Shepway Liberal Democrats

Steward Positions Available for Lib Dem Federal Conference

Are you a member of the Lib Dems and going to the Autumn Federal Conference in Brighton in 2006 or 2007? Have you thought of joining the Stewards' Team? The Party can always use more stewards and people with local knowledge are especially valuable in enhancing the value of the service which the team can offer to representatives and visitors to Conference.

Forthcoming liberal Democrat Federal Conferences will be:

• Autumn 2006 & 2007 in Brighton
• Spring 2007 in Harrogate

Joining the Stewards' team is the least expensive way to attend Conference. Those who volunteer to work for the majority of sessions during the week get free registration. In addition, Stewards are paid an expenses allowance of £5 for each session they work.

There are three sessions on each full day of Conference (morning, afternoon and evening) but most stewards choose to work for just two. A contribution towards accommodation can also be claimed at £20 per night. A small team of stewards works the night shift; those who do so receive an allowance of £60 per night.

New members of the Stewards team are likely to be used in one of two main areas (some may divide their time between the two). The first of these is the Auditorium Team where a new steward is likely to be deployed as a Block Steward. This is the ideal position for anyone combining the roles of Steward and Voting Representative.

The auditorium is the public face of Conference: what the world sees on television, so specialist training is given to those who join this team. The main functions are to ensure that delegates and visitors are seated during debates, to distribute speakers' cards and take completed cards to the table, to count votes when required and to help maintain the security, safety and tidiness of the auditorium. This is all done in a relaxed and friendly manner; for those who recall the horrendous scenes from last year's Labour Conference, please be assured that Liberal Democrat Stewards are not required to manhandle delegates or visitors!

The second group is the Front of House Team. This is the shop window of Conference: members of this team are the first people who visitors and representatives see when arriving at Conference and the last they see when leaving. It is in this team that people with local knowledge can be especially useful. Its main tasks are to ensure that every representative and visitor is wearing a valid photo badge and to keep a relaxed but vigilant eye on security in all entrances, exits and corridors. Members of this team also control the flow of people to the bag check area where the professional security team checks their bags and examines their mobile phones, etc. We have worked with the same firm on several occasions, now, so the regular stewards have developed a good working relationship with the professionals. Perhaps a word of warning is required at this stage: members of this team may, on occasions, be required to sit and watch doors and corridors in various parts of the complex. This can be rather quiet (boring even) at times, but it is an essential part of the smooth running of Conference. One of the advantages of having a large team is that it creates more opportunities for "give and take" so that no-one has to do this for too long.

A word of reassurance may also be in order. The general advice from the professionals is that the Liberal Democrat Conference is a relatively low security risk. Our task is to take reasonable precautions to deter "chancers" who might perceive our Conference as an opportunity to win publicity for illiberal and undemocratic agendas and to ensure that our representatives and visitors feel safe and comfortable. We are not expected to be heroes. In the unlikely event of a serious situation arising, the professionals (the security team and the police) are on hand to deal with it. Similarly, should the building need to be evacuated, we are advised to leave by the nearest exit and to encourage everyone else to do likewise. We are not required to stay behind to round up stragglers; the conference centre staff will do that.

The hours worked by a steward can be quite long. Stewards are encouraged to arrive the day before Conference to help set things up, receive briefing and familiarise themselves with the layout of the building. They need to arrive at about 8.00 a.m, in order to be on hand to "meet and greet" everyone else and they are usually among the last to leave at the end of the afternoon session. But there are compensations. As a Steward, one is a member of a friendly team and has access to the "behind the scenes" side of Conference not normally witnessed by most representatives. On the last evening, the Stewards' team has its own free party which the Leader, President and members of the Parliamentary Party and Conference Committee make a point of visiting to thank us for our contribution to the success of the week's events.

As the visible faces of the Conference support team, Stewards are asked to be friendly, smart and alert. To help them in this, they have access to their own rest room with copious supplies of coffee. They are also issued, daily, with clean Stewards' shirts and blouses. They are asked to supply their own skirts or trousers (preferably black) and their own smiles.

If you are interested in attending Party conference as a Steward, please contact the Conference Office, Liberal Democrats, 4 Cowley Street, SW1P 3NB, email d.stoneham@libdems.org.uk or call 020 7222 7999.