provide information and advice. For any part of this document that refers to informing a manager, please refer to this diagram when deciding who to contact. Secondly, all volunteers have access to our Organisers’ Website, a repository of information that contains all the resources to create Pint of Science events.

iii. Roles and responsibilities

Event Managers find the venues and speakers and run the nights. They are the face of Pint of Science and liaise with their local Coordinator. There are usually 3-5 Event Managers per venue. The term 'Event Manager' can also include comms and marketing, web managers and treasurers

City Coordinators bring everything together and manage Event Managers in each city (or university/institution). There are usually two of these per city (or university/institution). If they have any questions about Pint of Science their first port of call is the Chapter Manager. 

Chapter Managers overlook 3-5 cities/teams and help to guide them to deliver Pint of Science. They have had experience of being Event Managers and city coordinators in the past. They are the first people that Coordinators should contact if they need help. 

Directors are responsible for running Pint of Science, including legal and financial aspects.

Volunteers are expected to follow the guidance and instructions of their designated manager at all times. While collaboration and open communication are encouraged, final decisions rest with the management team. In situations requiring direction, clarification, or resolution, the judgment of managers is definitive and must be respected. Volunteers agree to defer to their managers’ decisions and understand that this structure is essential for maintaining safety, consistency, and the integrity of the organisation’s operations.

iv. Expenses

Given the scale of Pint of Science, it is not possible for us to cover all associated expenses and teams are required to seek funding for their local festival (to cover venue hires, deposits, minimum spends, audio-visual equipment, travel expenses, refreshments for organisers and speakers, local publicity and advertising). We will provide support in the form of ideas and advice for fundraising, and we never expect Pint of Science to be funded by volunteers personally. If you are struggling please discuss with your immediate manager, also ensure that any expenses you intend to claim have been agreed in advance by your immediate manager.

v. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Policy

Pint of Science is fully committed to treating all individuals with fairness, dignity, and respect. We strive to create a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for everyone, regardless of their protected characteristics as outlined in the Equality Act 2010—including, but not limited to, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief, and age. We actively encourage volunteers from diverse backgrounds and experiences to join our community.

Every volunteer should feel equally welcomed and valued at all meetings, events, and interactions. We expect all members of our organisation to treat each other with professionalism, kindness, and respect. Discriminatory, harassing, or offensive behaviour - whether intentional or not - has no place at Pint of Science and will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

If a volunteer feels they have been subjected to discrimination, harassment, or inappropriate conduct by another volunteer or third party, we encourage them to raise the issue as outlined in the Pint of Science Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Policy. All complaints will be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. Appropriate action will be taken to address the issue and ensure a safe and inclusive environment for everyone.

To help prevent discrimination and build a positive, inclusive culture, we ask all volunteers to read and uphold our EDI Policy. We also provide annual EDI training to all volunteers every November/December to strengthen awareness and understanding.

vi. Grievance and Disciplinary Procedure

Pint of Science thrives thanks to the dedication of volunteers who embrace learning, growth, and new challenges. We understand that, at times, things may not unfold as expected and working relationships can become strained. Our aim is to address concerns promptly, constructively, and with fairness—ensuring everyone feels heard and respected.

We are firmly committed to taking seriously any complaints of unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation, or bullying related to protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. This applies to behaviour by Management, Organisers, or third parties.

All concerns will be handled with care and confidentiality. We work collaboratively with volunteers to find resolutions and agree on a path forward that supports wellbeing and inclusion for everyone involved.

Volunteers are entitled to raise concerns in accordance with the Pint of Science Grievance and Disciplinary Policy. We encourage you to speak with your immediate manager as soon as possible. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, it should be escalated following the structure outlined below:

  • Organisers should report complaints of discrimination to their City Coordinator, who will escalate it to the Chapter Manager, and then to the Directors.
  • City Coordinators should report any such complaint to their Chapter Manager, who will escalate it to the Directors.
  • If the concern involves a City Coordinator or Chapter Manager, or the Organiser does not feel comfortable reporting through the recommended chain, they are encouraged to contact the Directors directly at [email protected]. The same applies to City Coordinators in similar situations.

Third-party individuals - including partners, contributors, sponsors, speakers, contractors, festival attendees, or members of the public - who experience discriminatory behaviour from a Pint of Science volunteer are encouraged to contact the Directors at [email protected] to discuss the situation and agree on appropriate action.

Investigation and Disciplinary Action

All complaints will be treated seriously and investigated thoroughly. The Directors will handle the investigation by:

  • Privately speaking with all parties involved.
  • Listening to all perspectives.
  • Assessing whether the issue can be resolved informally, where appropriate.

If necessary, and depending on the severity of the incident, disciplinary action may be taken in line with the Pint of Science Grievance and Disciplinary Policy. Outcomes may include:

  • A formal apology on behalf of the organisation.
  • Mandatory EDI training/consultation for individuals or groups involved.
  • Changes to procedures or practices to prevent recurrence.
  • In serious cases, removal of the individual from their role within Pint of Science.

vii. Data protection

We expect all volunteers to comply with our privacy policy, which can be found here online at https://pintofscience.co.uk/privacy-policy/.

Appropriate consent should be obtained for any personal data that you collect as part of festival organisation (e.g. contact details of organisers/speakers, photographs taken at events). Contact details should be deleted once they are no longer required by local teams. We have forms for obtaining photography consent available on the Organisers’ Website, allowing us to keep photographs and video for use in future publicity materials. Please contact the Directors if you have any queries.

viii. Insurance

Pint of Science has public liability insurance that covers our events. It is expected that these events will take place in pubs, cafes, lecture theatres and office spaces, with an average of 50 – 100 people in attendance. All activities undertaken are considered low risk in nature, with adequate risk assessments taken (available to download from our Organisers’ Website), and appropriate safety equipment used, and correct procedures followed. Interval activities and demos must not use flammable, toxic or hazardous chemicals, and organisers must make use of appropriate safety equipment/procedures.

If for any reason you believe your event may deviate from the above expectations, please inform the Directors immediately. Failure to do so may result in the event being uninsured.

If you intend to use your personal vehicle for your volunteering (e.g. transport of merchandise etc.), please ensure this has been clearer by your insurer – most insurers cover volunteering activities for free but will need to be informed.

ix. Health and Safety

Volunteers are to run their events in a safe and responsible manner in line with good health and safety practices. Our Organisers’ Website offers risk assessment forms (along with common risks to consider when planning events), lifting techniques and advice for securing cables at events. We expect events to be low risk in nature, with adequate risk assessments taken (available to download from our Organisers’ Website), and appropriate safety equipment used, and correct procedures followed. Before each event, organisers need to make sure that the venue is visibly clean and risk free, and make sure when setting up equipment that it is done safely and correctly. Organisers also need to make sure that the fire safety doors are within reach and not blocked. Risk Assessment forms need to be completed before events and kept until after the events have concluded. If you have any concerns around risk and need advice on how to mitigate risk at your events, you can always contact the Directors.

x. Branding and satellite events

Our main festival takes place in May, but some teams may wish to put on satellite events outside of the main festival period. We kindly request that you consult the Directors (via Chapter Managers) before putting on any satellite events as we will want to check the event content aligns with our organisational aims. Only events that are uploaded to the Pint of Science website are considered Pint of Science output – providing sound research is at the heart of the event, we’ll be happy to host it on the website. Volunteers agree to refrain from using the Pint of Science name or branding at any events that are not pre-agreed and ticketed via the website. The Pint of Science logo and branding should be used and followed according to the guidelines that we provide.

xi. Recognition

We are happy to offer volunteers certification of their Pint of Science involvement where required, please email [email protected]

Volunteer Conduct

Below we outline our expectations of our volunteers. We like to think they are reasonable and mostly common sense, but if you have any questions or issues let the Directors know. Failure to meet these expectations may lead to dismissal as a volunteer (this is extremely rare and in almost all cases we will have a conversation with you before this is considered).

i. Regular communication and general conduct

We expect that volunteers maintain good communication with the rest of their team, including any managerial contacts including Coordinators and Chapter Managers (where appropriate). We don’t want Pint of Science to overwhelm any volunteers in terms of workload, which is why it’s important that volunteers are willing to commit to maintaining regular contact throughout the year. If you know that you won’t be able to commit to the role for a period of time or are finding it difficult, please let your Coordinator or Chapter Manager know.

If a Coordinator does not reply or acknowledge emails from Chapter Managers or Directors over a sustained period without explanation then we may need to end the volunteer relationship in order to support the wider team and ensure continuity and deliverability of events.

We want Pint of Science to be an enjoyable experience for everyone involved, so please always be civil with your team-mates and sensitive to the fact that everybody is a volunteer and ‘learning on the job’. We outline our grievance policy above, but we hope that most minor conflicts can be easily avoided or quickly resolved by all team members treating one another with respect.

ii. Ambassadors for the organisation

As a Pint of Science organiser, you are the face of the organisation – in any emails you send or face to face meetings you conduct during the organisation of the festival, you are acting as an ambassador for the community at large. As such, please always be polite and courteous, even if the situation is stressful. If any issues arise and you aren’t sure how to deal with them, don’t suffer in silence – always let your Coordinator or Chapter Manager know and we can help resolve the issue.

At events, please ensure you wear the Pint of Science t-shirt (provided) so attendees know you’re on hand to assist. When hosting events, volunteers should be sensitive to the diversity of the audience – please avoid saying anything that could offend or cause upset, and if you accidentally do so please apologise.

iii. Speakers

When organising an event, you will have the opportunity to select speakers who are engaging, insightful, and able to present topics that resonate with the wider community. We encourage you to take the time to thoroughly research potential speakers to ensure the credibility, relevance, and quality of their work.

Speakers do not need to have prior public engagement experience. However, it is your responsibility to work closely with them in the lead-up to the event. Make use of the training and resources provided by Pint of Science to help your speakers feel confident and well-prepared to deliver an enjoyable and accessible talk.

Please remember that speakers are volunteers too. They generously give their time and expertise, so treat them with the same respect and courtesy you would offer any other member of your team. Acknowledge their contribution by thanking them on the night and following up with a thank-you email after the festival.

If you encounter any issues that you're unsure how to handle or that make you uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to escalate them to your Coordinator or Chapter Manager for support. All speakers are also expected to uphold the principles outlined in our EDI policy and to adhere to the Grievance policy as appropriate.

iv. Confidentiality

As a Pint of Science volunteer, you will have access to documentation that is confidential in nature, including sponsorship packages and evaluation data. Please consider any material that we have not placed in the public domain as sensitive and confidential, and refrain from sharing it publicly. 

v. Sponsors

Pint of Science are very open to collaboration; we believe that working with others is the best way to maximise impact. We request however that you inform your Coordinator/Chapter Manager before reaching out to a prospective partner organisation for sponsorship. We have certain guidelines regarding sponsorship, and to ensure fairness to all our partners it’s essential that we can review any sponsorship offer centrally before agreeing to terms. The same applies if you are contacted directly by a sponsor. University funding grants are an exception to this; you do not need to inform the central team before applying. Please inform your Coordinator/Chapter Manager if you are applying for any society or public engagement grants, as other cities may be doing the same and we can advise where necessary.

 

This Volunteer Agreement was last updated October 2025