Volunteering 2024

[StoneCircle]

1 hour ago, philipsteak said:

Just had an email from Oxfam about a survey and was able to use some of StoneCircle's account to inform some of my answers (without going in to any detail).

Maybe if a few of us do the same it might help prevent similar things happening in the future.

 

59 minutes ago, tarw said:

I’ve just done the same!

Hopefully the powers that be will take your feedback onboard! I am no shrinking violet when it comes to getting my point across and I won't tolerate bullying. But there are a lot of timid people out there and I like to think we can all make things better for people too scared to speak out. 

[DJL]

12 hours ago, croiz said:

A previous Avalon/shelter volunteer posted a little map on this forum at some point with all the Avalon bars on & their names.... Since I've been given a volunteering place this year I've been searching and searching for it. I'm sure I wasn't hallucinating 

This one?

[DJL]

On 3/19/2024 at 5:24 PM, Derbyphil said:

Hi All. 
 

Does anyone know which bars are run by Avalon?

See map above, not sure if it is accurate/up to date. Do you live in Derby, Phil? (I ask as I do and am volunteering for Avalon).

[marathonsteve]

14 hours ago, tarw said:

I think that there is some confusion about what Reasonable Adjustments are. 
They are a legal requirement to prevent people with a disability from being prevented from doing something. Being old/fat/lazy/hanging is not a disability. 
If you have a disability such as SC does then you should have Reasonable Adjustments made by law as well as morally. 
The idea that you have pots or quotas of volunteers eligible for RAs is morally wrong and illegal. To me the problem is people asking for adjustments when they don’t have a disability causes the problem. 
If you have a disability then you know that you have it and can request RAs before the event. These need to be met if they’re reasonable. 
An injury is temporary and not a disability and though supervisors might be understanding there is no requirement to make adjustments. 
ps I do not volunteer for Glastonbury with Oxfam and am not an apologist for them. What they did to SC is totally wrong 

Hiya Some of us were wondering if you are you a Supervisor for Oxfam

[marathonsteve]

15 minutes ago, marathonsteve said:

Hiya Some of us were wondering if you are you a Supervisor for Oxfam

Quote

Being old/fat/lazy/hanging is not a disability. 

 

[marathonsteve]

2 minutes ago, marathonsteve said:

Being old/fat/lazy/hanging is not a disability. 

 

[marathonsteve]

Being old/fat/lazy/hanging is not a disability. The Company called Oxfam

[marathonsteve]

Just now, marathonsteve said:

Being old/fat/lazy/hanging is not a disability. The Company called Oxfam

the Penny dropped

[waltere]

4 hours ago, DJL said:

This one?

 

4 hours ago, DJL said:

See map above, not sure if it is accurate/up to date

It's not (in fact it's at least 11 years out of date)! Down below is the version from last year

 

[amfy]

Can I just say that whilst being old is not in itself a disability. It does increase the chances of you having one. Disabilities such as arthritis etc are far more common and likely to require adjustments in old age. 
That was the reason for mentioning the aging Oxfam volunteer population. I’m 60 and have not needed or asked for Reasonable Adjustments but it does get more likely as the years pass.

I would also argue that they can be requested for temporary conditions. As previous NHS manager I know we have provided a reasonable adjustments for people recovering from illness or accidents & I have seen people with temporary incapacity accommodated by Oxfam.
 

[stuie]

10 hours ago, marathonsteve said:

Hiya Some of us were wondering if you are you a Supervisor for Oxfam

They already said they are not.

Please can you move on now and not take over this thread with negativity.  Oxfam have clear contact details and a complaints procedure if anyone wants to raise their issues. 

[LightChanceOfCloud]

I'm joining you all! I'm working on the bars with Avalon. 

I'm an old lady and don't think I've spent 8 hours at a time on my feet in twenty years, so a bit worried. So worried I'm even considering going back to the gym 😐

It's my 13th Glastonbury but my first one working.

Now just need to figure out how to get fit, get to Bristol from the other end of the country and how to carry my stuff!

[Crazyfool01]

If oxfam are going to release a second batch when is it most likely to be ? 

[Johnnyseven]

Just now, Crazyfool01 said:

If oxfam are going to release a second batch when is it most likely to be ? 

Last year a batch were released some time after the resale.

[tarw]

10 hours ago, marathonsteve said:

Hiya Some of us were wondering if you are you a Supervisor for Oxfam

No I am not, nor ever have been a supervisor for Oxfam. I have volunteered for them once at Shambala last year and enjoyed it so much that I am doing two festivals with them this year. I volunteer for a different charity at Glastonbury. 

[tarw]

1 hour ago, amfy said:

Can I just say that whilst being old is not in itself a disability. It does increase the chances of you having one. Disabilities such as arthritis etc are far more common and likely to require adjustments in old age. 
That was the reason for mentioning the aging Oxfam volunteer population. I’m 60 and have not needed or asked for Reasonable Adjustments but it does get more likely as the years pass.

I would also argue that they can be requested for temporary conditions. As previous NHS manager I know we have provided a reasonable adjustments for people recovering from illness or accidents & I have seen people with temporary incapacity accommodated by Oxfam.
 

I think there’s a confusion with the term Reasonable Adjustments. It is a legal term in Equality Act 2010. It covers those with a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long term effect on the ability to carry out day to day activities. 
It is a legal requirement to make reasonable adjustments for those people. There should be no limit on the number of people with those conditions. 
 

Others who request adjustments who have temporary impairments or just want an easy life are not covered by the Act and it will be up to the supervisors/organisation to decide if they can accommodate them but it’s not a legal requirement. 
Personally I am 61 fat and lazy and still at times treat my body as though it was 30. I would not expect adjustments to be made for me, but if my supervisor noticed I was struggling and gave me a cushy half hour I would be very grateful. 

[clarkete]

1 hour ago, LightChanceOfCloud said:

I'm joining you all! I'm working on the bars with Avalon. 

I'm an old lady and don't think I've spent 8 hours at a time on my feet in twenty years, so a bit worried. So worried I'm even considering going back to the gym 😐

It's my 13th Glastonbury but my first one working.

Now just need to figure out how to get fit, get to Bristol from the other end of the country and how to carry my stuff!

Well done you, have a great festival 😊

There are plenty of folks in here increasing their fitness to varying degrees, most far fitter than me - 

 

[tarw]

1 hour ago, LightChanceOfCloud said:

I'm joining you all! I'm working on the bars with Avalon. 

I'm an old lady and don't think I've spent 8 hours at a time on my feet in twenty years, so a bit worried. So worried I'm even considering going back to the gym 😐

It's my 13th Glastonbury but my first one working.

Now just need to figure out how to get fit, get to Bristol from the other end of the country and how to carry my stuff!

Fantastic. 
I think that any training should be suited to the goals you want to achieve. 
Maybe start this week by standing at the bar of a local establishment for an hour and build it up until you can spend eight hours standing at the bar. 😉😉

[philipsteak]

31 minutes ago, tarw said:

Fantastic. 
I think that any training should be suited to the goals you want to achieve. 
Maybe start this week by standing at the bar of a local establishment for an hour and build it up until you can spend eight hours standing at the bar. 😉😉

Just make sure at the end of that 8 hours you aren't leaning over the bar slurring "here lemme show you how it's done" while pulling your own pint!

[stuie]

2 hours ago, LightChanceOfCloud said:

I'm joining you all! I'm working on the bars with Avalon. 

I'm an old lady and don't think I've spent 8 hours at a time on my feet in twenty years, so a bit worried. So worried I'm even considering going back to the gym 😐

It's my 13th Glastonbury but my first one working.

Now just need to figure out how to get fit, get to Bristol from the other end of the country and how to carry my stuff!

Well done for pushing outside your comfort zone! I hope you have a blast! 

[Jay Pee]

3 hours ago, LightChanceOfCloud said:

I'm joining you all! I'm working on the bars with Avalon. 

I'm an old lady and don't think I've spent 8 hours at a time on my feet in twenty years, so a bit worried. So worried I'm even considering going back to the gym 😐

It's my 13th Glastonbury but my first one working.

Now just need to figure out how to get fit, get to Bristol from the other end of the country and how to carry my stuff!

And that is the key challenge. I can't say this without sounding a bit blunt but be careful what you sign up for.

I did clear up crew last year and the brief beforehand stated. Arduous, physically demanding, relentless etc. by day three we had lost around 20% of the crew as it was too much for them physically.

Needless to say, the remaining crew had to graft to cover the gaps. 

I hope you have a brilliant time but honestly, you want to do some prep. Even if it is just more standing and pottering about. 

I can't remember a Glastonbury (when working) where I have not clocked up at least 20 miles a day.  It is very tiring and I ain't in terrible shape for mid 50s.

Have a great time 😊

[tarw]

16 minutes ago, Jay Pee said:

And that is the key challenge. I can't say this without sounding a bit blunt but be careful what you sign up for.

I did clear up crew last year and the brief beforehand stated. Arduous, physically demanding, relentless etc. by day three we had lost around 20% of the crew as it was too much for them physically.

Needless to say, the remaining crew had to graft to cover the gaps. 

I hope you have a brilliant time but honestly, you want to do some prep. Even if it is just more standing and pottering about. 

I can't remember a Glastonbury (when working) where I have not clocked up at least 20 miles a day.  It is very tiring and I ain't in terrible shape for mid 50s.

Have a great time 😊

I am in a terrible shape for my early 60s!

I can still do an 8 hour manic bar shift at our local Blackberry Fair for charity. 
 

I would not even consider doing clear up crew as I’d imagine that’s a totally different ball game, even without seeing the job description 

Im sure that LightChance will be fine with the shifts if she does a bit of prep work and doesn’t stay in The Temple until 6am

Edited March 21, 2024 by tarw
Typo

[Jay Pee]

21 minutes ago, tarw said:

I am in a terrible shape for my early 60s!

I can still do an 8 hour manic bar shift at our local Blackberry Fair for charity. 
 

I would not even consider doing clear up crew as I’d imagine that’s a totally different ball game, even without seeing the job description 

Im sure that LightChance will be fine with the shifts if she does a bit of prep work and doesn’t stay in The Temple until 6am

Is that actually a fair that celebrates the great and the good about all things Blackberry?

I really Hope so. Im thinking soft fruit rather than redundant handsets.

[tarw]

16 minutes ago, Jay Pee said:

Is that actually a fair that celebrates the great and the good about all things Blackberry?

I really Hope so. Im thinking soft fruit rather than redundant handsets.

It’s even better than that it’s a small town having an autumn fair to celebrate music arts and sustainability. We had Dreadzone play at our closing party last year. 
Blackberries might be celebrated particularly in some of the drinks sold by stalls but their not the main focus sorry 

https://www.blackberryfair.co.uk/

 

[giantkatestacks]

1 hour ago, Jay Pee said:

And that is the key challenge. I can't say this without sounding a bit blunt but be careful what you sign up for.

I did clear up crew last year and the brief beforehand stated. Arduous, physically demanding, relentless etc. by day three we had lost around 20% of the crew as it was too much for them physically.

Needless to say, the remaining crew had to graft to cover the gaps. 

I hope you have a brilliant time but honestly, you want to do some prep. Even if it is just more standing and pottering about. 

I can't remember a Glastonbury (when working) where I have not clocked up at least 20 miles a day.  It is very tiring and I ain't in terrible shape for mid 50s.

Have a great time 😊

I would agree - there are some roles that can be made viable with a RA and there are some that can't and the charities and orgs should be clear about that. I may be reaching the end of my ability to litterpick for example and I am ok with that as I think they should be able to specify x, y, z. Other roles should have very clear RA policies and make sure that they are delivering what they say they wil.

What they shouldnt do is claim one thing and do another.