Volunteering 2024

[jfaragher]

40 minutes ago, Pinhead said:

Really? BD gone this early? That's a quick for them isn't it - I used to think there were still places left for non-priority previous years.

BD has a massive number of returning volunteers each year - it usually goes really quickly, though not sure it's gone in priority before.

Second (I think) time I did it after several years of doing supervising / shift lead, I was told that I wouldn't get a supervisor role as all of the supervisors had been doing it for years (if not decades)

[Pinhead]

There was a festival which bought it all back in house wasn't there a number of years ago - which one was it...

[jfaragher]

1 minute ago, Pinhead said:

There was a festival which bought it all back in house wasn't there a number of years ago - which one was it...

Nozstock?

[Pinhead]

Didn't Boardmasters do it once, then did a volte face the following year?

[Avalon_Fields]

Congratulations all!

Anticipating confirmation to be joining the volunteering ranks in the not too distant future.....

[incident]

13 minutes ago, Pinhead said:

There was a festival which bought it all back in house wasn't there a number of years ago - which one was it...

WOMAD.

Lasted one year and then went back to Oxfam with their tail between their legs.

[incident]

16 minutes ago, jfaragher said:

Nozstock?

From what I remember of that situation, the decision to cancel the Oxfam presence and do it "in house" came very late in the day (like a few weeks before the festival) due to low ticket sales and budget cuts. Same happened at Tramlines (back when it was in the old format). Both of those being unusually small teams by Oxfam standards to start with of course so taking it in house probably wouldn't have been as problematic as it was at WOMAD when they tried it about ten years back.

[balti-pie]

46 minutes ago, Avalon_Fields said:

Congratulations all!

Anticipating confirmation to be joining the volunteering ranks in the not too distant future.....

Come aboard! you might find it quite comfy, and so much less stressful when your ticket day involves just five minutes of leisurely reserving a space, and not an hour of F5 scrumming 😄 i'll not mention the showers, or the meal tokens, or the parking near your tent, or the two extra days, or the staff bars, etc etc . . . . they'll all bloody want in! 

[ilovelanegan]

Hoping for a newbie spot this year - apols if this has already been answered on here, but does the Oxfam shuttle drop you at the camp or is it the usual trek in from gate A with all your camping gear? Asking for a non-car owner... 

[incident]

1 minute ago, ilovelanegan said:

Hoping for a newbie spot this year - apols if this has already been answered on here, but does the Oxfam shuttle drop you at the camp or is it the usual trek in from gate A with all your camping gear? Asking for a non-car owner... 

Yes the chargeable bus that Oxfam offer from Bristol (and only bookable via Oxfam profile) drops pretty much at the campsite.

Anything else - so if you got to Castle Cary or B&W and get the regular festival shuttle from there, it'll be Gate A and a huge trek around the outside of the festival (can't go the direct route as you won't be credentialed yet).

[ilovelanegan]

11 minutes ago, incident said:

Yes the chargeable bus that Oxfam offer from Bristol (and only bookable via Oxfam profile) drops pretty much at the campsite.

Anything else - so if you got to Castle Cary or B&W and get the regular festival shuttle from there, it'll be Gate A and a huge trek around the outside of the festival (can't go the direct route as you won't be credentialed yet).

Thanks, super helpful info

[philipsteak]

2 hours ago, incident said:

From what I remember of that situation, the decision to cancel the Oxfam presence and do it "in house" came very late in the day (like a few weeks before the festival) due to low ticket sales and budget cuts. Same happened at Tramlines (back when it was in the old format). Both of those being unusually small teams by Oxfam standards to start with of course so taking it in house probably wouldn't have been as problematic as it was at WOMAD when they tried it about ten years back.

Similar thing with Kendal Calling a few years ago to. I think it would've been the first year for Oxfam if it had happened.

The year I moved back from New Zealand, so 2011. I hadn't been able to commit to anything else but I ended up living in Cumbria and saw Oxfam offering it so signed up. 

That was dropped very late too. I want to say as close as two weeks away but it might have been longer.

[Leyrulion]

1 hour ago, ilovelanegan said:

Hoping for a newbie spot this year - apols if this has already been answered on here, but does the Oxfam shuttle drop you at the camp or is it the usual trek in from gate A with all your camping gear? Asking for a non-car owner... 

Got the shuttle last year, from my front door to my camping spot I walked about 500 metres with all my stuff. 

[*biggreg*]

1 hour ago, incident said:

Yes the chargeable bus that Oxfam offer from Bristol (and only bookable via Oxfam profile) drops pretty much at the campsite.

Anything else - so if you got to Castle Cary or B&W and get the regular festival shuttle from there, it'll be Gate A and a huge trek around the outside of the festival (can't go the direct route as you won't be credentialed yet).

@ilovelanegan - FYI, the Oxfam shuttle bus from Temple Meads is now free (subsidised from the camper van fee they are introducing this year). Just need to book yourself on it. See: https://festivals.oxfam.org.uk/this-years-festivals/glastonbury/

[incident]

12 minutes ago, *biggreg* said:

@ilovelanegan - FYI, the Oxfam shuttle bus from Temple Meads is now free (subsidised from the camper van fee they are introducing this year). Just need to book yourself on it. See: https://festivals.oxfam.org.uk/this-years-festivals/glastonbury/

Oh, that's an interesting change, and one I'd managed to completely miss. I'm very much in favour of that type of incentive towards public transport (especially for workers, who have far fewer options than the punters) - but I wonder whether it's been publicised enough or whether there's going to be a load of van owners getting upset when they go to book their spot and find themselves being charged (albeit a relatively token amount).

I'm not a van type, and don't have a huge amount of sympathy, but have noticed that they do get very angry at anything they see as penalising them.

[Paul ™]

Having ran the staff campsite at Download the previous 2 years, I have never seen so many van owners working for one crew till I saw the Oxfam field... 

[stuie]

Thanks @*biggreg* I hadn’t heard anything about this £35 charge until now. 
 

43 minutes ago, incident said:

Oh, that's an interesting change, and one I'd managed to completely miss. I'm very much in favour of that type of incentive towards public transport (especially for workers, who have far fewer options than the punters) - but I wonder whether it's been publicised enough or whether there's going to be a load of van owners getting upset when they go to book their spot and find themselves being charged (albeit a relatively token amount).

I'm not a van type, and don't have a huge amount of sympathy, but have noticed that they do get very angry at anything they see as penalising them.

Van people! A different breed 😂

I imagine some of us will be upset by it and some will probably not bother with Glasto at all because of it. I don’t know how they’ve communicate the change but there could be a case of refunds without penalties. 

Myself, i think its quite cheap compared to the public fee which was £200 last year!

[Watergirl]

11 hours ago, ilovelanegan said:

Asking for a non-car owner... 

I don't drive either. The bus dropping you right at the camping field is a huge plus for me.

[philipsteak]

Yeah I hadn't realised that change. I too am a van person, and tbh I've thought for ages they had it the wrong way round, free parking and pitches for cars and vans but people coming by public transport have to pay for the shuttle, so no problem on that score. My only thing is there's vans, and there's VANS. Mines a little converted Kangoo. You could park mine inside some of the bigger ones. There are tents in the field bigger than my van. In fact the tent I would use if I wasn't in the van probably has slightly more living space than the kangoo does, and only a slightly smaller footprint. Will have to give it some thought. £35 isn't going to break the bank, especially as I've just paid £800 to get it through it's MOT.

The Facebook page is going to be lively when people spot that.

 

 

[Festival Sounds Podcast]

Interesting change re the campervan charge. Makes it a sweet deal if arriving via public transport, smart move and the right thing imo.

[barcelonista1899]

Good news about the Oxfam bus, although every year I am reluctant to take it as for me it has broken down on at least one of the journeys to or from site!

Dropped off the priority this year as last year didn't manage any festivals due to work... will see what happens next week.

[jfaragher]

The van thing for Glastonbury came up on the Oxfam WhatsApp group earlier this week, and it was broadly well received.  I'm a van person, and it kind of makes sense to me - they have issues with the number of vans at Glastonbury so a small disincentive won't hurt, those coming by public transport are more likely to be impacted by cost-of-living stuff* etc

Also worth noting that a lot of the volunteer agencies at Glastonbury don't allow their teams to bring live-ins at all.

 

*Yes, of course there are exceptions to this, but generally van people are going to find £35 less of a burden that the students / low waged who typically use public transport.

[philipsteak]

17 minutes ago, barcelonista1899 said:

Good news about the Oxfam bus, although every year I am reluctant to take it as for me it has broken down on at least one of the journeys to or from site!

Dropped off the priority this year as last year didn't manage any festivals due to work... will see what happens next week.

Note to self, never get on a bus with barcelonista1899.

I got stuck on it once many years ago when leaving site. The bus itself didn't break down but another one did blocking the roads for everyone. Meant I missed my flight back to Belfast. Luckily I'd made friends with some fellow stewards who lived in Bristol so I crashed at theirs

[philipsteak]

3 minutes ago, jfaragher said:

The van thing for Glastonbury came up on the Oxfam WhatsApp group earlier this week, and it was broadly well received.  I'm a van person, and it kind of makes sense to me - they have issues with the number of vans at Glastonbury so a small disincentive won't hurt, those coming by public transport are more likely to be impacted by cost-of-living stuff* etc

Also worth noting that a lot of the volunteer agencies at Glastonbury don't allow their teams to bring live-ins at all.

 

*Yes, of course there are exceptions to this, but generally van people are going to find £35 less of a burden that the students / low waged who typically use public transport.

I'm not in the WhatsApp group, think I lasted about 10 minutes when I last joined. I can just about deal with the Facebook group.

Pleasantly surprised it's been broadly well received.

Last time I used the shuttle it was free anyway.

[Radiopaste]

Anyone know if theres any Glasto places left for non-priority? Did it last year and really enjoyed it so hoping to grab a spot next week!