Volunteering 2021

[March Hare]

My mate got her place today, straight through. Lots of comments that places still coming up, keep trying!

[rbblue]

Does anyone know what the likely role would be for a first-time steward for Oxfam? I was lucky enough to get through this morning (sorry to those who didn't).

I worked at Worthy Pastures for WaterAid last year and I've also applied with them (waiting to hear) but I've no idea what the role would be there either....it may be a choice between cleaning toilets or sitting on the perimeter for 8 hours!  

[mikegday]

4 minutes ago, rbblue said:

Does anyone know what the likely role would be for a first-time steward for Oxfam? I was lucky enough to get through this morning (sorry to those who didn't).

I worked at Worthy Pastures for WaterAid last year and I've also applied with them (waiting to hear) but I've no idea what the role would be there either....it may be a choice between cleaning toilets or sitting on the perimeter for 8 hours!  

We got a pedestrian/ticket gate for our first year - but I don’t think it matters what year it is tbh! Vast majority positions are on gates, either vehicle or pedestrian.

[rbblue]

1 minute ago, mikegday said:

We got a pedestrian/ticket gate for our first year - but I don’t think it matters what year it is tbh! Vast majority positions are on gates, either vehicle or pedestrian.

Thank you! So the ideal would be a pedestrian gate, I suppose. Depending on one's boredom threshold!

[oakdown]

6 minutes ago, rbblue said:

Does anyone know what the likely role would be for a first-time steward for Oxfam? I was lucky enough to get through this morning (sorry to those who didn't).

I worked at Worthy Pastures for WaterAid last year and I've also applied with them (waiting to hear) but I've no idea what the role would be there either....it may be a choice between cleaning toilets or sitting on the perimeter for 8 hours!  

I've done a couple years on vehicle gates (one SE corner, one by the Park if I remember right) and a year on Ped gate B. Got bumped to the Oxfam campsite for a shift one night after I sprained my ankle and couldn't hack the walk - was just sitting at the entrance and checking lanyards. 

Never done WaterAid but the Oxfam shifts are good craic! Plenty opportunity to chat with punters so the time flies in. Experience shouldn't matter as to where they put you, as far as I know. 

[March Hare]

9 minutes ago, rbblue said:

Does anyone know what the likely role would be for a first-time steward for Oxfam? I was lucky enough to get through this morning (sorry to those who didn't).

I worked at Worthy Pastures for WaterAid last year and I've also applied with them (waiting to hear) but I've no idea what the role would be there either....it may be a choice between cleaning toilets or sitting on the perimeter for 8 hours!  

Last festival all Oxfam roles were on the perimeter. Pedestrian gate shifts felt quicker than the vehicle gate I was on for one shift.  Best gig, IMO is the Oxfield. Chat to other stewards and at end of shift you are already at your tent

[rbblue]

12 minutes ago, oakdown said:

I've done a couple years on vehicle gates (one SE corner, one by the Park if I remember right) and a year on Ped gate B. Got bumped to the Oxfam campsite for a shift one night after I sprained my ankle and couldn't hack the walk - was just sitting at the entrance and checking lanyards. 

Never done WaterAid but the Oxfam shifts are good craic! Plenty opportunity to chat with punters so the time flies in. Experience shouldn't matter as to where they put you, as far as I know. 

That's good to know, thank you!

[rbblue]

12 minutes ago, March Hare said:

Last festival all Oxfam roles were on the perimeter. Pedestrian gate shifts felt quicker than the vehicle gate I was on for one shift.  Best gig, IMO is the Oxfield. Chat to other stewards and at end of shift you are already at your tent

Interesting, thanks. I'm crossing my fingers that my stint cleaning last year with WaterAid may stand me in good stead for cushier job with them, but I'm basing that on nothing!

 

[incident]

20 minutes ago, rbblue said:

Thank you! So the ideal would be a pedestrian gate, I suppose. Depending on one's boredom threshold!

My personal view is that the most interesting shift is Red or Blue gate - basically the two "master" vehicle gates that control access to the West and East of the site respectively, and then dispatch vehicles onwards to the numbered vehicle gates at the fence. Because nearly all incoming traffic is routed via one of those 2 gates, you get a lot more traffic coming through, and you get a lot of artists etc.

It can vary a lot, even within the shift - because shifts need to be staffed according to the expected peak rather than the quiet time, pedestrian gates especially can go from very quiet (at 10:45pm) to ridiculously busy (at 11:45pm) to not seeing anyone for hours (at 4:45am).

[rbblue]

6 minutes ago, incident said:

My personal view is that the most interesting shift is Red or Blue gate - basically the two "master" vehicle gates that control access to the West and East of the site respectively, and then dispatch vehicles onwards to the numbered vehicle gates at the fence. Because nearly all incoming traffic is routed via one of those 2 gates, you get a lot more traffic coming through, and you get a lot of artists etc.

It can vary a lot, even within the shift - because shifts need to be staffed according to the expected peak rather than the quiet time, pedestrian gates especially can go from very quiet (at 10:45pm) to ridiculously busy (at 11:45pm) to not seeing anyone for hours (at 4:45am).

That's really helpful, thank you.

[balti-pie]

Its quite easy to fall into the trap of resenting your shifts a bit - particularly when its 3am and freezing cold and you're stood at a gate with nobody in sight for a couple of hours, wondering what you're doing with your life! 😆 - or if you really want to see a band and its at the same time as your shift, all your mates are there and its all happening without you

but

you're inside the festival for free, with nice camping very near your car, showers and food, and you're also raising money for charity at the same time as actually helping it to run. These are all massive positives that definitely outweigh the negatives, in my view.

No word of a lie though, there are times when i do wish i was a normal punter with the weekend ahead entirely unscheduled, but then normal punters dont get the staff bars, or the monday and tuesday, they dont get a lovely different wristband that signifies you as a contributor to the whole shebang - they dont get to smile smugly like those of us who volunteer 😊

[Pinhead]

1 hour ago, oakdown said:

IGot bumped to the Oxfam campsite for a shift one night after I sprained my ankle and couldn't hack the walk - was just sitting at the entrance and checking lanyards.

Deffo the easiest shift position you can get as well that one 😉

incident mentioned vehicle gates - I hate doing these as there is invariably always a load of access / route / protocol related questions from traders and site infra and so fourth coming in which all end up having to be escalated via Oxbox whilst they sit there in the van blocking the entrance waiting for a response. They'll ask you things like, "where do we meet Dave" and stuff.... ffs.

[Jay Pee]

2 hours ago, Pinhead said:

Deffo the easiest shift position you can get as well that one 😉

incident mentioned vehicle gates - I hate doing these as there is invariably always a load of access / route / protocol related questions from traders and site infra and so fourth coming in which all end up having to be escalated via Oxbox whilst they sit there in the van blocking the entrance waiting for a response. They'll ask you things like, "where do we meet Dave" and stuff.... ffs.

Yep.  Stood near a long drop with my marigolds on sweating like the proverbial after two hours sleep and a Frenchman in my head.

"Do you know where I can find XX the WaterAid XXX?" 

Please.... Please leave me to weep in this corner of the urinals.

[barcelonista1899]

IMO ped gate B is best with Oxfam- close to camp but also not to far away from the pyramid and other stages after shift/during a break. Although normally I have been on A, which is more exciting and have had a fair few well known faces through there over the years..

Had been wishing for a change of circumstance recently,  but today watching as the general Oxfam spots were opened and then filled was definitely realisation day that Glastonbury this year, owing to work commitments, probably wouldn't be for me 😞

[Pinhead]

Ped Gate C for me personally if I have to do a gate - always seemed best organised. Pennard Hill gate seemed full of entitled lot that could be annoying sometimes.

[marathonsteve]

Anyone from Oxfam have trouble with their credit /  debit cards this time round

[gazzared]

23 hours ago, rbblue said:

Thank you! So the ideal would be a pedestrian gate, I suppose. Depending on one's boredom threshold!

I sat watching a hedge for 4hrs in the oxfield as a few people broke into the field thinking they had got into the festival 🤣🤣🤣 I was glad to sit in the shade though as it was boiling 👍

[philipsteak]

1 minute ago, gazzared said:

I sat watching a hedge for 4hrs in the oxfield as a few people broke into the field thinking they had got into the festival 🤣🤣🤣 I was glad to sit in the shade though as it was boiling 👍

I once spent 6 hours of a night shift at Boomtown "guarding" a gap in a fence. Wasn't even an external fence, but it could've been dangerous if someone went through it. That was a long shift. Was fun listening on the radio to the absolute carnage that everyone else was dealing with though.

[missnutmeg]

5 minutes ago, gazzared said:

I sat watching a hedge for 4hrs in the oxfield as a few people broke into the field thinking they had got into the festival 🤣🤣🤣 I was glad to sit in the shade though as it was boiling 👍

I would happily do this 😂

[gazzared]

13 hours ago, marathonsteve said:

Anyone from Oxfam have trouble with their credit /  debit cards this time round

My friends payment failed but his girlfriend got them two places about 30 mins after the sale 👍

My payment failed for rolling stones tickets even though I approved the payment, luckily it went back to the previous page and my tickets were still in the basket so I chose PayPal instead and it went straight through 👏👏👏

[marathonsteve]

36 minutes ago, gazzared said:

My friends payment failed but his girlfriend got them two places about 30 mins after the sale 👍

My payment failed for rolling stones tickets even though I approved the payment, luckily it went back to the previous page and my tickets were still in the basket so I chose PayPal instead and it went straight through 👏👏👏

Very lucky then

[stuie]

Sadly I didn’t manage to get an Oxfam place yesterday but I’ve been offered a place with Shelter that I have to accept or reject by 26th March. 

Does anyone know if you really have to get the Shelter coaches? I guess you can’t go on Monday either? 

It’s probably not a bad situation to be in as I can try in the coach resale before I commit to Shelter! 

[March Hare]

16 minutes ago, stuie said:

Sadly I didn’t manage to get an Oxfam place yesterday but I’ve been offered a place with Shelter that I have to accept or reject by 26th March. 

Does anyone know if you really have to get the Shelter coaches? I guess you can’t go on Monday either? 

It’s probably not a bad situation to be in as I can try in the coach resale before I commit to Shelter! 

@waltere has mentioned (I think) that the only option was Tuesdays arrival 

[stuie]

8 minutes ago, March Hare said:

@waltere has mentioned (I think) that the only option was Tuesdays arrival 

Thank you… much appreciated. 

[waltere]

If there's a legit reason for you to be unable to come on one of the coaches it can't hurt to e-mail and ask what they can do, but I'm pretty sure the Tuesday arrival is non-negotiable.