Charity and community events trip over alcohol licensing constantly — usually because organisers assume good causes get a pass. They don’t: selling alcohol at a charity fundraiser needs authorisation exactly like a pub does. The good news is the authorisation is cheap and quick. Here’s how to run the bar at your fete, quiz night or fundraiser lawfully.
The golden rule: “sale” is wider than you think
- Cash bar at the village hall: sale — needs authorisation.
- Glass of fizz “included” in the £25 ticket: sale — the ticket price buys it.
- Donations bar (“pay what you feel” for wine): sale in substance — treat it as one.
- Genuinely free drinks, no ticket, no donation expected: not a sale — no authorisation needed.
- Bottle of whisky as a raffle prize: permitted without a licence if the raffle is an incidental (exempt) lottery at the event and the alcohol is in sealed containers.
Your options, cheapest first
1. Use the venue’s existing licence
Village halls and community centres often hold premises licences. If yours does, run the bar under it with the DPS’s written authorisation — check the licensed hours and any conditions (some hall licences exclude alcohol or require the committee’s bar team).
2. Temporary Event Notice — £21
For unlicensed venues, marquees and fields, a TEN covers up to 499 people for up to 7 days. Give notice at least 10 working days ahead. One committee member gives the notice — if they hold a personal licence they can give 50 a year, otherwise 5. Full detail in the TEN guide.
3. Community premises and occasional licences
Church, chapel and community premises benefit from reduced regulation in places (e.g. the DPS requirement can be disapplied for community premises on application). For regular events, a full premises licence for the hall pays for itself.
Running the bar responsibly
- Challenge 25 applies at a fete exactly as at a nightclub — brief your volunteers.
- No sales to drunk attendees; keep a refusals note.
- TEN paperwork (or licence summary) must be displayed/available at the event.
- Profits going to charity doesn’t change any of the above.
Frequently asked questions
Can we auction donated wine at the fundraiser?
An auction of donated alcohol in sealed containers at a charity event is generally treated as requiring authorisation as a sale — many organisers structure it within their TEN. Sealed-container raffle prizes at an incidental lottery are the clean exemption.
Do volunteers behind the bar need training or licences?
No individual licences needed under a TEN. Training is still smart — the offences (underage, drunk service) bite the seller personally. A one-hour brief or our age verification course covers it.
The PTA runs six events a year. TEN every time?
That works (well within limits). But if the school hall hosts many licensed events, a permanent premises licence with a volunteer DPS may be simpler — ask us which is cheaper over a year.
Organising something bigger? Our team handles premises licences for community venues, and the online APLH gives your regular organiser the 50-TEN allowance.
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