Volunteering 2023

[OrlaGrace]

20 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Sadly this is effectively a closed shop. It's a word of mouth thing and the regulars keep coming back.

Ah sounds common with the volunteering stuff! Thanks anyway x

[Maich80]

This might be a stupid question but if you and your partner apply to volunteer at 3 of the big charities, is it just luck the 2 of you get picked? 
 

Thanks 

[glasto-worker]

9 hours ago, OrlaGrace said:

Thank you so much for this, really good to know. I really want to volunteer and see a different side to the festival! I didn’t realise recycling crew needed a recycling crew reference, I thought litter picking would be okay! So hopefully I can find one but there are so many good options (oxfam, bar work, stewarding) - fingers crossed I’ll be there!! x

As times marches on charities  and Companies can get very selective and build in all sort of conditions as they know there is a huge reserve of Volunteers but at one stage they were struggling to find Bodies. 

Some of us even tried Oxfam - on a Glastonbury gap year and the next year we were placed on the priority list but we did not take up the offer as we had places at Glastonbury.

It was interesting to see how they do Production - very well organised
and I even ran into some Efest members who were well puzzled why I was working for Oxfam.

At one event it was being a campsite steward and another event when we were checking tickets and wristbands.

at one event the car park was a fair old walk from the crew site but was able to wangle a lift from a Oxfam senior organiser ' there and back ' - one advantage of being Old - if you don't ask - you don't get !!!   

so for a long term plan register with Oxfam as you will have more events than you can shake a stick at and a very good chance you get into Glastonbury in 
2024.

The campsite steward tent { well that is what they called it } and the Oxfam
crew site at a very small River Cottage - actually the trees gave good shade
from the sun - There was other campsite steward tents at various places but at our one there was only the two of us on duty. { we ended up on the same shift } 

[philipsteak]

12 hours ago, Maich80 said:

This might be a stupid question but if you and your partner apply to volunteer at 3 of the big charities, is it just luck the 2 of you get picked? 
 

Thanks 

With Oxfam it's essentially fastest gets in (subject to your reference checking out). Once public applications open they fill the remaining spots in a few minutes. And you can only apply for yourself. This does mean that only one of you might be fast enough I suppose. 

[stuie]

12 hours ago, Maich80 said:

This might be a stupid question but if you and your partner apply to volunteer at 3 of the big charities, is it just luck the 2 of you get picked? 

 

6 minutes ago, philipsteak said:

With Oxfam it's essentially fastest gets in (subject to your reference checking out). Once public applications open they fill the remaining spots in a few minutes. And you can only apply for yourself. This does mean that only one of you might be fast enough I suppose. 

As @philipsteaksays, the public applications all go in a matter of minutes, but plenty become available again between application day and the festival.  People who manage to get tickets in the resales, people whose circumstances or priorities change etc. cancel their places. 

Basically, if you want a space then you'll be able to get one if you check enough or use a website page change checker!

[golden egg]

Weird question but Is there any reason you’d have to notify your work that youre doing it since it’s volunteering as opposed to taking another job? 
 

And is the option to complete your profile only available when 2023 registration opens up?

Edited November 11, 2022 by golden egg

[giantkatestacks]

14 minutes ago, golden egg said:

Weird question but Is there any reason you’d have to notify your work that youre doing it since it’s volunteering as opposed to taking another job? 
 

And is the option to complete your profile only available when 2023 registration opens up?

No, I don't notify my work - I mean I do anyway as I make a big song and dance about the charity I volunteer for but I don't need to. 

[dondo]

23 minutes ago, golden egg said:

Weird question but Is there any reason you’d have to notify your work that youre doing it since it’s volunteering as opposed to taking another job? 
 

And is the option to complete your profile only available when 2023 registration opens up?

My boss/colleagues know I volunteer as we talk about it but I've never told HR and never been an issue.

When I volunteered for the 1st time back in 2005 I did get a P60 at the end of the tax year relating to the volunteer role as you're kind of getting paid by getting in for free as such, meal vouchers etc. but never had one since.

[philipsteak]

Yeah I don't formally notify them. They all know obviously and my boss is my reference. 

 

[philipsteak]

2 minutes ago, dondo said:

 

When I volunteered for the 1st time back in 2005 I did get a P60 at the end of the tax year relating to the volunteer role as you're kind of getting paid by getting in for free as such, meal vouchers etc. but never had one since.

Never heard of that before. 

[stuie]

9 minutes ago, philipsteak said:

Never heard of that before. 

Neither have I!

 

[dondo]

2 hours ago, philipsteak said:

Never heard of that before. 

 

2 hours ago, stuie said:

Neither have I!

 

Yes. Only time it happened to me though I didn't volunteer again after 2005 until 2010 so can only assume something changed in how it was viewed

[Leyrulion]

14 hours ago, golden egg said:

Weird question but Is there any reason you’d have to notify your work that youre doing it since it’s volunteering as opposed to taking another job? 
 

And is the option to complete your profile only available when 2023 registration opens up?

I actively tell my work because we get volunteer days and I use them for Oxfam festivals.

I'm the only one that does it but (in my mind) there's not that much difference between cleaning up a playground and doing a welfare check of a late night area for a festival Oxfam is at. Both raise money for charity and provide a service. HR struggle to write a policy that excludes one over the other. 

I only claim one volunteer day, I could probably get away with more (large company) but I don't really want to take the piss! It's a pretty sweet deal.

[philipsteak]

6 hours ago, Leyrulion said:

I actively tell my work because we get volunteer days and I use them for Oxfam festivals.

I'm the only one that does it but (in my mind) there's not that much difference between cleaning up a playground and doing a welfare check of a late night area for a festival Oxfam is at. Both raise money for charity and provide a service. HR struggle to write a policy that excludes one over the other. 

I only claim one volunteer day, I could probably get away with more (large company) but I don't really want to take the piss! It's a pretty sweet deal.

I've been trying to get this for years. Unfortunately as a charity we use our volunteer days internally. There was talk of that maybe changing this year but didn't happen. 

[Leyrulion]

2 hours ago, philipsteak said:

I've been trying to get this for years. Unfortunately as a charity we use our volunteer days internally. There was talk of that maybe changing this year but didn't happen. 

That is not a volunteer day, that's working in another team 😂

[dondo]

9 hours ago, Leyrulion said:

I actively tell my work because we get volunteer days and I use them for Oxfam festivals.

I'm the only one that does it but (in my mind) there's not that much difference between cleaning up a playground and doing a welfare check of a late night area for a festival Oxfam is at. Both raise money for charity and provide a service. HR struggle to write a policy that excludes one over the other. 

I only claim one volunteer day, I could probably get away with more (large company) but I don't really want to take the piss! It's a pretty sweet deal.

Our neighbour does that with WaterAid. He works for one of the water companies and they get volunteer days for WaterAid on the loo cleaning team.  Think it's very popular as they have to put their name in the hat as such

[philipsteak]

1 hour ago, Leyrulion said:

That is not a volunteer day, that's working in another team 😂

Very much my managers point of view too. 

 

[March Hare]

Back from a period where I was banned from the site (no idea why).  Great to see so much interest in the thread.

I take the volunteering day with work and they even asked me to do a 15 webinar on it to encourage volunteering internally.  It's old fashioned thinking to suggest it should fall outside the scope of employer volunteer days.

[marathonsteve]

Volunteering is great but not for everyone because you will miss Acts but then again you will miss Acts as a customer . There is a degree of safety however that  I have found when camping in a crew campsite.

[marathonsteve]

I don't quite get this token bit with Oxfam about the showers do you have to pay

 

[stuie]

37 minutes ago, marathonsteve said:

I don't quite get this token bit with Oxfam about the showers do you have to pay

 

No, in your welcome pack you get 3 x shower tokens and 3 x meal tokens. 

[marathonsteve]

Iam totally missing some thing  here about the tokens   you are only allowed if you are working

[marathonsteve]

24 minutes ago, stuie said:

No, in your welcome pack you get 3 x shower tokens and 3 x meal tokens. 

thank you

[Greenelk]

Does proven support of a charity give you more of a chance of getting selected to volunteer at the festival?  I'm a long time Shelter supporter (signed up at Glastonbury years ago as I recall) and "ran" the London Marathon as part of their team last year.

Just trying to work out how slim my chances are.  I'm guessing still better than my Worthy FM application!

[Crazyfool01]

3 minutes ago, Greenelk said:

Does proven support of a charity give you more of a chance of getting selected to volunteer at the festival?  I'm a long time Shelter supporter (signed up at Glastonbury years ago as I recall) and "ran" the London Marathon as part of their team last year.

Just trying to work out how slim my chances are.  I'm guessing still better than my Worthy FM application!

i dunno that's pretty niche in terms of experience you have .. should stand a chance