Volunteering 2023

[March Hare]

1 hour ago, gazzared said:

You may be given general Oxfam volunteer role like what I got for 2019 (I can't remember what it's called yet again but someone told me a few pages back)...I got my shift pattern but not any actual locations so I had to report and meet at the Oxfam tent for each shift and then given my role...2 earlys and 1 night so had to be at Oxfam tent for 5.45am on earlys and 21.45 for the night shift

Response Stewards.

Response Stewards are heroes.  If part of the site gets busier than expected, they come and add to your numbers.  I’ve done response and often the first hour you are sat in the marquee waiting to be assigned somewhere.

It’s a good gig

[JoeyT]

1 minute ago, March Hare said:

Response Stewards.

Response Stewards are heroes.  If part of the site gets busier than expected, they come and add to your numbers.  I’ve done response and often the first hour you are sat in the marquee waiting to be assigned somewhere.

It’s a good gig

Sounds fun.

Shift A response steward please 🙏 

[gazzared]

3 minutes ago, March Hare said:

Response Stewards.

Response Stewards are heroes.  If part of the site gets busier than expected, they come and add to your numbers.  I’ve done response and often the first hour you are sat in the marquee waiting to be assigned somewhere.

It’s a good gig

Not all heroes where capes....I watched a gap in the hedge for about 4 hours 🤣🤣🤣

[wweerr208]

7 minutes ago, gazzared said:

Not all heroes where capes....I watched a gap in the hedge for about 4 hours 🤣🤣🤣

was that a part of your duties or something you just did

[March Hare]

6 minutes ago, gazzared said:

Not all heroes where capes....I watched a gap in the hedge for about 4 hours 🤣🤣🤣

My nephew did that too in 2019 when two people jumped the Oxfield camp thinking they  got into the festival 😂.  That’s him in the picture in the unicorn bucket hat

[JoeyT]

8 minutes ago, gazzared said:

Not all heroes where capes....I watched a gap in the hedge for about 4 hours 🤣🤣🤣

Sounds like the festival equivalent of asking the apprentice to find a glass hammer or catch sparks 😂

[March Hare]

17 minutes ago, JoeyT said:

Sounds fun.

Shift A response steward please 🙏 

My advice is expect the worst pattern you see on the table. Then anything else is a win. 

Plus not all shift patterns are the same. I had amazing shifts one year that didn’t follow the patterns:

Wednesday 2-10pm

Thursday 2-10pm

Saturday 6am-2pm

Totally random and unexpected but very welcome.

[amfy]

1 hour ago, JoeyT said:

Sounds like the festival equivalent of asking the apprentice to find a glass hammer or catch sparks 😂

At our first Oxfam festival we ended up standing guard on a giant mirror all for an overnight shift!

[philipsteak]

1 hour ago, March Hare said:

Response Stewards.

Response Stewards are heroes.  If part of the site gets busier than expected, they come and add to your numbers.  I’ve done response and often the first hour you are sat in the marquee waiting to be assigned somewhere.

It’s a good gig

Not had a response shift at Glastonbury for ages. They are good though. Especially for the early one, just fall out of your tent/van and you are there rather than having to trek to a different timezone like some locations. And then part of your shift is spent getting to your location (if you are even needed. Although these days it seems they are mostly used)

[philipsteak]

1 hour ago, gazzared said:

Not all heroes where capes....I watched a gap in the hedge for about 4 hours 🤣🤣🤣

I had to guard a hole in a fence for about 6 hours of my night shift at Boomtown once. Wasn't even a perimeter fence, but could potentially have been dangerous if people got through. Nobody tried getting through.

[philipsteak]

Oh, and stewarded on and off (mostly on) since 2003 and never had earlies at Glastonbury. Although we are a group of 6, mostly supervisors and gate team leaders or whatever the two roles are called. So I don't fancy or chances anytime soon.

Did get them at Latitude once, not the same though

[amfy]

6 hours ago, JoeyT said:

I'm literally praying for A or B shifts. Be kind shift gods!

I had B shift last year and it was really hard.

On Friday I had to be up at about 4.30am to get to Stickleball for our early shift and 8 hours on our feet later we got to enjoy the rest of Friday.On Saturday we spent whole day trying to conserve energy for the night shift. 
On Sunday we were absolutely knackered from the night shift.

Still loved it though!

[Harry MonkFish]

48 minutes ago, amfy said:

At our first Oxfam festival we ended up standing guard on a giant mirror all for an overnight shift!

I could see myself doing that

[StoneCircle]

3 hours ago, March Hare said:

My advice is expect the worst pattern you see on the table. Then anything else is a win. 

Plus not all shift patterns are the same. I had amazing shifts one year that didn’t follow the patterns:

Wednesday 2-10pm

Thursday 2-10pm

Saturday 6am-2pm

Totally random and unexpected but very welcome.

Probably caused by the need to accommodate someone like me who has reasonable adjustments in place due to health issues. I actually request 2pm - 10pm though! 

[Leyrulion]

4 hours ago, March Hare said:

Response Stewards.

Response Stewards are heroes.  If part of the site gets busier than expected, they come and add to your numbers.  I’ve done response and often the first hour you are sat in the marquee waiting to be assigned somewhere.

It’s a good gig

I've not done response but the 2nd best gigs are shifts where the festival isn't even open but they just need the bodies in place for contingency. 

Had this at wilderness and Boomtown. 8am start but the arena/bowl didn't open until 12. 4 hours sat catching up on sleep, eating breakfast slowly. 

Also stewarding the wilderness lake on Sunday morning was pretty chill. There were lifeguards doing the hard work and no one else was awake until at least 11.

[Joey01]

5 hours ago, March Hare said:

My nephew did that too in 2019 when two people jumped the Oxfield camp thinking they  got into the festival 😂.  That’s him in the picture in the unicorn bucket hat

Thought your nephew was Folamour for a second then...

[Wurzelcat]

I got oxfam pre festival shifts. 2nd year running! So happy!

[March Hare]

4 hours ago, Leyrulion said:

I've not done response but the 2nd best gigs are shifts where the festival isn't even open but they just need the bodies in place for contingency. 

Had this at wilderness and Boomtown. 8am start but the arena/bowl didn't open until 12. 4 hours sat catching up on sleep, eating breakfast slowly. 

Also stewarding the wilderness lake on Sunday morning was pretty chill. There were lifeguards doing the hard work and no one else was awake until at least 11.

I’m with you on this. At Leeds, twice I started a shift at 8 when the gate opened at 11 😂

[glasto-worker]

20 hours ago, Harry MonkFish said:

Yes, I have to drive there. 

Please note ' I do not see the normal e-mails ' but I am sure in 2022 the Master plan was ## to get everyone on a coach ## unless they had permission from HQ  { who I assume would be sent extra information }

have you let them know ?

I know people who wanted to drive but were told to book a Coach. 

The whole entry system is set up for people walking off a Crew Coach.

[gazzared]

10 hours ago, wweerr208 said:

was that a part of your duties or something you just did

Some people had broken into the Oxfam camp through a gap in the hedge  thinking that they'd gotten into the festival...I was checking ID's at the time for our toilets . They sprinted through the field, then to the vehicle gate and then down the road which takes you to east CV Field 🤣

[gazzared]

10 hours ago, philipsteak said:

I had to guard a hole in a fence for about 6 hours of my night shift at Boomtown once. Wasn't even a perimeter fence, but could potentially have been dangerous if people got through. Nobody tried getting through.

I bet that was hard to stay awake . It was good for me to watch the hedge as it was nicely shaded and the day was becoming very hot. The people in the motorhome next to the hedge appreciated someone being there as a deterrent because potentially anyone getting in could try to break into the motorhomes .

Edited June 3, 2023 by gazzared

[gazzared]

11 hours ago, March Hare said:

My advice is expect the worst pattern you see on the table. Then anything else is a win. 

Plus not all shift patterns are the same. I had amazing shifts one year that didn’t follow the patterns:

Wednesday 2-10pm

Thursday 2-10pm

Saturday 6am-2pm

Totally random and unexpected but very welcome.

Wow they we're brilliant shifts

[March Hare]

6 hours ago, Joey01 said:

Thought your nephew was Folamour for a second then...

He’s Clem Fandango

[Harry MonkFish]

2 hours ago, glasto-worker said:

Please note ' I do not see the normal e-mails ' but I am sure in 2022 the Master plan was ## to get everyone on a coach ## unless they had permission from HQ  { who I assume would be sent extra information }

have you let them know ?

I know people who wanted to drive but were told to book a Coach. 

The whole entry system is set up for people walking off a Crew Coach.

Yeah. I have let the organisers know, they've not said there are any issues with me driving there. Just that I have to either go at 2pm or 9pm. I hope they don't change it because I may struggle to go if that's the case. 

[chuckles07]

13 hours ago, March Hare said:

My advice is expect the worst pattern you see on the table. Then anything else is a win. 
 

This.

I just did Bearded Theory for 3rd time on trot, great festival and it was fab. Apart from the shifts. Fri 8-4, Sat & Sun 4-12 (midnight). And not at positions in the arena. We got the shortest of the short straws there, not happy, but its the roll of the dice. You lucky pre-shifters luck is paid for by someone else, somewhere! 😅