Volunteering 2024

[incident]

1 hour ago, thewomble said:

Whatever uses the least annual leave in combination with location!

Bearded / Reading / Leeds / Shambala are on BH weekends so arrive Wednesday afternoon, leave BH Monday.

Trees and Arctangent are both shorter festivals, leaving on the Sunday, and so I believe would usually be 2 shifts instead of 3.

[Leyrulion]

3 hours ago, e_p said:

What stage is bar work at? Are they recruiting, can you still apply? And when would you find out? 

There's a list of some options here

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JAcEC1skr5YsqgyIYUwy6_1HSRh0Fw_Ud0RkQaQIPkM/edit?usp=drivesdk

 

Bars are split up amongst 4 or 5 different organisations because there are so many of them.

[About Today]

Does any that has volunteered with Water Aid in the past have any additional tips on making your application as good as possible?

[This_Fields_Good]

18 hours ago, About Today said:

Does anyone that has volunteered with WaterAid in the past have any additional tips on making your application as good as possible?

I applied to WaterAid last year and did not get an offer from them, but by the time they told me all posts were filled, I'd got a job elsewhere.

However, I applied just before the application deadline, and if I was trying with them this year, I'd get my application in ASAP !  Though they say they review the applications, I think they likely start making offers to suitable candidates before the deadline.

[sedra]

Has anyone volunteered with Greenpeace before ? Any pros/cons? 

[RandomBunny]

Amazing news! Have just been offered a guest ticket from someone working. Overjoyed is an understatement! 😁🥳

 

However, I have applied for many volunteer positions, and spent ages on the WaterAid application as they were my top pick. Will it count against me for future years if they offer me a place and I decline? 

[stuie]

9 minutes ago, RandomBunny said:

Amazing news! Have just been offered a guest ticket from someone working. Overjoyed is an understatement! 😁🥳

 

However, I have applied for many volunteer positions, and spent ages on the WaterAid application as they were my top pick. Will it count against me for future years if they offer me a place and I decline? 

Something to check... when I didn't have an Oxfam place a few years back my FMS pal got me a link for a guest ticket and you can't enter until gates open on Wednesday.  Same again last year for his partner, which meant they couldn't travel together etc. 

It's obviously up to you what you do, but I'd give consideration to using the guest ticket as a backup and seeing through the volunteer option if you get a place. 

[RandomBunny]

1 minute ago, stuie said:

Something to check... when I didn't have an Oxfam place a few years back my FMS pal got me a link for a guest ticket and you can't enter until gates open on Wednesday.  Same again last year for his partner, which meant they couldn't travel together etc. 

It's obviously up to you what you do, but I'd give consideration to using the guest ticket as a backup and seeing through the volunteer option if you get a place. 

Thanks for the thought, but I will definitely be taking the guest ticket. Am able to camp in their field with them, even if can't enter the main festival until usual time 😊

[Izzy00117]

Hoping to get an oxfam spot this year for glasto but so far not been very successful lol!!

[deadponyclub]

28 minutes ago, Izzy00117 said:

Hoping to get an oxfam spot this year for glasto but so far not been very successful lol!!

definitely worth keeping an eye on the Oxfam page this Thursday/Friday. The 14 day cancellation window kicks in from Thursday at 11am so people start to lose money from their deposits....

[Jay Pee]

On 2/10/2024 at 6:04 PM, About Today said:

Does any that has volunteered with Water Aid in the past have any additional tips on making your application as good as possible?

Hi there,

This is a bit of a tricky one as I am trying to look at it through your lens.  What do you do work wise?  are you still studying?  you need to think about your transferable skills from real life to festival volunteer.  Explaining you are a Team Leader etc in day job with examples or part of a team of people delivering "X, Y and Z under pressure" etc.  

Just think about the requirement of the volunteering roles and how your life maps across.   Almost all roles require.

• Hard work
• Commitment to your role
• Getting on with your team mates and putting a shift in (even at 7am after 2 hours sleep)
• being able to chat to members of the public and help them with their myriad of issues
• Understanding and being committed to the charity mission
• it may also help to add if you have anything such as first aid at work or mental health experience.

My other key message is DO get involved with the charity if you want to boost your chances for future years.  Like a lot of the organisations, they are rewarding loyalty more and more so look at their website and get involved with "walk for water" and other high profile initiatives.  

I started on the Long Drops a few years ago when ticketless and the bar was set a bit lower to get in but since then, I have volunteered at numerous events and am a volunteer on the Speaker Network and chat to groups of school kids about the charity several times a year

I dont want to sound flippant but try not to just look at the charity partners as a ticket in because you missed out in the ballot.  Commit some time and effort to WaterAid and you are more likely to be looked at favourably during the application process.  But that takes time and effort and the deadline for this year is close.

Hope that helps

[Leyrulion]

2 hours ago, Jay Pee said:

My other key message is DO get involved with the charity if you want to boost your chances for future years.  Like a lot of the organisations, they are rewarding loyalty more and more so look at their website and get involved with "walk for water" and other high profile initiatives

This is a key bit for me. You need to think about it from Water Aid's perspective as well @About Today they have a contract to deliver with Glastonbury so want to ensure they have people in those roles who are going to a) turn up and b) make the charity look good. 

Half the application skill is making them think you're not at risk of running off, the requirement to demonstrate activity with water aid is part of how they minimise the risk of people not turning up or those that do not knowing what they're talking about.

[About Today]

@JayPee that's really helpful, thank you. I'd already included some of your bulletpoints in my draft. I'm a team leader in local Government for work and have been involved in a mental health charity for 10 years, so skills I have associated with those roles are what I'm putting down.

I've been reading some positive experiences from people volunteering on here, so going forward I would look into continuing volunteering with Water aid in the future not just for one festival.

[hallamer]

Was hoping more Glastonbury oxfam spots would come up today with the 14 day refund deadline gone but nothing so far, more chance of seeing a unicorn I imagine! 

[incident]

2 minutes ago, hallamer said:

Was hoping more Glastonbury oxfam spots would come up today with the 14 day refund deadline gone but nothing so far, more chance of seeing a unicorn I imagine! 

Probably find that they hold onto any returned places for the moment and eventually put them all up at once, rather than releasing them on an ad hoc basis.

[Bolivia95]

Yeah I’ve been checking everyday since they were released and there’s been various positions for other festivals - none for Glastonbury unfortunately.

Based on previous years do you think they’ll release a large batch late April/early May following resale?

[This_Fields_Good]

3 hours ago, hallamer said:

more chance of seeing a unicorn I imagine! 

Glastonbury aside, I've seen every festival come up...
apart from Bearded Theory - presumably that's where the unicorns live.

3 hours ago, Bolivia95 said:

Based on previous years do you think they’ll release a large batch late April/early May following resale?

If recent record is anything to go by, expect batch release(s) after significant events (possibly announced on the Oxfam FB page), and then sporadic returns late on.  It does seem to be what Oxfam has decided is fairest given the way their web page has been besieged !

[CharlotteB]

Has anyone in the recycling crew had any news about their shifts yet?

[dondo]

5 hours ago, CharlotteB said:

Has anyone in the recycling crew had any news about their shifts yet?

Nope. Not normally until April or May time if you are those that go direct  

[Lisanextdoor]

21 hours ago, incident said:

Probably find that they hold onto any returned places for the moment and eventually put them all up at once, rather than releasing them on an ad hoc basis.

Hi. That seemed to be the pattern last year. There was an advertised release in May I think. The only unadvertised release was start of June where a few appeared on the site. I’d prefer it if they just released as and when. It would favour the most obsessive. In 2019 there were spaces in June that stayed around for a few hours a couple of weeks before. It always felt you would get a place if you were patient and determined but demand seems much higher now so that it doesn’t seem to be as likely 

[CharlotteB]

7 hours ago, dondo said:

Nope. Not normally until April or May time if you are those that go direct  

The lack of contact makes me nervous, especially now their Facebook page has vanished. I've seen people saying how they've been on the team for 15 years and then suddenly they get an email saying they won't be asked back this year 😬 whether there are underlying reasons for them not being asked back, i don't know.

[dondo]

10 hours ago, CharlotteB said:

The lack of contact makes me nervous, especially now their Facebook page has vanished. I've seen people saying how they've been on the team for 15 years and then suddenly they get an email saying they won't be asked back this year 😬 whether there are underlying reasons for them not being asked back, i don't know.

My application says complete but I go direct. The charities are different obviously but yes I did see that on FB about people not being asked back.  Fingers crossed 🤞  for everyone 

[CharlotteB]

1 hour ago, dondo said:

My application says complete but I go direct. The charities are different obviously but yes I did see that on FB about people not being asked back.  Fingers crossed 🤞  for everyone 

Yeah, mine says complete too, so I'm not too worried for this year. But the things I've heard have taken my complacency away. I used to think I had it in the bag but with these stories, and Fiona retiring after this year, I'm not so sure.

[dondo]

58 minutes ago, CharlotteB said:

Yeah, mine says complete too, so I'm not too worried for this year. But the things I've heard have taken my complacency away. I used to think I had it in the bag but with these stories, and Fiona retiring after this year, I'm not so sure.

I didn't realise Fiona was retiring. That's a shame as she's been great in all the years I've volunteered 

[CharlotteB]

10 hours ago, dondo said:

I didn't realise Fiona was retiring. That's a shame as she's been great in all the years I've volunteered 

Yeah, it was mentioned at the end of my veterans invite: "Finally, I want to let you know that this will be my last festival as I’m retiring, and Jake will be leaving with me. It’s been a joy to do my job and work with all of you over the years. We’ll give you details of who is taking over later in the year."