The Volunteering thread 2019

[FestiZebra]

Hi,

Thought I'd make a thread for everyone volunteering through all the usual channels. I'm lucky enough to have obtained a Oxfam stewarding position and will be my first time as a worker

I'm sure there are plenty of people here who have stewarded before, so looking for some insight on to a few things. Such as, what will a typical shift look like? What types of areas can you be placed? If you are able to come on site early, what do you tend do get involved with?

Very excited and hopefully meet some other oxfamers through here

[jfaragher]

Oxfam shifts are on gates - vehicle and pedestrian - a few of the road crossings near to gates, and a very few that are based on our crew field.  

You can get access to site as soon as you arrive, and there's plenty to see and do in the days before the gates open - keep your eyes peeled for bar crawls on Monday and Tuesday night for example.

Shifts will either be mind-meltingly busy, or mind-numbingly slow, or a combination of the two.  People will be lovely to you, or absolute arses, or just pretty much ignore you*.  You will resent having to work at least once, likely caused by tiredness / hangover / missing something you kind of wanted to see.  Your supervisor will be dismissive of you when this happens, because they are also tired / hungover / missing something, and will then feel guilty about it later on - with luck they'll have sweets as a peace offering. You'll probably accidentally drink too much one evening with some new friends in the marquee in our field, despite having already accidentally drunk too much on site - the walk back up will trick you into felling just that little bit more sober.

It's going to be fun

* Hey! If you're a paying customer (or crew, or artist) don't be the latter two - give us a smile / hello - it does help keep us sane and cheerful

Edited February 12, 2019 by jfaragher

[balti-pie]

I’ve not got email confirmation yet but it’s held the payment so I’m presuming I’m in: I’m pretty chuffed with that, I’ve always fancied volunteering and I’m happy to do another event and have priority for 2020 as well. I’ve got a few mates with tickets/waiting on performers tickets but I normally do my own thing at the fest anyway so not camping with them isn’t so bad for me - is the oxfam camping just by gate b? I can’t find any staff camping maps etc online . . . 

[jfaragher]

Oxfam camping is about a 5-10 minute walk from Ped B, presuming it's in the same place this year.

[balti-pie]

Cool - avoiding the hour of carrying a wardrobe on my back, and the initial scrum for a camping spot, is going to be BEAUTIFUL ??

 

[incident]

1 hour ago, balti-pie said:

Cool - avoiding the hour of carrying a wardrobe on my back, and the initial scrum for a camping spot, is going to be BEAUTIFUL ??

If you look at a festival map. the Oxfam campsite is in the field immediately to the west of Purple 4 car park - which is likely where you'll be parked up.

[dondo]

Back for 6th year on recycling crew this year. 

Hoping for pre-festival shifts if I'm lucky. Get an interesting perspective on the site before it's open to the public 

[Doug85]

54 minutes ago, dondo said:

Back for 6th year on recycling crew this year. 

Hoping for pre-festival shifts if I'm lucky. Get an interesting perspective on the site before it's open to the public 

I'd love to get pre festival shifts at some point. Sure you get a chance to get them if you are classed as a veteran (over 5?) 

You are still allowed on site early if you are working it though even if your first shifts are during the actual festival. We arrived on the Monday in 17 and had a good walk around site seeing it relatively empty and being set up which is amazing. Our first shifts were Friday morning too. 

[marathonsteve]

I am not a veteran yet but I am going to try and get there monday.  Maybe

[Crazyfool01]

Thanks to everyone on this thread without you guys the festival wouldn't happen  

[westholtschic]

Can't wait to volunteer for my 9th Glastonbury with FMS. Best feeling in the world being in my favourite place on Earth, looking after people who are in theirs. 

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

1 hour ago, crazyfool1 said:

Thanks to everyone on this thread without you guys the festival wouldn't happen  

Thanks mate, although I only came on it cos I'd read all the others

[Funkyfairy!]

First year working , even though I got a ticket, am giving my ticket back to the pot. I wanted to give something back, plus I’m lucky , so lucky my volunteering is competed pre festival ?

[marathonsteve]

Brill . Funky fairy

[Superunknown]

Volunteered twice with Oxfam, definitely agree with what jfaragher said, especially the bit about resenting one shift, the overnight one was a killer. That said, it was well worth doing, got to experience arguably the greatest festival on earth for free with just a few shifts to do. 

[miffmiffy]

50 minutes ago, Funkyfairy! said:

First year working , even though I got a ticket, am giving my ticket back to the pot. I wanted to give something back, plus I’m lucky , so lucky my volunteering is competed pre festival ?

That's great, a dream way to do it ?Who are you volunteering with if you don't mind me asking?

[Funkyfairy!]

13 hours ago, miffmiffy said:

That's great, a dream way to do it ?Who are you volunteering with if you don't mind me asking?

My first year as a bin painter. Its a big committment (full 2 weeks work pre festival ) , so more hours than anyone else asks for but for me my dream come true, and it wasn;t about getting a ticket, it was about getting involved and giving hours back to somewhere thats bought me so much joy. My third year of applying and this year I got lucky :-).

[miffmiffy]

36 minutes ago, Funkyfairy! said:

My first year as a bin painter. Its a big committment (full 2 weeks work pre festival ) , so more hours than anyone else asks for but for me my dream come true, and it wasn;t about getting a ticket, it was about getting involved and giving hours back to somewhere thats bought me so much joy. My third year of applying and this year I got lucky :-).

Congratulations. A great way to see a different side to the festival. 

I think I'm in through Oxfam ?.

I'm also looking forward to doing the festival a little differently. A little anxious as currently it's only me out of our group. That's kind of put a slight dampener on celebrating my success too as they're all still understandably a little jaded about their prospects. 

[gigpusher]

Congratulations to all whose got a volunteering spot. Grateful to you all and I promise that I'll be very cheerful and friendly to you all. 

[croiz]

I'm volunteering via Oasis Carnival; mainly off site stewarding work I think. Anybody else?

Anyone know roughly where the camp site is or are all volunteers sited together?

[Doug85]

10 minutes ago, croiz said:

Anyone know roughly where the camp site is or are all volunteers sited together?

There are different ones all over the place but the main ones are either up at Tom's field next to Worthy Farm or there is a crew field outside of Gate B, there is also a crew field near Bushy Ground I think what used to be Dairy Ground but i'm not 100% sure on that one.

[glasto-worker]

17 hours ago, Doug85 said:

There are different ones all over the place but the main ones are either up at Tom's field next to Worthy Farm or there is a crew field outside of Gate B, there is also a crew field near Bushy Ground I think what used to be Dairy Ground but i'm not 100% sure on that one.

its next to VG4 - for years GFL called it 'Paines Ground' but 'GFL now claim that was a error' and they now call that area ' Dairy Ground ' and 'Paines Ground' is now a few fields down - anyway the field that I have placed the red dot on is a Crew area - mainly Security { there is loads of different Companies } - one camp is used by the tent erectors { forget the name of the company but I know they are there } and its the WBC camp { that camp has moved 6 times since I started in 1989 } - each camp has its own Security.

[djdavejohnson]

11 minutes ago, glasto-worker said:

 

The unexpected yet delightful sight of a Glasto map whilst getting ready for work has set me right up for the day, thanks?

[dondo]

On 2/12/2019 at 8:30 PM, Doug85 said:

I'd love to get pre festival shifts at some point. Sure you get a chance to get them if you are classed as a veteran (over 5?) 

You are still allowed on site early if you are working it though even if your first shifts are during the actual festival. We arrived on the Monday in 17 and had a good walk around site seeing it relatively empty and being set up which is amazing. Our first shifts were Friday morning too. 

Yes you're right. Veteran is after 5 years but as you say you can get on site beforehand even if you don't get those shifts. 

If I'm not successful with the pre-festival shifts (as I believe it's names out of a hat as they are oversubscribed) then I will probably head down on the Monday anyways. 

Re crew camps. Tom's field is just for recycling crew these days I believe and as others have said Oxfam is nearish to Gate B as is the Festaff one

[deepkittycaz]

Does anyone know if there are any coaches for volunteers needing to get to the festival before the Wednesday?