It’s nearly the end of June, and this weekend is the summer solstice. Where has the time gone in 2023?
We should have probably written about this a few months ago when it happened, but unfortunately, it kept getting put off, pushed aside for things needed in the immediate. So without any further ramblings….
WE WON! BACK TO BACK SIBA COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARDS!
For SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers Association) to award the Community Engagement Business Award to us for a second straight year was surprising, and overwhelming.
It’s a humble, pat ourselves on the back moment, but we truly love being involved within our community, from hosting events, promoting local business, aiding in great causes or anything in-between.
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2022
INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY COLLAB BREW DAY
Our second International Women's Day brew day was a resounding success! Our group grew to 30 members. 
It was another wonderful experience, uniting with brewery owners, brewers, writers and beer enthusiasts. As a collective, we collaborated on the style, abv, name and direction for the beer.
The joy of 2022 was we were able to have the members down in person for the brew day, something that we missed in 2021. An absolute pleasure to have so many women in for the brew day!
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
During our Women's Day collaboration, we came up with the idea of a Women in Beer Scholarship that aligned with the ethos of Pink Boots - advancing careers through education.
Women are underrepresented within the industry, and we aimed to help create an avenue of entry for women passionate about beer and brewing. Our Head Brewer, Alex, graduated from Brewlab, and we consistently host Brewlab students on their practical brew days, so when we approached them with the idea, they were immediately on board.
Our scholarship asked candidates to answer three questions: 1. What inspired them to apply, 2. What they would most be looking forward to, and 3. Where they wanted to see themselves in 3 years.
Interest in the scholarships was great and we received over a dozen applications. The quality of the applications made selecting our three recipients extremely difficult.
At the time of writing, one of our recipients has completed the 4-day course, while the other two are currently enrolled.
AID FOR UKRAINE
A planned collaboration with Ukrainian brewery Varvar flipped on its head after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We decided to focus our collaboration and subsequent events on raising awareness within the community and doing our best to support Ukraine. Through beer sales and implementing various initiatives, including special mixed packs, tasting events, and quiz night raffles, we managed to raise £4,200.
We partnered with Medical Aid Ukraine Northeast, a volunteer group of healthcare professionals, who work tirelessly to transport essential items to Ukraine. With the money raised, Medical Aid Ukraine Northeast was able to ship Individual First Aid Kits (IFAKs) containing equipment designed to save lives on the front line. These items are requested nearly daily from soldiers on the front lines.
WORKING WITH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
In 2022, we formed a partnership with the Graphic Design department of Northumbria University for a unique extracurricular opportunity for their 3rd-year students.
The students were tasked to study the brand and create a design that aligned with Full Circle with any designs selected being used for a future beer release.
From the submissions, we selected five designs that have featured or will feature as the art on our can labels. The label also highlights the artist's information, and each artist is paid for their work and gifted a 12-pack of their beer.
Student artists were buzzing about getting their designs onto beer cans— word quickly travelled about this unique opportunity, resulting in us forming another partnership with the University of Sunderland.
We're working with the University's Design Department to incorporate a section in the course curriculum focusing a brand development through label design.
We are incredibly excited about this partnership and can't wait to continue promoting young up-and-coming artists.
GOLDEN DOOPER HUNT
Our third birthday saw the return of Dooper, and we cranked up the ABV which produced our best version yet. The ever increasing popularity of the annual release was evident this year as we sold out of cans in just over a week.
It also marked the return of the Hunt for the Golden Dooper!
We produced twenty specially gold labelled cans, and those lucky enough to hunt down a winning can winning an initial Full Circle prize pack consisting of 12 beers, 2 glasses, a t-shirt, and tote bag.
SUPPORTING LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES
We began working with local independent businesses in 2022 and hosting local pop-up market days at the taproom. With a variety of stalls, you'll be sure to find something for you or the perfect gift for that special someone.
Supporting local business is very important, so we do not to charge a pitch fee, nor take a percentage of sales from the event. All money made at the markets goes straight into the pockets of these fantastic businesses.