Anyone volunteered on their own?

[KaleidoscopeEyes]

Hi guys!

I'm going it alone this year, well trying at least, i missed out on tickets but now I'm trying to go down the volunteering route. I've applied for a few places, hoping to get in with Oxfam once registration opens. Has anyone ever volunteered on their own, just wondering how you got on, whether many people do or does everyone arrive in groups?

Thanks

[whisty]

Haven't done Glastonbury but the ones I have done threre's been a few solo flyers. Most of the shifts I've worked have been teamed up with at least one other person so you should be able to make friends quite easily & if not, in most of the roles undertaken by stewards you'll be interacting with loads of people during your shift which is a lot of fun. Go for it, and there's still April tickets if you can afford them

Hope that helps in some small way.

[jonodillieono]

Hi guys!

I'm going it alone this year, well trying at least, i missed out on tickets but now I'm trying to go down the volunteering route. I've applied for a few places, hoping to get in with Oxfam once registration opens. Has anyone ever volunteered on their own, just wondering how you got on, whether many people do or does everyone arrive in groups?

Thanks

My friend did this last year and made lots of friends so you'll be fine

Getting a place via oxfam if you haven't stewarded in thenpast with them could be a tad difficult though

[MrZigster]

I've done it twice with Shelter.

It's Glastonbury. Everybody (mostly) is cool and glad to be there.

You'll be fine.

[Rose-Colored Boy]

Yep I went solo with Oxfam this year and came away with friends for life. As long as you possess the ability to speak to people you've never met before, you'll be fine.

[mr gumby]

I went solo for the first time this year, and I think it was made much more fun by the fact I volunteered for litter picking. Hard work, but you get the chance to meet all sorts of people, of all ages. I expect there'll also be a solo campers group organised through Efests sometime nearer the summer, so that's another option for getting to know some folks.

[bocumaroy]

Did it with Shelter. There was probably others dotted about, but pretty much everyone else seemed to be in groups. Had a drink on the first night and made friends with people camped around me, before spending the rest of the week trying to avoid them. But yeah, it was fine from a being alone point of view.

I wouldn't volunteer there again. The prospect of my next shift always seemed to weigh on my mood and I could never fully loosen up and lose myself in the experience, or get really drunk/other altered states. Working in the bar was fun, though. Really great atmosphere, but that was in Stonebridge and might not be the case all of them. Obviously working for Oxfam is completely different, but just bear in mind that it could take up quite a lot of mental and physical energy and detract from the overall experience, depending on you as a person. A lot of people didn't seem the have the same problems with it, so it's definitely worth giving it a go.

[KaleidoscopeEyes]

Cheers the replies guys, im deffo going to go for it just wondered how people have got on, I'm going to apply for as many as possible and maybe for other festivals too

Will be trying the resale just in case but would prefer volunteering

[Rose-Colored Boy]

Will be trying the resale just in case but would prefer volunteering

The Oxfam places will go in March whereas the resale will be in April so yeah you can't opt to volunteer after failing to get a ticket in the resale.

[hjglasto]

The Oxfam places will go in March whereas the resale will be in April so yeah you can't opt to volunteer after failing to get a ticket in the resale.

No but you can get a place to work and then cancel it if you get a ticket in the resale, and then just lose the £20 cancellation fee out of your deposit. I did that this year for glastonbury but then still worked with them at boomtown.

[Rose-Colored Boy]

No but you can get a place to work and then cancel it if you get a ticket in the resale, and then just lose the £20 cancellation fee out of your deposit. I did that this year for glastonbury but then still worked with them at boomtown.

Expensive doing that though. There are enough bonuses to going with Oxfam, if you get a place with them you might as well keep it.

[glasto-worker]

Cheers the replies guys, im deffo going to go for it just wondered how people have got on, I'm going to apply for as many as possible and maybe for other festivals too

Will be trying the resale just in case but would prefer volunteering

I have 25 years festival volunteer experience and this plan about ' I'm going to apply for as many as possible and maybe for other festivals too ' imply that you are going to make multiple applications for Glastonbury without taking into account ' how expensive that will work out ' as after all your only looking for one place.

now the terms and conditions vary so much but many ask you to pay a security deposit and ' most ' will retain part of it for administration if you cancel that place.

again this does vary so much but its rougly £20 per volunteer place.

Deposits can be as high as £250 to £300 so you will initially pay out well over £2,000 if you apply for ten places and they will retain at least £200 that will be lost in the process which is ' complete Nuts '

fully read http://www.oxfam.org.uk/stewarding/faqs/deposits

far better just applying for one or two - provided you apply at the right time the odds are you will be accepted and you have only lost £20 by hedging your chances .

Be smart and apply before any resale as you will find out that just after the resale ' there is a tidal wave of applications ' so your risking not getting any place at all.

look back in this forum and you will see loads of posts ' just after a resale ' with people who discover they are on a waiting list with 3,000 other people where there may only take the first 20 so its not a wise move.

Over time ' with enough experience ' you will not need to apply at all as you will receive a offer in advance of any of the public but that is well down the line.

it does not matter who you volunteer for there will always be some people who are there on their own and there will be loads of times to make new friends.

I have stuck with the WBC as they have far better facilities than many and I now can pick my own shifts but many dont have any choice so you have to accept there will be times that a shift will clash with this that or the other.

I would never dream of attending as a ticket holder { last ticket I bought was in 1987 }

Each year I meet new volunteers some who expect everything will go their own way - it wont.

being a volunteer will not suit everyone - some people just cant get their head around the shifts

even although its December I already know that I will be starting at 10pm Sunday 28th of June and will work until 6am and then be out to catch the first London coach so it means that my Team and I will take down the tents Sunday evening as there will not be enough time in the morning.

it will be the busiest shift we do and they are depending on my Team to deal with it so everyone accepts they will be working overnight and we will sort it out - I am used to it by now and its good fun - we hold our own party the night before as we cant drink when we are on duty.

apply at the right time the odds are you will be accepted and you may find you enjoy it better than attending as a ticketholder.

[incident]

I volunteered for Oxfam by myself this year. Basically I found myself in the annoying situation that nobody else I knew wanted to go, and I wasn't quite ready to give up on Glastonbury yet. Didn't much fancy bar work or litter picking, as for me they're both too much like hard work so I figured stewarding was something I could handle.

I found it a worthwhile experience, though I'd echo the points that you need to understand what you're committing to (ie you need to turn up for your 8 hour shift on time and in condition to work) which can limit how much, when, and where you indulge.

You also need to be aware that you'll be required to attend a training course before the festival - they run quite a few located in the major cities so most people should be able to get to one without too much trouble unless they live in a remote corner.

Getting there by yourself isn't a problem, Oxfam actively encourage lift shares and lots of stewards do so, meaning that it's very easy for travellers to offer or find a lift, and park up pretty close to the Oxfam field. They also run shuttle buses from Bristol Temple Meads if you prefer to go entirely by public transport.

In terms of the chances of getting a place - off the top of my head Oxfam recruit about 2,500 stewards for Glastonbury, and previous volunteers get first shout. There should still be a decent number of places left by the time public applications open, but these will go quickly (think it was about 90 minutes this year) so I'd strongly suggest you're quick off the mark if you want a place - they ask for a lot of information and you should make sure you've got it to hand as it's pretty much a race to fill out the long, long form (amongst other things you'll need a photo, NI number, references, names+addresses for your next of kin and your doctor).

Basically, if you're prepared and ready for applications to open, it's pretty likely you can get a spot with Oxfam.

[guypjfreak]

I went solo for the first time this year, and I think it was made much more fun by the fact I volunteered for litter picking. Hard work, but you get the chance to meet all sorts of people, of all ages. I expect there'll also be a solo campers group organised through Efests sometime nearer the summer, so that's another option for getting to know some folks.

my mate does litter picking on his tod and he loves it ..he camps at our camp in row mead [ pyramid field ] and does the 6am pick on the field right in front of his tent lol and the good thing he says is that he knows hes got his ticket for the following year about 2 weeks after the festi ..........

alot of people sign up to do the work so they get into the festi them fuck it off not thinking about it but they then get black listed from volunteering so are fucked if they want to do it again ..

[glasto-worker]

alot of people sign up to do the work so they get into the festi them fuck it off not thinking about it but they then get black listed from volunteering so are fucked if they want to do it again ..

Many have jacked up their security deposit to try and discourage this but there is a hidden factor that does have real impact on people and jobs.

At Latitude this year a new Catering Company got the crew catering contract - I was surprised to see them advertising for volunteer staff and they were not asking for any deposit at all.

I cant say how many volunteers they got but a good 75% showed up - picked up their crew wrist band { that allows them access to the arena } and then surprise surprise ' they vanished '

From the very first day it was clear that the Catering Company was in trouble and they had to ditch their plan to wash plates and Cutlery using dish washers as they had no staff to fill the machines so they reverted to paper plates and plastic Cutlery.

each day they had to reduce the time they were open just because their staff were being run of their feet and this created loads of problems as some crews just could not get fed in time due to their shift pattern -

The Catering Company ended up with penalties as they were forced to pay back some of the fee and there is no way did they make a profit and I doubt they will ever be hired again at Latitude.

At Latitude it used to be http://orangefestivalfood.co.uk/about/who did the staff catering and they were well organised and they treated their staff well - have no clue why they were dropped in 2014 but they were sadly missed.

The WBC does not use the deposit system as they don't recruit complete strangers but for the ones that do I can see the deposits being raised to well over the price of a ticket just to discourage these jokers who try to play the system.

[johnngypsy]

my mate does litter picking on his tod and he loves it ..he camps at our camp in row mead [ pyramid field ] and does the 6am pick on the field right in front of his tent lol and the good thing he says is that he knows hes got his ticket for the following year about 2 weeks after the festi ..........

alot of people sign up to do the work so they get into the festi them fuck it off not thinking about it but they then get black listed from volunteering so are fucked if they want to do it again ..

Done the litter pick for the last two years and one of the team leaders this year said that people who'd sacked it off were blacklisted from Glastonbury itself. No tickets, nothing. That'd be pretty devastating.

Not sure if that's completely true but really not worth the risk.

People who've volunteered with Shelter, how did you go about doing that?

[glasto-worker]

People who've volunteered with Shelter, how did you go about doing that?

I have not but I know who they are working for as its a break away group from the WBC who I have knowing for the past 25 years

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_involved/volunteer/volunteer_at_glastonbury

Shelter are paid by Avalon Bars and Events per volunteer .

Shelter does run coaches from certain key locations { full list will be sent out }

Big Note Avalon will expect everyone to complete three 8 hour shifts and they pick the times and dates and its highly likely they will not change a shift just because of a clash - they will also expect all the staff to camp in their crew camp site and they will not issue a pass to a friend who is not on their staff list.

they used to camp just above the Acoustic area but they have moved to Orchard Field - a area just out side the wall - if you look at the 2014 map you will see on the east side a gate called ' Orchard Gate '

its a good deal but it wont suit everyone - this year they ran 11 bars some not as busy as others and I did hear that some people had to have their shifts altered ' slightly ' at short notice - I am afraid that is par for the course so volunteers need to be flexible - they would not change something just for the fun of it.I have been a bar volunteer for 25 years and I have lost count how many times I have been asked to supply volunteers to do a double shift where people have gone off ill etc etc but they will offer compensation if they need staff to work more than their allocated hours.

Places go very fast - if you have been a festival volunteer before then that will help if you list that on the application.

[incident]

Done the litter pick for the last two years and one of the team leaders this year said that people who'd sacked it off were blacklisted from Glastonbury itself. No tickets, nothing. That'd be pretty devastating.

Not sure if that's completely true but really not worth the risk.

They do get blacklisted from volunteering with any organisation that honours the blacklist (and most do as it's to their benefit) - but it'd be entirely unenforceable to try and stop them buying tickets.

[Pinhead]

Not sure whether the different organisations share blacklists (though it would probably be in their interest to do so), but they certainly keep their own. For Oxfam at least, not turning up for a shift and therefore not being registered is an instant blacklist offence - though if you are I'll (for reasons other than alcohol or other poisoning), then they will let you off. Serial cancellers (by people just using Oxfam as a backup in case they don't get tix), also get blacklisted when they are spotted.

[mr gumby]

Done the litter pick for the last two years and one of the team leaders this year said that people who'd sacked it off were blacklisted from Glastonbury itself. No tickets, nothing. That'd be pretty devastating.

Not sure if that's completely true but really not worth the risk.

People who've volunteered with Shelter, how did you go about doing that?

I heard the same from our team leader. They did a roll call at the start and end of each shift, and anyone who had missed even one roll call (without a good reason) was blacklisted and lost their deposit (the full ticket price). In theory, they are also blocked from attending the festival again, but I suspect there are plenty of ways round that idea.

I can see the appeal for people who've never been, and just want to go once as a 'bucket list' thing. Turn up, get a reasonably spacious field, showers to use, and just do your own thing. But it's a pain in the arse when a team that's supposed to be around 200 people turn up for the first shift and there's only 140! By the Monday morning it was less than 100 left.

[johnngypsy]

I have not but I know who they are working for as its a break away group from the WBC who I have knowing for the past 25 years

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_involved/volunteer/volunteer_at_glastonbury

Shelter are paid by Avalon Bars and Events per volunteer .

Shelter does run coaches from certain key locations { full list will be sent out }

Big Note Avalon will expect everyone to complete three 8 hour shifts and they pick the times and dates and its highly likely they will not change a shift just because of a clash - they will also expect all the staff to camp in their crew camp site and they will not issue a pass to a friend who is not on their staff list.

they used to camp just above the Acoustic area but they have moved to Orchard Field - a area just out side the wall - if you look at the 2014 map you will see on the east side a gate called ' Orchard Gate '

its a good deal but it wont suit everyone - this year they ran 11 bars some not as busy as others and I did hear that some people had to have their shifts altered ' slightly ' at short notice - I am afraid that is par for the course so volunteers need to be flexible - they would not change something just for the fun of it.I have been a bar volunteer for 25 years and I have lost count how many times I have been asked to supply volunteers to do a double shift where people have gone off ill etc etc but they will offer compensation if they need staff to work more than their allocated hours.

Places go very fast - if you have been a festival volunteer before then that will help if you list that on the application.

Thanks for the info sounds perfect really, signed up to the emails hopefully hear back soon.

[glasto-worker]

Thanks for the info sounds perfect really, signed up to the emails hopefully hear back soon.

it will be a few months yet but they will be in touch when they open up their full registration page - in 2014 it was March

Avalon may also hand out some places to 'Environmental Justice Foundation' - its all the same shifts

I know in 2011 Avalon was after 340 bar staff and 30 Managers { previous experience is likely to be essential to get a Managers job + its far longer hours as well } but places go very fast.

Good luck

[glasto-worker]

I can see the appeal for people who've never been, and just want to go once as a 'bucket list' thing. Turn up, get a reasonably spacious field, showers to use, and just do your own thing. But it's a pain in the arse when a team that's supposed to be around 200 people turn up for the first shift and there's only 140! By the Monday morning it was less than 100 left.

I am not sure if you mean ' that if a volunteer forfeits their place they will still be allowed to camp in the crew area '

For sure if a WBC volunteer forfeits their place { due to breaking a rule etc etc } they will have their wristband removed - they will be told to pack up and Security will dump them Outside on the main road so they will not have access to the crew site or the festival.

it mainly happens when a person is caught stealing { either drink or money } - for reasons that I cant work out some volunteers assume that the overhead CCTV in all the public bars are dummy CCTV when in fact they are not - so while they will swear blind they did not steal its clear when the footage is played back that they have been stealing - its rare but it still happens.

The WBC does not use a deposit system but the volunteers Group will have to pay a fine { about £250 } so its a lose lose situation.

The WBC will have some Teams on standby and they will fill in for people who go ill or are ejected so it does not affect everyone else.

[mr gumby]

I am not sure if you mean ' that if a volunteer forfeits their place they will still be allowed to camp in the crew area '

For sure if a WBC volunteer forfeits their place { due to breaking a rule etc etc } they will have their wristband removed - they will be told to pack up and Security will dump them Outside on the main road so they will not have access to the crew site or the festival.

it mainly happens when a person is caught stealing { either drink or money } - for reasons that I cant work out some volunteers assume that the overhead CCTV in all the public bars are dummy CCTV when in fact they are not - so while they will swear blind they did not steal its clear when the footage is played back that they have been stealing - its rare but it still happens.

The WBC does not use a deposit system but the volunteers Group will have to pay a fine { about £250 } so its a lose lose situation.

The WBC will have some Teams on standby and they will fill in for people who go ill or are ejected so it does not affect everyone else.

I agree in the case of wrongdoing, that would be the case. I was thinking more of people who just don't turn up for shifts. I guess it might be a different set up in different crew areas.

This year I was litter picking, I arrived on the monday with a copy of my entrance letter and I.D, was given my 2 wristbands and t-shirts, and told I could camp anywhere in the crew area (Tom's field). I only had to show my crew wristband when I re-entered the crew area, and no-one knew exactly where I was camped, so in theory I could've done that, used the facilities but not done my shifts. Clearly going by the number of people who were there on the first day compared with the number expected, some had done exactly that. I'm not generally a vindictive person, but I sincerely hope that they thoroughly enjoyed their festival, try to return, and get blocked from doing so. Everyone who tries to 'play the system' to get a ticket puts more work onto those who volunteer with a genuine wish to help the festival run smoothly.

[glasto-worker]

I agree in the case of wrongdoing, that would be the case. I was thinking more of people who just don't turn up for shifts. I guess it might be a different set up in different crew areas.

This year I was litter picking, I arrived on the monday with a copy of my entrance letter and I.D, was given my 2 wristbands and t-shirts, and told I could camp anywhere in the crew area (Tom's field). I only had to show my crew wristband when I re-entered the crew area, and no-one knew exactly where I was camped, so in theory I could've done that, used the facilities but not done my shifts. Clearly going by the number of people who were there on the first day compared with the number expected, some had done exactly that. I'm not generally a vindictive person, but I sincerely hope that they thoroughly enjoyed their festival, try to return, and get blocked from doing so. Everyone who tries to 'play the system' to get a ticket puts more work onto those who volunteer with a genuine wish to help the festival run smoothly.

The WBC has its own Security and you need a WBC photo ID pass to enter or leave our crew campsite so anyone who is ' wanted ' is easy to spot { unless they dig their way out }

Everyone who is a WBC volunteer is in a Team so there is a Team Leader so if someone goes missing they would have their Team Leader after them - if they try to be smart and stay out their way ' a block would be put on their pass ' and they would be held at the gate and then there would be a meeting to decide what to do with them.

Its rare because a person cant directly apply to the WBC - they have to be vouched for by a Group Organiser { such as myself } and its all spelled out to them ' what they can expect and what is expected from them ' face to face + most of the new volunteers will not be strangers { they could be working together for example }

I have friends who I would never dream of allowing to join my group as I know they would just get so pissed/stoned they would never get up for a shift - good friends but they just don't have the self discipline to pace themselves.

The WBC will reduce a team allocation by two places at the next event for every one person who screws up so ' there is no hiding place for piss takers '

If a none WBC Organisation is recruiting complete strangers then really they have to make the deposit far higher than the ticket price to discourage piss takers.

Anyone who wants to 'play the system' is only fooling themselves.