Volunteering 2024

[deadponyclub]

Question for those who have volunteered with Oxfam before. Are you able to drive and park your car at Glastonbury? If so do you just get a normal parking permit and pay like regular punters or is there a different arrangement?

[dondo]

Just now, deadponyclub said:

Question for those who have volunteered with Oxfam before. Are you able to drive and park your car at Glastonbury? If so do you just get a normal parking permit and pay like regular punters or is there a different arrangement?

If you want one they will send you a parking permit (others who volunteer with Oxfam will tell you the exact mechanics) and you park next to the Oxfield.  

[deadponyclub]

4 minutes ago, dondo said:

If you want one they will send you a parking permit (others who volunteer with Oxfam will tell you the exact mechanics) and you park next to the Oxfield.  

that's great, I'll have some spaces in my car so will be able to offer spaces to anyone who needs one 😃

[This_Fields_Good]

12 hours ago, giantkatestacks said:

16 hours ago, dondo said:

And if people are around on the Monday the last couple of years I normally organise an efests crew meet up on the Monday night at the Tow and Hitch. All welcome!

Will try and sit down this year instead of wandering over awkwardly saying hi and then wandering off again. 

Similar experience here - I went to T&H on the monday evening (first time I've worked the fest) and was a bit thrown by how packed it was... so not very inclined to go group to group among strangers asking if they are efests peolple.

Not usually a fan of festival flags, but would have been useful then !

[stuie]

16 minutes ago, deadponyclub said:

Question for those who have volunteered with Oxfam before. Are you able to drive and park your car at Glastonbury? If so do you just get a normal parking permit and pay like regular punters or is there a different arrangement?

When you complete your profile it will ask if you need a car park permit and to enter the reg number.  Car park is right next to the Oxfield campsite.  Car passes are free.  Campervan passes are £35.  Compared to public prices of £60 car and £200 campervan, this is another perk of the Oxfam way. 

[incident]

15 minutes ago, dondo said:

If you want one they will send you a parking permit (others who volunteer with Oxfam will tell you the exact mechanics) and you park next to the Oxfield.  

Those are the exact mechanics tbh.

The only very minor thing to note is that (unlike public ones) Staff parking permits are colour coded to the allocated areas so theoretically you can't take say an Oxfam permit and use it on the Orange Car Parks. But that shouldn't be an issue.

[deadponyclub]

1 minute ago, stuie said:

When you complete your profile it will ask if you need a car park permit and to enter the reg number.  Car park is right next to the Oxfield campsite.  Car passes are free.  Campervan passes are £35.  Compared to public prices of £60 car and £200 campervan, this is another perk of the Oxfam way. 

 

Just now, incident said:

Those are the exact mechanics tbh.

The only very minor thing to note is that (unlike public ones) Staff parking permits are colour coded to the allocated areas so theoretically you can't take say an Oxfam permit and use it on the Orange Car Parks. But that shouldn't be an issue.

thanks both, as you say another perk of the Oxfam way 😏

[dondo]

13 minutes ago, This_Fields_Good said:

Similar experience here - I went to T&H on the monday evening (first time I've worked the fest) and was a bit thrown by how packed it was... so not very inclined to go group to group among strangers asking if they are efests peolple.

Not usually a fan of festival flags, but would have been useful then !

In previous years I've set a WhatsApp group up to make it easier to let folk know where we are. But you make a good point and whilst maybe not a flag a sign of sort is a good idea. 

[Miriam Brooks]

17 hours ago, Crazyfool01 said:

what a pleasure this thread is to read .... likeminded people helping each other .... for anyone new reading please jump in and ask your questions dont be shy theres an absolute wealth of experience here . for those that missed out on Oxfam today there will be other chances along with the resale so stick around this page usually is a good sign of when more places drop in 

Hello! So I have been lucky enough to secure a place at Oxfam (thanks to my partner's quick fingers - and lack of desire to stand for 8+ hrs at a time). 

My question is this - I am a big fan of the overnight at glasto. I've been as a punter 3 times and increasingly I've been less interested in what's happening in the daytime - sure, I'm happy to go see the bigger acts or a bit of comedy but ultimately there are maybe 2 or 3 acts in the daytime I'm desperate to see and then more like 10+ at night. Coupled with all the shenanigans in other areas of the festival.

So two things:

1. if I sleep all day, party all night, then start a 6am shift, planning to sleep at 2pm, will this is be something I'm pulled up on? I would be absolutely sober by the time I start shift. I don't drink at glasto really at all and rely heavily on my ADHD meds + energy drinks to keep me going. 

2. similarly, if I don't re-enter the campsite for over a day and night, will I be pulled up on it, as long as I'm at my shifts?

3. do you consider it likely that there will be people in the opposite boat to me that will be willing to swap 2 - 10pm shifts with overnight ones, or are the overnight ones too brutal?

Thank you!!

[stuie]

9 minutes ago, Miriam Brooks said:

Hello! So I have been lucky enough to secure a place at Oxfam (thanks to my partner's quick fingers - and lack of desire to stand for 8+ hrs at a time). 

My question is this - I am a big fan of the overnight at glasto. I've been as a punter 3 times and increasingly I've been less interested in what's happening in the daytime - sure, I'm happy to go see the bigger acts or a bit of comedy but ultimately there are maybe 2 or 3 acts in the daytime I'm desperate to see and then more like 10+ at night. Coupled with all the shenanigans in other areas of the festival.

So two things:

1. if I sleep all day, party all night, then start a 6am shift, planning to sleep at 2pm, will this is be something I'm pulled up on? I would be absolutely sober by the time I start shift. I don't drink at glasto really at all and rely heavily on my ADHD meds + energy drinks to keep me going. 

2. similarly, if I don't re-enter the campsite for over a day and night, will I be pulled up on it, as long as I'm at my shifts?

3. do you consider it likely that there will be people in the opposite boat to me that will be willing to swap 2 - 10pm shifts with overnight ones, or are the overnight ones too brutal?

Thank you!!

1. so long as you are sober and not falling asleep, no one would know.  you know what rest you need to be fit and capable. 

2. there are no checks in or out of the campsite and people come and go all through the day and night. 

3. you have to swap all 3 shifts at glasto - you can't just swap your early morning one or your late night one for example. 

[jfaragher]

12 minutes ago, Miriam Brooks said:

1. if I sleep all day, party all night, then start a 6am shift, planning to sleep at 2pm, will this is be something I'm pulled up on? I would be absolutely sober by the time I start shift. I don't drink at glasto really at all and rely heavily on my ADHD meds + energy drinks to keep me going. 

2. similarly, if I don't re-enter the campsite for over a day and night, will I be pulled up on it, as long as I'm at my shifts?

3. do you consider it likely that there will be people in the opposite boat to me that will be willing to swap 2 - 10pm shifts with overnight ones, or are the overnight ones too brutal?

1 - Absolutely fine as long as you are sober and functional.  Loads of people turn up on very little / no sleep, especially if they've got their morning shift on Saturday or Sunday.  Just don't be a miserable f**k, because no-one wants to have to work with someone like that 🙂

2 - Not a problem - you're not tracked going in and out of the campsite.  I have been known to leave the campsite at ~0900 and get back around the same time the following day

3 - You can only swap all three shifts at Glastonbury, so this won't be an option.

/edit - beaten by Stuie, but at least we're consistent!

Edited February 2 by jfaragher

[Miriam Brooks]

2 minutes ago, stuie said:

1. so long as you are sober and not falling asleep, no one would know.  you know what rest you need to be fit and capable. 

2. there are no checks in or out of the campsite and people come and go all through the day and night. 

3. you have to swap all 3 shifts at glasto - you can't just swap your early morning one or your late night one for example. 

Thank you that's extremely useful!

Something else I had forgotten to ask - is there anything stopping us from bringing like standing stools with us to shift (the ones you lean back on, so you're still in an upright position) - or are these banned? I'm aware that chairs are not allowed but can't find anything on this sort of gear.

[stuie]

2 minutes ago, jfaragher said:

/edit - beaten by Stuie, but at least we're consistent!

I forgot this bit, which made me laugh and is absolutely spot on and important! 🙂 

2 minutes ago, jfaragher said:

Just don't be a miserable f**k, because no-one wants to have to work with someone like that 🙂

 

[Miriam Brooks]

4 minutes ago, jfaragher said:

 Just don't be a miserable f**k, because no-one wants to have to work with someone like that 🙂

 

luckily I don't think it's possible for me to be anything other than elated on the farm

[giantkatestacks]

On the recognising fellow efesters - I never have any trouble with that for some reason. I think someone might even be wearing an efests tshirt last year @dondo?

[Crazyfool01]

1 minute ago, giantkatestacks said:

On the recognising fellow efesters - I never have any trouble with that for some reason. I think someone might even be wearing an efests tshirt last year @dondo?

The fact he’s 16ft 3 makes him stand out also 😀

[dondo]

1 minute ago, giantkatestacks said:

On the recognising fellow efesters - I never have any trouble with that for some reason. I think someone might even be wearing an efests tshirt last year @dondo?

Yes. I was wearing my t-shirt. Forgotten about that 

[jfaragher]

9 minutes ago, Miriam Brooks said:

Thank you that's extremely useful!

Something else I had forgotten to ask - is there anything stopping us from bringing like standing stools with us to shift (the ones you lean back on, so you're still in an upright position) - or are these banned? I'm aware that chairs are not allowed but can't find anything on this sort of gear.

In most positions, these won't be usable - you'll be moving about much of the time.  If standing for 8hrs is going to be an issue for you, then let Oxfam know, and they'll find a role where you can sit for at least some of it - they're pretty good with making adjustments to people's needs.

[Miriam Brooks]

1 minute ago, jfaragher said:

In most positions, these won't be usable - you'll be moving about much of the time.  If standing for 8hrs is going to be an issue for you, then let Oxfam know, and they'll find a role where you can sit for at least some of it - they're pretty good with making adjustments to people's needs.

excellent, thanks. I suppose I'll bring one just encase but mostly rely on hiking poles.

Edited February 2 by Miriam Brooks

[This_Fields_Good]

12 minutes ago, dondo said:

Yes. I was wearing my t-shirt. Forgotten about that 

Missed the t-shirt, missed out on the wood-smoked pizza...
What the Hell was I doing there ?!?

Ah - I think there was a bar

Edited February 2 by This_Fields_Good
Grammar

[jfaragher]

Honestly, do tell Oxfam if you need adjustments made to your role - they aren't funny about it in any way, and will find something that works better for you.  Also, as someone who's supervised, it can be really difficult if someone turns up on shift with a requirement that you aren't aware of / haven't planned for - especially if the shift starts busy and you haven't got enough time to think about how you can arrange things.  

[dondo]

11 minutes ago, Crazyfool01 said:

The fact he’s 16ft 3 makes him stand out also 😀

Maybe I need a hat 😉

[Festival Sounds Podcast]

26 minutes ago, jfaragher said:

Honestly, do tell Oxfam if you need adjustments made to your role - they aren't funny about it in any way, and will find something that works better for you.  Also, as someone who's supervised, it can be really difficult if someone turns up on shift with a requirement that you aren't aware of / haven't planned for - especially if the shift starts busy and you haven't got enough time to think about how you can arrange things.  

I’m with you. As a supervisor sometimes, if Oxfam haven’t been told about reasonable adjustments in advance, you can’t make those adjustments because of the location.

Tell Oxfam in advice and they’ll get you are suitable position. 

[deadponyclub]

for those still trying to get an Oxfam volunteering spot I am seeing availability come and go for 2000 Trees and Isle of Wight, fingers crossed some spaces for Glasto appear soon! Keep the faith 🙏

[Aragorn]

2 hours ago, dondo said:

Yes. I was wearing my t-shirt. Forgotten about that 

same I was too 😄