Volunteering

[mungo57]

1 hour ago, incident said:

A few small notes on Oxfam / early shifts related to this..

At Glastonbury the early shift is seperate to the main shift. Unlike most festivals they cover, it's not possible to do just a single day early, it'd be for all your shifts or none. You can't swap onto the early shift - you either get selected for it or you don't. It's massively oversubscribed so the odds of getting given an early shift are really long - they've said in the past that "nearly everyone" ticks the box to apply for an earlies.

In most cases the shift pattern for this would be to arrive Saturday, work Sunday/Monday/Tuesday (usually the same time window each day). The final "early" shift finishes at 6am on the Wednesday morning at which point they hand over to the regular crew.

Someone posted on here this year that they were given instructions to arrive by Saturday 8am - presumably to help with registering the early arrivals in which case they likely would have worked Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday on the registration desk in the marquee - not a bad gig.

Good info, thanks.

47 minutes ago, glasto-worker said:

well your words were ' I will be going for Oxfam and Festaff for definite, maybe Shelter too. There will always be at least one person who wants to switch shifts I am sure. '

 

and your other posts stated ' I applied yesterday for pre-information from Oxfam, Shelter and Festaff for next years festival. Has anyone here ever volunteered for Shelter and can vouch for what they are like? '

 

I don't know about Oxfam and Festaff but I do know about Shelter/Avalon - when the page becomes live you will see they mention ' that if friends apply at the same time they will try to keep them together but there is no guarantee of it - nor is there any guarantee what shifts a person gets. All these Shifts would have been sorted out even before the bars have been built { they have software that will allocate all the names when they know them - its all very random }   

 

Now I have knowing some of the directors of Avalon for 28 years and I know how they run things and its a mirror copy of the WBC.

 

They don't have time to mess about with people wanting to swap shifts because there is always a joker who will fail to show up for the swapped shift and its not him/her who gets in trouble but the person who was supposed to be working that shift

 

Shelter are being paid money for all the volunteers work and if there is a problem with a Shelter volunteer then they are fined so it would be a very risky option for them to offer ' shift swapping ' + for every Shelter volunteer who fails to show up { unless the person drops down dead } for any shift ' Shelter are fined '   

  
Avalon know how many staff they need - any shortfall reduces takings

 

They also have to remain flexible as some people will Vanish or fall ill hence why they like everyone to camp together so that if they need to make changes they can speak to people direct.

 

its all in the T&C and anyone wanting to be a volunteer for years has to remain flexible - in my time I have lost count on how many double shifts I have worked and it always comes right at the end of the shift - one second I am pouring out my last pint and just as I am about to walk out some joker from staffing comes up with ' We have a Problem ' { last time it happened I was all set to watch Prince but two Teams Failed to show up and I was stuck so I had to do a double shift on my own }

 

Each bar is independent of each other so some Tent Managers will let ' some people away ' but this tends to go to people they know ' as they have to be certain a person will return when they are expected ' - it all breaks down if people don't do as they promise.

 

I see new volunteers come and go - most just cant believe they have such bad shifts although they are happy to accept the good ones. the more critical the job the more restrictions they have .

Please remember before you come across as condescending Glasto Worker that I have been to the festival 6 times as a paying punter and zero times as a volunteer, unlike yourself who has been multiple times as a volunteer. I therefore am still in the mindset of 'would like good shifts' which I don't really see the problem with. Of course if I get a place as a volunteer I will accept whatever shifts that they give me and by saying 'there will always be someone who wants to swap' that isn't me expecting to be able to swap. I don't expect to be given preferential treatment and I never would as I know thats not how you play the game so to speak. Newbies will always get the rough end and I accept that. I just want to be at the festival come hell or high water because it seems like this will be a big year in terms of lineup - if I can get one of my 2 preferred headliners in then great, if not then so be it.

 

edit: I am not having a go at you here at all mate, I appreciate the help you have given in your posts I just feel you think I am in it for the wrong reasons and I wanted to try and explain myself. That and I felt your post was a bit condescending - I want to help out or I wouldn't bother myself volunteering. I am aware that charities rely on the staff to get their donations and I would never let the charity 'sponsoring' me down by moaning about the shifts etc. I just want a good balance of work/play so to speak and being new to the whole thing I clearly have some things left to learn, I know that.

Edited October 10, 2016 by mungo57

[MadScientist]

On 09/10/2016 at 4:10 PM, Tuttifrutti said:

How long are the shifts, and can you still take a caravan? 

Yeah you can take caravans

[arcade fireman]

8 hours ago, Earthwindandfire2205 said:

I've worked for FMS for the last 7 Glastonburys and 4 Reading festivals. They are great to volunteer for, we have a quiet secure field with own showers and toilets, own bar and canteen and the number of shifts you do mean you get to see so much of the festival.

i would not volunteer for anyone else at the festival.

I am sure they are fantastic to work for. Just personally I don't think my headspace at Glastonbury would be compatible with me giving 100% at the medical side of things! 

[glasto-worker]

3 hours ago, mungo57 said:

Good info, thanks.

Please remember before you come across as condescending Glasto Worker that I have been to the festival 6 times as a paying punter and zero times as a volunteer, unlike yourself who has been multiple times as a volunteer. I therefore am still in the mindset of 'would like good shifts' which I don't really see the problem with. Of course if I get a place as a volunteer I will accept whatever shifts that they give me and by saying 'there will always be someone who wants to swap' that isn't me expecting to be able to swap. I don't expect to be given preferential treatment and I never would as I know thats not how you play the game so to speak. Newbies will always get the rough end and I accept that. I just want to be at the festival come hell or high water because it seems like this will be a big year in terms of lineup - if I can get one of my 2 preferred headliners in then great, if not then so be it.

 

edit: I am not having a go at you here at all mate, I appreciate the help you have given in your posts I just feel you think I am in it for the wrong reasons and I wanted to try and explain myself. That and I felt your post was a bit condescending - I want to help out or I wouldn't bother myself volunteering. I am aware that charities rely on the staff to get their donations and I would never let the charity 'sponsoring' me down by moaning about the shifts etc. I just want a good balance of work/play so to speak and being new to the whole thing I clearly have some things left to learn, I know that.

sorry but your posts are all over the place and you don't really come over that ' you have made your mind up to volunteer '

 

if you bought a ticket yesterday you would not be thinking about being a volunteer.

 

its only in recent years have I had a guaranteed place so for 25 years or so I did not try and buy a ticket - sure it was a gamble but I knew that if I did not get a Glasto place there was many other WBC events that I would get a place at - it just good fortune that the WBC favour volunteers who have experience.

 

the whole system at least in the WBC is geared up for people who will not break their word { there is no deposit to pay } so I could not ask for a place and then turn it down because I had a ticket.

 

I deal with new Volunteers and the ones who are dependable are the ones who want to volunteer for its own sake and they would not even consider buying a ticket.The ones that vanish tend to be the people who just cant get into their head that the shifts are fixed - they vanish - they get barred and are never seen again.

 

Now I am only going on what you wrote - Time will tell as to what you do.

[Pinhead]

I think its important to undertand that if you volunteer you cannot pick and chose your shifts to suit the bands that you want to see - simple as. You are there to work first, bands second. Thats the way its played.

[giantkatestacks]

Indeed, just one of the reasons we switched back to litterpicking from oxfam after 2007. I like being done and dusted by 12 every day. It doesnt suit night owls though obviously. 

[scaryclaireyfairy]

12 minutes ago, giantkatestacks said:

Indeed, just one of the reasons we switched back to litterpicking from oxfam after 2007. I like being done and dusted by 12 every day. It doesnt suit night owls though obviously. 

Of all the festival volunteer jobs, litterpicking is the one that genuinely appeals to me.  Grotty, I know, but the satisfaction of making an area look nice again must be great. I know seeing the place all spick and span in the morning makes me smile as a punter.  I think I'd like to do that after the fallow year.

[pie_and_a_pint]

1 hour ago, giantkatestacks said:

Indeed, just one of the reasons we switched back to litterpicking from oxfam after 2007. I like being done and dusted by 12 every day. It doesnt suit night owls though obviously. 

Ditto. I'm not much of a one for the 'organised fun' of the naughty corner, so I'm happy to be done with my shift by 12 and out seeing bands / doing things all day and evening and sleeping from about midnight/1am after the headliners.

Personally I value arriving on site on Monday and watching the place 'grow'. By the time the music (and work) starts on Friday I've had four days of fun anyway!!

[mungo57]

12 hours ago, glasto-worker said:

sorry but your posts are all over the place and you don't really come over that ' you have made your mind up to volunteer '

 

if you bought a ticket yesterday you would not be thinking about being a volunteer.

 

its only in recent years have I had a guaranteed place so for 25 years or so I did not try and buy a ticket - sure it was a gamble but I knew that if I did not get a Glasto place there was many other WBC events that I would get a place at - it just good fortune that the WBC favour volunteers who have experience.

 

the whole system at least in the WBC is geared up for people who will not break their word { there is no deposit to pay } so I could not ask for a place and then turn it down because I had a ticket.

 

I deal with new Volunteers and the ones who are dependable are the ones who want to volunteer for its own sake and they would not even consider buying a ticket.The ones that vanish tend to be the people who just cant get into their head that the shifts are fixed - they vanish - they get barred and are never seen again.

 

Now I am only going on what you wrote - Time will tell as to what you do.

1) Of course I would not be volunteering if I bought a ticket. Neither would 99% of the people who do volunteer - at least those looking to volunteer first time! I would also point out to you that oxfam even tweeted straight after the sale 'if you didn't get a ticket why not volunteer' which is what gave me the idea in the first place. Thats why people (except people like yourself who have done it for years) volunteer! I don't see why I should be singled out for criticism purely because in my upset at not getting a ticket, I have decided to try and get a volunteer place. If anything you are giving me doubts - at this stage I am glad that the Workers Beer Company aren't taking on new volunteers as I couldn't imagine wanting to work with you at the festival if this is how you feel about people in my situation. Have a heart mate.

2) Again, I will not or would not 'vanish' and cost my sponsor money in the process. I am not a c**t and never will be. I don't really appreciate your comments as you are clearly trying to convince me NOT to volunteer. Isn't the idea being a bit hesitant at first and then getting there, loving it and doing it again and again each year? Who says I don't want that to happen to me? Seems to me that only you are saying that....... I clearly am not.

3) I appreciate you have been there, done it, got the t shirt and probably the boxers and shorts as well but I really don't see why you INSIST on tarring me with the brush that you are using currently. Not really fair mate. Yes I am volunteering as a fallback option but I bet if you bothered to check thats how at least 90% of the people who do it first volunteer. We all have to start somewhere. I appreciate that may be hard for you to understand from up there on your throne as the new king of Glastonbury Festival but at least please try.

Edited October 11, 2016 by mungo57

[mungo57]

11 hours ago, Pinhead said:

I think its important to undertand that if you volunteer you cannot pick and chose your shifts to suit the bands that you want to see - simple as. You are there to work first, bands second. Thats the way its played.

 

11 hours ago, Scruffylovemonster said:

I think mungo has made it clear that he's aware of that and perfectly happy to abide. 

Yes I have - thanks to both of you for actually bothering to read my posts unlike certain Glasto Workers in this thread.........

11 hours ago, giantkatestacks said:

Indeed, just one of the reasons we switched back to litterpicking from oxfam after 2007. I like being done and dusted by 12 every day. It doesnt suit night owls though obviously. 

Forgive me for being silly here but what roughly are the shifts for litter pickers? Would be good to have as much info as poss before I look into applying to do that as well.

[balti-pie]

My missus has a ticket, and it's a fallback option in case she doesn't get picked to volunteer as a litter picker. 2017 is going to be her 10th and she wants to give back to the festival that's given her so much. 

 

Im not volunteering to litter pick, and I think she's mad to give up a legit ticket - but it's up to her, and good on her! I'd like to think the overwhelming vast majority commit to, and turn up to their shifts. If they don't, blacklisting them is too soft: I think tarring and feathering would be much more apt 

[Pinhead]

There are of course exceptions to the rule, at least with Oxfam anyway (don't know about others orgs). Oxfam permit a degree of 'shift trading' if you have a clash with something you are really desparate to see. I tend to find this fairly hit and miss though as the thing I want to see is often popular with everyone so no one wants to trade shifts! If you do it too much as well the shift manager starts to get a bit narky...

[giantkatestacks]

1 hour ago, mungo57 said:

 

Yes I have - thanks to both of you for actually bothering to read my posts unlike certain Glasto Workers in this thread.........

Forgive me for being silly here but what roughly are the shifts for litter pickers? Would be good to have as much info as poss before I look into applying to do that as well.

Mostly, and if you are a newbie, 6am-12 Fri-Mon but there is a couple of shifts in the recycling centre that are different and at least one in the afternoon. The Monday shift is a bit of a killer and the main reason I dont drive. 

[mungo57]

20 minutes ago, giantkatestacks said:

Mostly, and if you are a newbie, 6am-12 Fri-Mon but there is a couple of shifts in the recycling centre that are different and at least one in the afternoon. The Monday shift is a bit of a killer and the main reason I dont drive. 

Makes sense, thanks for the info. I wouldn't actually mind those shifts at all I don't think as I rarely bother with Shangri La and all that. Even if I did it would be better than grabbing 4 hours kip I should think. I will give that serious thought.

[dondo]

2 hours ago, mungo57 said:

 

Forgive me for being silly here but what roughly are the shifts for litter pickers? Would be good to have as much info as poss before I look into applying to do that as well.

I've had a look at information I have and as giantkatestacks says there are 6am-12noon shifts which quite a lot of the newbies do but there is also:

Afternoon litter picking: 1pm-7pm Thursday to Sunday

Recycling centre: 7am to 12 noon or 1pm to 6pm, this can be during or after the festival

Traders information: 7am to 1pm and 2pm to 8pm (you alternate between am and pm and I think it runs Thursday to Sunday)

Tractor crew: 7am to 1pm  or 1pm to 6pm

This may obviously change for 2017

[mungo57]

15 minutes ago, dondo said:

I've had a look at information I have and as giantkatestacks says there are 6am-12noon shifts which quite a lot of the newbies do but there is also:

Afternoon litter picking: 1pm-7pm Thursday to Sunday

Recycling centre: 7am to 12 noon or 1pm to 6pm, this can be during or after the festival

Traders information: 7am to 1pm and 2pm to 8pm (you alternate between am and pm and I think it runs Thursday to Sunday)

Tractor crew: 7am to 1pm  or 1pm to 6pm

This may obviously change for 2017

Thanks mate

[glasto-worker]

3 hours ago, mungo57 said:

2) Again, I will not or would not 'vanish' and cost my sponsor money in the process. I am not a c**t and never will be. I don't really appreciate your comments as you are clearly trying to convince me NOT to volunteer. Isn't the idea being a bit hesitant at first and then getting there, loving it and doing it again and again each year? Who says I don't want that to happen to me? Seems to me that only you are saying that....... I clearly am not.

at what point did I mention you ?

 

'The ones that vanish tend to be the people who just cant get into their head that the shifts are fixed - they vanish - they get barred and are never seen again.'

-------

Shelter/Avalon use a 8 hour shift system { but one option is for two split 4 hour shifts } and as its a bar they tend to need more people in the evening and most people would be expected to work at the weekend.

 

I know that a few years ago they had so many people missing in one certain bar they had to close the bar - it was because of that Avalon told Shelter to double the deposit as it was costing them money.

 

I only mention this because I know that some people do struggle with the shifts there is lots of jobs that are only in the daytime - its your decision and it wont affect me either way.

[glasto-worker]

3 hours ago, Pinhead said:

There are of course exceptions to the rule, at least with Oxfam anyway (don't know about others orgs). Oxfam permit a degree of 'shift trading' if you have a clash with something you are really desparate to see. I tend to find this fairly hit and miss though as the thing I want to see is often popular with everyone so no one wants to trade shifts! If you do it too much as well the shift manager starts to get a bit narky...

the WBC used to allow this 20+ years ago but it soon ended because some people who swapped just did not follow though and the one who was caught out was not the one who failed to show up but the person ' who should have been working that shift' due to my long service I can now pick what shifts we do and as its a Team system its up to me who works what hours ' so they don't need to swap ' because they are asked what suits them ' in advance ' - impossible to do in a large bar - if everyone wants to see the same band then I will cover for them - the year the Stones played I had a word with the Tent Manager as I knew she would also want to see them and we decided between us to close the bar down - its a crew bar so the idea was to to have a self service and people would leave their money but as we were talking another Organiser came up and offered to work that night - we told her she did not have to but she was happy to do it as long as they could have Sunday off - which was not a problem - anyway when we got back the bar was empty - what a surprise.

 

as they all have input into what shifts they do ' they are happy to do the shifts ' as we all accept that we are there to work - if someone it unwell we will cover for that person so it does not affect the rest of the WBC - in fact its very rare

 

that is the strength of the Team system as we are all friends - they were all recruited by me and I make sure they know what they will be expected to do - our Bar runs later than any other bar so there is lots of late nights but we get used to it.

 

 I just could not go back as being a ticket holder - where else can you find a Crew tent open 24 hours so people can sit about and have a drink in peace - I am sure that some people never go back to their tents but they will still show up for their shift. 

[mungo57]

1 hour ago, glasto-worker said:

at what point did I mention you ?

 

'The ones that vanish tend to be the people who just cant get into their head that the shifts are fixed - they vanish - they get barred and are never seen again.'

-------

Shelter/Avalon use a 8 hour shift system { but one option is for two split 4 hour shifts } and as its a bar they tend to need more people in the evening and most people would be expected to work at the weekend.

 

I know that a few years ago they had so many people missing in one certain bar they had to close the bar - it was because of that Avalon told Shelter to double the deposit as it was costing them money.

 

I only mention this because I know that some people do struggle with the shifts there is lots of jobs that are only in the daytime - its your decision and it wont affect me either way.

You may not have said this directly about me Glasto Worker but it was implied seeing as you seem to have it in for my quest to volunteer.

I respectfully ask you to allow me to go about my business without being judged henceforth. Thanks.

[danielharris627]

On 10/9/2016 at 8:48 PM, Woz101 said:

I worked for Oxfam last year and it was brilliant. The night shift is a bit of a killer, but you do everything with the same group and make friends. To be honest I barely slept - did a full day at the festival, then the night shift, then the following day at the festival  

It's fantastic and I'd definitely do it again - I was lucky enough to get a ticket this year though. It's a shame that Oxfam can't advertise before the main ticket sale...I didn't want to risk missing the tickets in the sale in case I also missed Oxfam. 
I'm planning on doing other festivals with them as they have trouble filling them generally.

As for the camp site - you'd be INSANE to not use it. The facilities are excellent (this year it even had a lovely pool and duck pond right in front of my tent  )
Seriously though - the food is epic...I even instagrammed it -  you get a free meal per shift plus it's really well priced for any extra meals you want. The showers are good (be warned, this year there were male and female but were basically an open shower room for each sex with little privacy). The toilets are excellent and cleaned regularly. 
The staff are naturally brilliant, as you're one of them
 

Also, the site is *spotless* when everyone has gone. It really makes you proud to be part of it.

In addition - it actually makes a lot of money for them - everyone wins. You get in free, Oxfam make money and Glastonbury get excellent stewards.
For Oxfam, you need to attend a training course well before the festival - I came away from it feeling inspired.

Basically, do it

Ahh bugger, I was planning on coming from NYC (I live in the uk normally, just interning here for the year), does that count me out then?  

[glasto-worker]

3 hours ago, danielharris627 said:

Ahh bugger, I was planning on coming from NYC (I live in the uk normally, just interning here for the year), does that count me out then?  

there is lots of volunteer jobs where there is no training day although that may not be your only problem.

 

As soon as you mention your living ' outside the EU ' they may just skip you.

 

if you have a legal right to work in the UK { even although its not paid work } then you should mention that straight away and explain why you have that entitlement .

 

years ago it did not matter but these days there is so much red tape involved that its a very tricky situation.

 

In fact if you have a UK Address then use that . As long as you can make the dates then really it should not matter.

[Chazwozza]

2 hours ago, glasto-worker said:

there is lots of volunteer jobs where there is no training day although that may not be your only problem.

 

As soon as you mention your living ' outside the EU ' they may just skip you.

That's it then, we'll all be stuffed post-Brexit.  Thanks, BoJo, you great cretinous buffoon....

[danielharris627]

6 hours ago, glasto-worker said:

there is lots of volunteer jobs where there is no training day although that may not be your only problem.

 

As soon as you mention your living ' outside the EU ' they may just skip you.

 

if you have a legal right to work in the UK { even although its not paid work } then you should mention that straight away and explain why you have that entitlement .

 

years ago it did not matter but these days there is so much red tape involved that its a very tricky situation.

 

In fact if you have a UK Address then use that . As long as you can make the dates then really it should not matter.

Thanks a lot for the heads up, still got a uk address so I'd be fine. My American friend wanted to come, doesn't have the right to work in the UK though..will that be an issue then? 

[fewcloudy]

38 minutes ago, danielharris627 said:

Thanks a lot for the heads up, still got a uk address so I'd be fine. My American friend wanted to come, doesn't have the right to work in the UK though..will that be an issue then? 

Yes it will be an issue depending on his visa. And as already mentioned you'd both need to do the training, for Oxfam stewarding anyway.

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/stewarding/faqs/who-can-steward

fc

[M!!!]

On 10/10/2016 at 4:37 AM, glasto-worker said:

Then bang out a few e-mails and list that at the top as they may wish to contact you direct - I know Melvin { as he used to be with the WBC before Vince hired him } and I ended up working direct for the Mean Fiddler at The Phoenix in the 90's - Now this may sound a Nuts idea but there is a good reason why I am pointing it out - last year on this site a person posted looking for Volunteers although they were really after was Team Leaders - it was to inspect the work of the toilet Cleaners - which sound a really shitty job but ' the Team Leaders were not doing any cleaning themselves ' and shifts were ' in the daytime only '  shifts were 6/8 hours - it was in April/May 2015 that they posted { have no clue why they waited that long to look for people } - sure its not a fancy title as working for Production but what the hell as there is many people who would like a day time shift.

 

Have tried a search but cant find it as I cant recall who was doing the looking. The only real difference between Latitude and Glastonbury is unlike Latitude at Glastonbury there is crew Camps spread all over the place - don't be put off about claims that a specific Crew camp ' is outside the wall ' as its only feet outside the wall - some people think they will be camped Miles away - when I first started in 1989 my crew camp was outside the old fence { the same area that Shelter/Avalon now use } and over the years that crew camp has moved all over the place - sometimes inside and sometimes outside - it really does not matter. if you keep on the ball then it should not be a problem - just spell out the crucial details and see what response you get.Its important to mention when you will be free because there is some jobs that start and end before the public are even let in - the more flexible you are the better.

 

There is some jobs that are never advertised as they prefer to use people they have used before which makes sense to me - I am a Organiser and Team Leader and have ran a Team of 25 Volunteers but it was my decision who got places so I made certain they were clued up and they were all used to working together - trying to run a team of 25 strangers would be a right Nightmare.

That kind of role would be perfect, I will try searching.  I also send out some emails and I have a couple of contacts from Latitude that I will drop a line to as well.

Camping outside the fence wouldn't worry me too much as am usually in the campervan field so that's all good

Many thanks for all the info, I will get there one way or another!