Volunteering 2024

[TheBoz]

2 minutes ago, Festival Sounds Podcast said:

Last year they bunched up a load of cancelled places an released them as a block.  Don't give up.  Plus, @Leyrulion is running a brilliant spreadsheet of different volunteering opportunities that you can find further up the thread.  Oxfam is one of a dozen routes

Thanks.

Did you get any warning of those places being released?

[Festival Sounds Podcast]

Just now, TheBoz said:

Thanks.

Did you get any warning of those places being released?

Those were advertised on Oxfam socials.  They have also quietly dropped the odd place at the end of May and in the run in

[Festival Sounds Podcast]

Just had an email from WaterAid saying their volunteering applications have opened 

https://www.wateraid.org/uk/get-involved/volunteering/festival-volunteering/glastonbury

[tarw]

Anyone done Wilderness or Boardmasters with Oxfam before. Thinking of adding another festival when the dust has settled today. 
Any feedback to help me decide would be great

[Festival Sounds Podcast]

Been to Wilderness with Oxfam and enjoyed it.  Didn't have great locations for the shifts, at the gates away from the action but the campsite was nice, nice festival too.  Pretty compact and plenty of higher end experiences (compared to other festivals).  The cricket match was hilarious.

[stuie]

14 minutes ago, tarw said:

Anyone done Wilderness or Boardmasters with Oxfam before. Thinking of adding another festival when the dust has settled today. 
Any feedback to help me decide would be great

Wilderness is lovely - stunning location and great festival with plenty to do and see.  I was supervising in the general campsite which was great fun.  Boardmasters tends to be a younger affair and Wilderness is a more grown up festival with good party vibes. 

[JayDiesel]

In terms of someone (me) who is volunteering purely to be at Glastonbury, what is the worst case scenario for shifts? I went last year as a punter, and feel like I'd be content with working pretty much anytime as long as I had a mix of shifts - i.e., I wouldn't want to work 2-10 on all three proper days of the fest!

[tarw]

11 minutes ago, stuie said:

Wilderness is lovely - stunning location and great festival with plenty to do and see.  I was supervising in the general campsite which was great fun.  Boardmasters tends to be a younger affair and Wilderness is a more grown up festival with good party vibes. 

Just signed up for Wilderness. If I hate it I will hold you fully responsible and will come and hunt you down 

[balti-pie]

8 minutes ago, JayDiesel said:

In terms of someone (me) who is volunteering purely to be at Glastonbury, what is the worst case scenario for shifts? I went last year as a punter, and feel like I'd be content with working pretty much anytime as long as I had a mix of shifts - i.e., I wouldn't want to work 2-10 on all three proper days of the fest!

you'll get, in about 90% of the time, a mix of one early (6am to 2pm) a late (2pm to 10pm) and an overnight (10pm to 6am). the other 10% will be without a night shift, and will be two early/one late or vice versa. Theyre spread over the five days of the festival so you will almost certainly get at least one shift over before the music starts, and with the late finishing at 10pm you can still head out straight after and go see some bands, the night is the only one that chops off any possibility of a headliner. 

Dont obsess over the lineup til you know your shifts - and you wont get them until you get there on mon or tues (i really recommend a monday arrival btw, its lovely wandering around when its all clean and untouched) 

[tarw]

9 minutes ago, JayDiesel said:

In terms of someone (me) who is volunteering purely to be at Glastonbury, what is the worst case scenario for shifts? I went last year as a punter, and feel like I'd be content with working pretty much anytime as long as I had a mix of shifts - i.e., I wouldn't want to work 2-10 on all three proper days of the fest!

Generally you will be assigned one of the standard shift patterns. I can’t remember what they are but I’m pretty sure that they are posted somewhere in this thread. 
 

I think that you get one morning shift, one afternoon/evening shift and an overnight one

[LizzieRose]

14 minutes ago, JayDiesel said:

In terms of someone (me) who is volunteering purely to be at Glastonbury, what is the worst case scenario for shifts? I went last year as a punter, and feel like I'd be content with working pretty much anytime as long as I had a mix of shifts - i.e., I wouldn't want to work 2-10 on all three proper days of the fest!

This is the normal shift pattern, most people will get one morning, afternoon and evening shift.

As Wednesday is the busiest day at the gates, there is also a chance you get one of the other shift patterns with an extra shift on Wednesday instead of your last shift.

E.g. my first year with oxfam I had E shift, but had a Wednesday morning shift 6am-2pm instead of an overnight shift on Sunday. Meant I was totally done with shifts by 2pm on the Saturday - felt so lucky!!!

[stuie]

8 minutes ago, tarw said:

Just signed up for Wilderness. If I hate it I will hold you fully responsible and will come and hunt you down 

I posted it earlier in the thread but their after-movie really captures the essence of the festival.

It won't be too hard to hunt me down - there's only about 200 Oxfam there I think (at a guess).  You might even be on my team haha. 

 

 

[JayDiesel]

4 minutes ago, LizzieRose said:

This is the normal shift pattern, most people will get one morning, afternoon and evening shift.

As Wednesday is the busiest day at the gates, there is also a chance you get one of the other shift patterns with an extra shift on Wednesday instead of your last shift.

E.g. my first year with oxfam I had E shift, but had a Wednesday morning shift 6am-2pm instead of an overnight shift on Sunday. Meant I was totally done with shifts by 2pm on the Saturday - felt so lucky!!!

This is great, thanks, reassuring to know that you have at least one of the fest days completely off. I'm sure I can suck up missing a headliner for the sake of being at the fest at all

[Festival Sounds Podcast]

12 minutes ago, tarw said:

Just signed up for Wilderness. If I hate it I will hold you fully responsible and will come and hunt you down 

Things were said.  Choices were made.  I will live with the consequences.

[JackP1994]

“Comment deleted”

Edited February 1 by JackPortch

[thewomble]

Well, congrats to all those who got their places this morning! 🙂 

The saga continues for me it seems. Genuinely can't believe how quick I got a sold out message! Will keep checking the Oxfam site regularly to see if anything pops up, did also register with Avalon bars last week so will see if anything comes of that and all fingers and toes are crossed for resale 

(This is torture won't the Glasto gods just take pity on me and somehow get me a ticket😂)

[Festival Sounds Podcast]

1 minute ago, JayDiesel said:

This is great, thanks, reassuring to know that you have at least one of the fest days completely off. I'm sure I can suck up missing a headliner for the sake of being at the fest at all

I  arrive on the Monday around lunch time.  Make the most of the extra time you get on site and I feel like the time on shift is less of a compromise.  That said, you will miss some music.

The hardest shift is a 2-10 on the Friday, Saturday or Sunday (or 1-9 for supervisors).  Someone has to work those times. Just have to make the most of the other days.

[stuie]

2 minutes ago, JayDiesel said:

This is great, thanks, reassuring to know that you have at least one of the fest days completely off. I'm sure I can suck up missing a headliner for the sake of being at the fest at all

Trust me.  Get there Monday, register and get set up and get out.  Block 9 - Maceos, Arcadia - Tow & Hitch, Loving Arms - Silver Hayes, Broke Britain - UFG. Explore the farm. Repeat on Tuesday. Do your shifts, go out after, sleep when you can.  Remember you can use the crew bars throughout the week for less queues, better loos, chilling etc.

Basically, if you're up for it, you can get back what you lose by doing the shifts.  Not interested in getting a ticket these days whatsoever. 

 

[Festival Sounds Podcast]

1 minute ago, thewomble said:

Well, congrats to all those who got their places this morning! 🙂 

The saga continues for me it seems. Genuinely can't believe how quick I got a sold out message! Will keep checking the Oxfam site regularly to see if anything pops up, did also register with Avalon bars last week so will see if anything comes of that and all fingers and toes are crossed for resale 

(This is torture won't the Glasto gods just take pity on me and somehow get me a ticket😂)

I don't think anyone who has been on this thread from January/February has missed out in recent years.  That said, you've got to try all the options available. 

[balti-pie]

I had a 2-10 on the friday of 2019, which worked out beautifully - i was on a gate in the SE corner and as soon as my shift ended i was off with a couple of cans of 10% imperial stouts and straight to the Truth stage to see Gojira, followed by IDLES and then the rest of the SE corner fun and games. It depends on who to see and where you want to be, it was perfect for me but if you fancied the Other headliner you'd have a right hike ahead of you and catch probs the last hour of the set

[stuie]

3 minutes ago, Festival Sounds Podcast said:

I  arrive on the Monday around lunch time.  Make the most of the extra time you get on site and I feel like the time on shift is less of a compromise.  That said, you will miss some music.

The hardest shift is a 2-10 on the Friday, Saturday or Sunday (or 1-9 for supervisors).  Someone has to work those times. Just have to make the most of the other days.

I take my bag to shift with me, get changed and head straight out. The night is only just beginning! 

[Mr. B]

Has anyone taken a campaigning role with Oxfam before?

[Festival Sounds Podcast]

2 minutes ago, stuie said:

I take my bag to shift with me, get changed and head straight out. The night is only just beginning! 

Totally agree.  Friday 2022, prompt shift change, ditched gear in the lockup, and we ran to Billie Eilish from Gate C and then went through to the early morning.  Was a cracking night.

Edited February 1 by Festival Sounds Podcast

[tarw]

16 minutes ago, stuie said:

I posted it earlier in the thread but their after-movie really captures the essence of the festival.

It won't be too hard to hunt me down - there's only about 200 Oxfam there I think (at a guess).  You might even be on my team haha. 

 

 

Looks good (if a little posher than festivals I’m used to). See you in August if I don’t see you on the farm 

[deadponyclub]

A spot for Download just appeared and the disappeared again quickly 👀