No ticket, then volunteer !

[balti-pie]

Me and the missus have tickets for '16, but she wants to volunteer for the litter picking in '17 - in order to give something back to the festival she's enjoyed for twenty years. I'll get her to have a read of these threads (and prepare a deposit, which definitely seems entirely appropriate for people you just can't vouch for, sadly - it would be lovely to trust every volunteer and take them on face value, but it's naive)

[stutheblue]

Oxfam may be easier to get into next year as they have tightened the rules on becoming a priority steward ( ie you get a week start on the new applicants). This time you have to have volunteered at two previous festivals in 2015 or been supervisor for a couple of year (not sure of the exact criteria). Ive stewarded for Oxfam several times and love it, wouldn't bother going back as a normal punter now.

[matt2007]

For my team everyone is known by, relative of partner of someone who works for the charity I work for. One issue is volunteers really knowing what the work is so they know what to expect. We also make sure we have a team mentality and we keep an eye on each other.

 

This year I had 100% success rate and have been rewarded with more places, sorry all full, this year.

[glasto-worker]

I think you're right on increasing the deposit.  

 

If you were an immoral person who had no intention of working, but wanted to get into the festival, then losing a deposit that's about the same price as a ticket seems to be an obvious thing to do. A dickhead move, to be sure, but in their interests. Sure they won't get the opportunity to work again, but why should they care if they didn't want to work in the first place?

 

if you look back its only a few years ago when the security deposit did not get close to the ticket price which was really crazy

 

I know when Avalon started EJF deposit was half the Shelter deposit which made no sense at all.

 

I will not go into details here so will not mention who but I know it is possible to sign up as a volunteer give completely false information and no one would have a clue the details are false until after the event so the blacklist is no real deterrent.

 

sure some places check but not all do.

 

If I register a new volunteer with the WBC I have to check their passport and confirm their address - on their first few events the WBC may also wish to see original documents and its very common for new people who cant produce documents not to be allowed to serve behind a bar.

 

With the deposit matching the ticket price some people may even see it as a bargain as they are getting in a day early so they have prime access to the whole camping area.

 

They claim that if they put up the deposit this will discourage genuine people who cant afford to pay the sum but it will for sure discourage Jokers .

 

its not just a person pulling a fast one - they leave it to all the genuine volunteers who then may have to do extra duties just to cover the missing person.

 

For each of these Houdini's there is others who never got to go in the first place.

 

I agree with you that some people will see it as a easy way to bypass the ticket lottery.

[Zoo Music Girl]

Totally agree with the need for a deposit but if it gets too high it prices people out surely? The deposit I paid for Shelter was in march or something and I wouldn't have seen that money again until June. Fine for £300 for me but I couldn't have done it for say a grand. Surely then you'd be making working an option for the rich or at least those with the facility to borrow large amounts for a good few months?

Could there be some way of deducting a fine if you didn't do it?

[glasto-worker]

Totally agree with the need for a deposit but if it gets too high it prices people out surely? The deposit I paid for Shelter was in march or something and I wouldn't have seen that money again until June. Fine for £300 for me but I couldn't have done it for say a grand. Surely then you'd be making working an option for the rich or at least those with the facility to borrow large amounts for a good few months?

Could there be some way of deducting a fine if you didn't do it?

-------------------- Above  is the post I AM REPLYING TO  Zoo Music Girl -------

well this new board is very strange and I cant see any preview button.

Yes I fully appreciate the situation although I would doubt in my lifetime I will ever see a deposit going so high.

Deposits don't affect me at all as I don't have to pay a deposit but what has affected my Team of volunteers is having to fill in for the ones who go missing ' even although they are not connected to us and most times we are not even told who is missing'

Here is a example - I was working at Hop Farm festival { a event I worked at from its start in 2006 } - but this was Hop Farm 2011 and unlike other events none of my Team could make it { they were at a Team wedding } 

due to my long service I am allowed to pick my own shifts but as I don't like to take the piss I agreed to work late Friday and Saturday but I was on a middle shift on the Sunday - now I cant recall the times but lets say Prince was due on at 9pm and the middle shift was going to end at 8pm.

On the Sunday they asked me to work in a different bar  - no problem to me as one bar is just like any other bar ' except there are some that are more busier than others ' 

I ended up in the Campsite Bar { that sells cans rather than draft beer } - there was myself and a second team { 5 volunteers }  just before 8pm a person from staffing showed up and they went straight to me - they said something like ' Brian do you mind if you hang on as the replacement team is late - it will only be 15 minuets ' 

now I knew right away that there was something they were not telling me but as I have been friends with the Tent Manager for over 20 years I agreed to stay on .

The other Team left and I was the only volunteer at that bar { with a few Managers } 

8.15 they did not show up -  Tent Manager called staffing on the radio and she was told ' the replacement team is missing - we have sent a second replacement team'

at this point - let me point out that for reasons I cant explain the WBC had hired some ' agency workers ' - they were doing the same job as I do except ' they were getting paid ' where my earnings goes to charity ' 

So the first and second replacement team were not normal WBC Teams but agency workers.

I was asked to stay until the second replacement team showed up.

They never showed up - Tent Manager called staffing on the radio and she was told ' sorry the second replacement team has also gone missing - we have no one else so Close the Bar '

By now it was 9pm - Tent Manager spoke to me and I said something like - stuff that - I will stay until the Midnight team shows up .

I ran that bar on my own with help from one of the Managers -

after Prince ended as all the other bars were closing most people showed up at the Campsite Bar and the place was heaving 

Midnight came and went and the ' third team ' who was due to start at  Midnight went missing as well.I worked on until 3am 

Now this was all caused by the WBC taking on agency workers - sure they did not get paid for the hours they did not work but at the same time they got free entry to Hop Farm festival

they had paid no deposit ' so they had nothing to lose '

Sure I could have walked out but that would have meant the WBC would have lost a whole team of sales - bar got so busy we had to ditch selling a minimum of 6 cans - we raised that to 12 cans later on it was a case of 24 cans - just to try and clear the large queue 

as no other bar was open it was really jumping - people who only wanted 6 or 12 I was getting them to club together and they could split the case up.

Why did we do that ?

well if we were splitting a slab { 24 cans } that takes time - far quicker just to hand over the slab

+ by buying them in 24's they also saved money 

took a bit of organising but I am used to busy bars so I moved people about so they did not get in the way.

its clear now ' this was no coincidence ' - I suspect Staffing had suspected that some teams would go missing hence why they moved me - they knew fine I would not walk away 

--------

I suppose Oxfam/shelter etc etc could do something to change the system - its the same when you book a hotel room ' they can add charges after a person has left ' 

I am no expert on credit card charges all I know is its possible although not sure what would happen if a person cancelled their credit card once they got onsite.

if they did not take a advance deposit { or charge after the event } this would attract all sorts who had no intention of ever working 

so there has to be some way .

People who have been a volunteer after so many years should be allowed to work without paying a deposit.

I know the only reason that would stop me showing up is if I was dead. 

[stardustjunkie]

I got a ticket this year but I have thought about working it one year.

Out of curiosity, do the bars favour people who have years of bar experience and a personal licence? Or is it just based on a first come, first serve basis. I've never applied so I don't know what the process is.

[glasto-worker]

 

 

 

 

cant work out how to remove it - what a right pain 

-------------------- Above  is the post I AM REPLYING TO  stardustjunkie -------

A personal licence does help but many who volunteer have no bar experience ' although it does help ' 

the two main ones are WBC and Avalon/shelter 

the WBC does not recruit via the Internet but Shelter does so its far harder to get into a ' WBC Group ' although if you are a member of a trade union they may already have a WBC Group

but the big difference is WBC Group's will have more members than places where  Shelter will have loads of places ' as long as you apply at the right time '

shifts are over more days with the WBC where Shelter may only work three days { but you could end up working four }

facilities are about the same. 

Edited October 14, 2015 by glasto-worker

[marathonsteve]

I worked for Shelter last year in one of the Avalon bars as a volunteer. There were also people who did bar work for Avalon but were paid for it but not in the same bar as the volunteers. To my knowledge at least two of the paid people were dismissed for turning up drunk for their shift and they were escorted to the bus station. 

[glasto-worker]

I worked for Shelter last year in one of the Avalon bars as a volunteer. There were also people who did bar work for Avalon but were paid for it but not in the same bar as the volunteers. To my knowledge at least two of the paid people were dismissed for turning up drunk for their shift and they were escorted to the bus station. 

not forgetting that all the Managers are also paid - sound like some agency staff so I wonder who thought that up as I did spot Shelter reopened the registration closer to the event - there will always be some people who try to break the rules and the best place for them is outside the festival as they are a waste of space.