Volunteering 2023

[neil93]

Was fortunate enough to get tickets this year and now at the stage where I would be absolutely gutted if I didn't get next year. Fairly common i'd imagine. Will of course try in october, wondering how straight forward it is to get a volunteering spot if you miss out?

Cheers.

[stuie]

Thanks @neil93 for getting the ball rolling on the 2023 Volunteering thread. 

There are many options for volunteering at Glastonbury - all with their own pros and cons and some easier to get into than others. 

The organisations that take the most volunteers are Oxfam, Wateraid and Shelter.   The festival also recruit litter pickers and recycling teams. 

I work with Oxfam and I'm not alone in saying that I won't go back to the festival as a ticket holder - it's a perfect way for me to do it. But, it's not for everyone. 

Applications for all organisations will open in Spring. 

 

[neil93]

3 minutes ago, stuie said:

Thanks @neil93 for getting the ball rolling on the 2023 Volunteering thread. 

There are many options for volunteering at Glastonbury - all with their own pros and cons and some easier to get into than others. 

The organisations that take the most volunteers are Oxfam, Wateraid and Shelter.   The festival also recruit litter pickers and recycling teams. 

I work with Oxfam and I'm not alone in saying that I won't go back to the festival as a ticket holder - it's a perfect way for me to do it. But, it's not for everyone. 

Applications for all organisations will open in Spring. 

 

No problem, and thank you for the response.

As I mentioned I was lucky enough to get a ticket, but had a friend who wasn't so lucky, he volunteered with Shelter working at one of the bars and absolutely loved it. 

I will be sure to keep an eye out with those that you mentioned next march.

cheers.

[rgill3]

I'm following your train of thought @neil93

Thanks for starting the thread I'll definitely be keeping up with it as I'm looking to cover all bases to make sure I get back next year.

[Leyrulion]

The organisations I know of:

Open application 

Oxfam

Shelter 

Wateraid 

Green peace 

FE Staff

Need a recommendation from someone 

Litter pickers

Recycling 

 

Need to be part of an organisation

Workers Beer company(works off recommendations as well)

Campaign for nuclear disarmament (property lock ups)

"South West" school/charity clubs (for internal stewarding positions and campsites)

Need specialist skills

Festival Medical Services

 

To answer the question, if you're a little bit organised around Jan/Feb then you should be able to get a volunteering spot. 

Having persistence is also key, as a fair few of the organisations that have other requirements can become a lot more flexible if it's close to the festival and they haven't reached capacity, it's just finding someone in the first place that can be tricky!

 

[moogster]

Are there specific "profiles"  for each org? For example, physical fitness, workable with a hangover, bar tending experience, customer service skills, kung-fu skills, Covid  sense of smell loss for loo teams, etc...? So not specific skills but more indications for a best match?

For example I thought I may be a good match for litter picking (yes with recommendation I know) because I am awake early anyway, but my back isn't what it used to be...

[Pipine]

I’ve worked for Oxfam, Water Aid and Recycling Crew .. loved all of them and would happily work for any of them again.  It’s a great way to do the festival.  
 

I got a place a week before the festival with Oxfam in 2019 so my advice would be to never give up hope. If you’re determined you’ll get there. 

[Skip997]

37 minutes ago, Leyrulion said:

Need a recommendation from someone 

Litter pickers

Recycling 

Green traffic

 

 

 

 

[philipsteak]

1 hour ago, moogster said:

Are there specific "profiles"  for each org? For example, physical fitness, workable with a hangover, bar tending experience, customer service skills, kung-fu skills, Covid  sense of smell loss for loo teams, etc...? So not specific skills but more indications for a best match?

For example I thought I may be a good match for litter picking (yes with recommendation I know) because I am awake early anyway, but my back isn't what it used to be...

For Oxfam stewarding it's can you pay a deposit equivalent to the ticket price and get a reference. That's it.

For campaigning you have to do a short video and for the shops you have to already work in an Oxfam shop. 

[Crazyfool01]

1 hour ago, Leyrulion said:

The organisations I know of:

Open application 

Oxfam

Shelter 

Wateraid 

Green peace 

FE Staff

Need a recommendation from someone 

Litter pickers

Recycling 

 

Need to be part of an organisation

Workers Beer company(works off recommendations as well)

Campaign for nuclear disarmament (property lock ups)

"South West" school/charity clubs (for internal stewarding positions and campsites)

Need specialist skills

Festival Medical Services

 

To answer the question, if you're a little bit organised around Jan/Feb then you should be able to get a volunteering spot. 

Having persistence is also key, as a fair few of the organisations that have other requirements can become a lot more flexible if it's close to the festival and they haven't reached capacity, it's just finding someone in the first place that can be tricky!

 

The lockups can also work by recommendation or by knowing the right person … they are usually fully subscribed but do run a waiting list for people that want to join them … I was on it for last year … I’d had several conversations at the previous festival with a lady who runs one / several of them . 

[Leyrulion]

1 hour ago, Skip997 said:

 

Never heard of Green traffic before, what do they do?

[Skip997]

4 minutes ago, Leyrulion said:

Never heard of Green traffic before, what do they do?

Have you ever noticed "stewards" usually in pink "floros" positioned on the "railway track" crossroads (Glade/Greenpeace/Unfairground entrance) directing traffic and stopping people getting knocked down. 

That's them.

[March Hare]

I love it, a thread already. 
2022 there wasn’t anyone on the thread who didn’t get a place with one of the organisations. It was a brilliant resource to help efesters into the festival when all other hope had faded.

It’s been said loads, but, do two festivals with Oxfam in 2022 and guarantee yourself a spot at Glastonbury 2023 in the priority window.  There is still time.

[Skip997]

https://festivals.oxfam.org.uk/

Get on the Shambala crew if there's places left.

Edited July 28, 2022 by Skip997

[Leyrulion]

21 minutes ago, March Hare said:

I love it, a thread already. 
2022 there wasn’t anyone on the thread who didn’t get a place with one of the organisations. It was a brilliant resource to help efesters into the festival when all other hope had faded.

It’s been said loads, but, do two festivals with Oxfam in 2022 and guarantee yourself a spot at Glastonbury 2023 in the priority window.  There is still time.

Wilderness and Boomtown in the next two weeks for me. Looking forward to it!

[neil93]

On 7/28/2022 at 9:40 PM, March Hare said:

I love it, a thread already. 
2022 there wasn’t anyone on the thread who didn’t get a place with one of the organisations. It was a brilliant resource to help efesters into the festival when all other hope had faded.

It’s been said loads, but, do two festivals with Oxfam in 2022 and guarantee yourself a spot at Glastonbury 2023 in the priority window.  There is still time.

Apologies for the delay, just caught up on this. Good to hear that if are happy volunteering there is a good chance you will get a place doing so. As I said I had a friend doing it this year and he loved it.

I read about doing 2x festivals with Oxfam, unfortunately my holiday uptake is already at maximum capacity as I have a wedding in New Zealand. Do they have any festivals over there haha, two birds one stone and all that 🙂

[Skip997]

As long as you're prepared to risk missing you're fav band(s), then volunteering is the way to go.

[March Hare]

On 7/28/2022 at 9:49 PM, Skip997 said:

https://festivals.oxfam.org.uk/

Get on the Shambala crew if there's places left.

I really enjoyed working Shambala. If you are looking for a second festival it’s a good one. Plus it’s bank holiday so eats less leave 

[Skip997]

7 minutes ago, March Hare said:

I really enjoyed working Shambala. If you are looking for a second festival it’s a good one. Plus it’s bank holiday so eats less leave 

Good to hear.

It is the best, at least that I know of.

[neil93]

20 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

As long as you're prepared to risk missing you're fav band(s), then volunteering is the way to go.

100% I didn't have much of a plan for this year's festivals, and now listen to confidence man and wet leg on repeat so I'd definitely adopt the same approach if I'm unlucky in getting tickets and lucky enough to be able to volunteer.

[CauliflowerEar]

On 7/28/2022 at 9:40 PM, March Hare said:

 

Oh Jesus wept, look at the state of this lot 😆

My advice to the OP Would be to just get a spot with the easiest charity, then pretty much as soon as you are on site just bin them right off and enjoy the festival. They always make really scary threats that they will look for and find you 🤣, but its all nonsense- just go and get involved in the festival like you would if you had a real ticket. Trust me, you'll laugh long and hard during the festival when you pass some of the muppets that you recognise from the 'briefing', who are now stood by a fucking fence for the next 8 hours having to direct people off their tits to the nearest bank of portaloos. 👌

[Skip997]

19 minutes ago, CauliflowerEar said:

who are now stood by a fucking fence for the next 8 hours having to direct people off their tits to the nearest bank of portaloos. 👌

There weren't that many folks off their tits this year.

Loads of drunkards and quite a few on crap coke and K, but far too few on proper drugs.

[scatteredscreens]

 Does anyone have a contact for litter picking? I have previous litter picking experience but haven't done it at glastonbury.

[CauliflowerEar]

15 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

There weren't that many folks off their tits this year.

Loads of drunkards and quite a few on crap coke and K, but far too few on proper drugs.

Well thats to be expected when most of the ticket holders are middle class 'bucket list' types who wouldn't be going anywhere near Glastonbury if it wasnt for the BBC relentlessly broadcasting and hyping it for many years now. 

[philipsteak]

1 hour ago, CauliflowerEar said:

Oh Jesus wept, look at the state of this lot 😆

My advice to the OP Would be to just get a spot with the easiest charity, then pretty much as soon as you are on site just bin them right off and enjoy the festival. They always make really scary threats that they will look for and find you 🤣, but its all nonsense- just go and get involved in the festival like you would if you had a real ticket. Trust me, you'll laugh long and hard during the festival when you pass some of the muppets that you recognise from the 'briefing', who are now stood by a fucking fence for the next 8 hours having to direct people off their tits to the nearest bank of portaloos. 👌

 

How are you finding things with the move up to big school this year?