Volunteer and Judges Welcome Pack
Thank you for volunteering and giving up your time to be a volunteer or judge at the VEX Robotics UK National Championships. The REC Foundation, VEX Robotics and all the teams that compete are very grateful for your support. On these pages, you will find everything you need to know about being involved with this year’s event.
By now, our team should have arranged your travel and accommodation for the event. If you have not yet received the information, please contact Charlotte Robson (charlotte_robson@vexrobotics.com)
Towards the bottom of this page, you will find links to information about both the VEX V5 Robotics Competition and VEX IQ Robotics Competition. Please take the time to read the details for the event(s) that you are attending.
Venue
VEX UK Nationals will take place at the International Centre in Telford which has been the home of the event since 2018. We are using Hall 1 as per last year rather than Hall 3 as used in 2023 and previous.
Address - International Way, Telford TF3 4JH
Parking - There is plenty of free parking at the venue and you can leave your vehicle there for the duration of the event.
Trains - For these travelling by train, Telford Central Station is about 15 minutes walk from the International Centre. There are also buses from the station to the venue.
Access - The Telford International Centre prides itself on being an accessible venue for everyone. There are disabled parking bays on-site, near to the main entrance, and there is a lift available within the venue providing access to the first floor if needed.
What to Expect - Judges
Lots of you will have judged at the VEX Robotics UK National Championships before and will be well versed in what to expect. If this is your first time, we look forward to having you on the judges panel.
No previous experience is required. Where possible, we will buddy new judges with somebody who has judged before. A judges briefing will take place each day and our team are on hand to provide advice and support if you need it.
There is no dress code for judges but we do advise comfortable shoes as you will be covering a fair bit of ground each day. Pens and paperwork are provided so you don’t need to bring anything but some judges do like to bring their own notepads.
Please arrive on site between 8:00am and 9:00am each day.
Food and Drink
Breakfast and lunch is provided each day for all volunteers and judges.
Breakfast is served from 08:00 each day in the Key Volunteer Lounge which can be found in the main atrium at the International Centre, close to Hall 1 where the event takes place.
Lunch will be provided each day. There will be a choice of hot food, sandwiches and salads. Some options may require pre-ordering in the morning at breakfast. Each day, you will find a list of what is on offer and the pre-order form in the Key Volunteer Lounge.
Hot drinks will be available throughout the day in the Key Volunteer Lounge. Paper cups will be available, but we encourage you to bring a reusable cup if you can.
Water fountains are available throughout the venue. Again, we encourage you to bring reusable water bottles.
What to Expect - Volunteers
Lots of our volunteers are former VEX competitors so will be very familiar with how VEX Competitions run.
Some roles require some tasks to be completed in advance, such as taking referee certifications but most require no previous experience or anything to be done in advance. If you are given a role that requires certification, we will let you know beforehand. Otherwise, we will let you know which Division you will be working in, and you Division Manager will assign you a role on the day. You might have a number of different roles across the course of the event.
Volunteer t-shirts will be provided. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing.
Accommodation
A hotel will be provided for the duration of your stay at the event. This year, there has been high demand on hotels due to the gymnastics event taking place at the venue at the same time as UK Nationals. Therefore, not all hotels are on the same complex as the International Centre, please check where you are staying. You will be provided with your hotel details and reservation number prior to the event. If you have any issues checking in, please contact one of our team.
Charlotte Robson (VEX Robotics): 07706 361375
Chris Calver (VEX Robotics): 07833 320357
Paul McKnight (VEX Robotics): 07739 744047
International Hotel - St Quentin Gate, Telford TF3 4EA
Premier Inn Telford Central - Euston Way, Overdale, Telford TF3 4LY
Travelodge Telford - Park Avenue, Southwater Way, Telford TF3 4BF
Travelodge Shawbirch - Whitchurch Dr, Telford TF1 3QA
Holiday Inn Telford - St Quentin Gate, Telford TF3 4EH
Ramada by Wyndham - Forge Gate, Overdale, Telford TF3 4NA
Mecure Telford - Forge Gate, Overdale, Telford TF3 4NA
Days Inn by Wyndham - Priorslee Rd, TF11 8TG
Travel
If you are travelling by train, you will be provided with train tickets to cover your journey.
If you are travelling by car, please complete the mileage sheet here after the event.
