Volunteering 2023

[Leyrulion]

38 minutes ago, philipsteak said:

I resisted for years. It became a running joke among my friends that I was still a steward after years of doing it. I was very much of the opinion that I'm just here to do my shifts, no responsibility and done. Then one year I was made a supervisor and it was fine. Now I always tick the box to say I'm happy to do it. Makes it a bit more interesting, gives you a bit more freedom, and I like the hour earlier start at Glastonbury. And, again at Glastonbury, if you are on one of the far flung gates you have a much better chance of getting on the shuttle bus if you want. Now I'm always a supervisor at Glastonbury (last time was in charge of a gate, but only a very small quiet one) but don't always seem to be at other festivals.

I'd say with 8 under your belt you might as well go for it. Non of it is really that hard.

It's the whole doing an extra hour for no real benefit that I don't really understand. Are there no other upsides?

[incident]

1 hour ago, Leyrulion said:

It's the whole doing an extra hour for no real benefit that I don't really understand. Are there no other upsides?

The overall shift length is the same - supervisors finish an hour earlier than the regular shift as well.

[Leyrulion]

3 minutes ago, incident said:

The overall shift length is the same - supervisors finish an hour earlier than the regular shift as well.

I did not clock this. Suddenly it makes perfect sense why you'd be a supervisor!

[philipsteak]

I think I'm remembering correctly but when I first started stewarding (2003) the supervisors did 2 x 12 hour shifts

[stuie]

8 hours ago, Leyrulion said:

I did not clock this. Suddenly it makes perfect sense why you'd be a supervisor!

Starting the early shift an hour earlier is a bitch when you accidentally get carried away on Tuesday night though 😂😂

[philipsteak]

45 minutes ago, stuie said:

Starting the early shift an hour earlier is a bitch when you accidentally get carried away on Tuesday night though 😂😂

Yeah, the early shift is a struggle, but it is anyway. I do like finishing the late shift earlier, especially if it falls during the festival proper. And having an extra hour to get some sleep after the night shift before  it gets too hot/light is good

[Snoop Cat]

Apologies if this has been posted before but could someone advise what the shift pattern is for Oxfam. I.e typically how many shifts on weds/Thurs and shift timings (early/late/overnight etc) 

thanks in advance 🙏 

[incident]

34 minutes ago, Snoop Cat said:

Apologies if this has been posted before but could someone advise what the shift pattern is for Oxfam. I.e typically how many shifts on weds/Thurs and shift timings (early/late/overnight etc) 

thanks in advance 🙏 

3 shifts, each 8.25 hours long.

Usually spread fairly evenly across the 5 days, and with one each of morning, afternoon/evening, and overnight. There's variations on that, but generally if that happens then they'd be in your favour - a Sunday shift moved to Wednesday to provide extra capacity on the busiest day, or sometimes no overnight shift as not all gates run 24/7.

The matrix of the most common shift patterns was posted a page or two back, though that's only indicative. Some of the non-24/7 gates for example have shifts starting at 8am and 4pm for example instead of 6am/2pm.

[Snoop Cat]

27 minutes ago, incident said:

3 shifts, each 8.25 hours long.

Usually spread fairly evenly across the 5 days, and with one each of morning, afternoon/evening, and overnight. There's variations on that, but generally if that happens then they'd be in your favour - a Sunday shift moved to Wednesday to provide extra capacity on the busiest day, or sometimes no overnight shift as not all gates run 24/7.

The matrix of the most common shift patterns was posted a page or two back, though that's only indicative. Some of the non-24/7 gates for example have shifts starting at 8am and 4pm for example instead of 6am/2pm.

Thank you!

so you might be lucky enough to get a weds and thurs Shift and essentially have 2 of the main 3 days off?
And you are only likely to miss 1 of the pymild headliners max? 

[Aragorn]

I am likely doing recycling crew this year. Can you get into any crew bar or is it try it and see?.

[incident]

30 minutes ago, Snoop Cat said:

Thank you!

so you might be lucky enough to get a weds and thurs Shift and essentially have 2 of the main 3 days off?
And you are only likely to miss 1 of the pymild headliners max? 

It's possible, and does happen. But no guarantees it'll happen to you.

[dondo]

50 minutes ago, Aragorn said:

I am likely doing recycling crew this year. Can you get into any crew bar or is it try it and see?.

Most of them you will get in with your recycling crew wristband.  Only ones I couldn't get in was Acoustic once the festival had started and Theatre & Circus at any time 

[stuie]

4 hours ago, Snoop Cat said:

Apologies if this has been posted before but could someone advise what the shift pattern is for Oxfam. I.e typically how many shifts on weds/Thurs and shift timings (early/late/overnight etc) 

thanks in advance 🙏 

A rough guide: 

[Euphoricape]

Anyone who has volunteered with shelter, can you name someone you want to work shifts with so both have same free time available?

[4519dennis]

Yes you can - up to 6 people I think. Last year there were 3 of us who confirmed we wanted to work same shift and it was all arranged.

Edited February 4, 2023 by 4519dennis

[Euphoricape]

15 minutes ago, 4519dennis said:

Yes you can - up to 6 people I think. Last year there were 3 of us who confirmed we wanted to work same shift and it was all arranged.

Thanks. Can u pay for more than 1 place if u get through or just individually?

[4519dennis]

That I’m not sure. I need to the know the same as I will be applying for two people in early bird. Hope others can answer.

[Sarah32]

51 minutes ago, 4519dennis said:

That I’m not sure. I need to the know the same as I will be applying for two people in early bird. Hope others can answer.

if you're applying through early bird, which is Feb 21, then you'll prob need to do it separately as they check each place to the email address they have for that person. 

[amfy]

On 2/2/2023 at 10:39 PM, MrZigster said:

I've done it four times and have always got one shift before the festival Wed or Thu, one late shift during (which means missed headliners) and one early/day shift during (which I've worked through the legends slot three times now). Which seems fair enough (apart from the legends bit).

Don't know if they plan it like that or if I just got fortunate or am seeing a pattern that isn't there.

I’ve only done Shelter once and I have something like:

10am 6pm Friday.

6pm - 2am Saturday

2pm - 10pm Sunday.

I did still enjoy the festival and would have done it again if I hadn’t discovered Oxfam but you are far more likely to get one shift out of the way before Friday with Oxfam. Gate work is weighted towards entry days and bar work is weighted towards festival days - that’s just how it is.

I also found the Avalon bars very very chaotic. I know it’s a bar in a field, but constantly having to hunt down the ingredients of simple shorts, and trying to placate customers with imaginative alternatives, was exhausting. We often didn’t have coke or lemonade for example! Some punters can also be complete arseholes at a bar and I haven’t dealt with anywhere near the level of abuse in 5 years as an Oxfam steward as I did in one weekend as Shelter bar staff.

i didn’t find sleeping near SE corner a problem as I’ve always found ‘steady noise’ at festivals liveable, but the option of taking a live in vehicle with Oxfam, and making your own way at your own time, totally swings it for me. 

[Cridge]

On 2/2/2023 at 5:39 PM, savethatjek said:

Is this a Shelter confirmation? I got Oxfam yesterday so won’t be able to follow through 

 

I think it’s just a general email

Has anybody else been sent this e-mail multiple times? I was sent it on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 17:30 each time.

Does it guarantee a place or is this the same as applying with Oxfam?

[leath02]

My pals who had double payment taken and double confirmation emails from oxfam have all had their extra payment returned and places clarified 
 

Might start to see some of those extra places pop up online this week…. Fingers crossed for you all still trying 

[savethatjek]

15 minutes ago, Cridge said:

Has anybody else been sent this e-mail multiple times? I was sent it on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 17:30 each time.

Does it guarantee a place or is this the same as applying with Oxfam?

I’ve been sent it 3 times in total since my comment, I’m confused as to whether it’s secure for that individual or advertising a free for all, might be worth emailing back and asking?

[Cridge]

16 minutes ago, leath02 said:

My pals who had double payment taken and double confirmation emails from oxfam have all had their extra payment returned and places clarified 
 

Might start to see some of those extra places pop up online this week…. Fingers crossed for you all still trying 

Hope so! Oxfam does sound like the better of the two options.

5 minutes ago, savethatjek said:

I’ve been sent it 3 times in total since my comment, I’m confused as to whether it’s secure for that individual or advertising a free for all, might be worth emailing back and asking?

I e-mailed them on Friday and got an automatic reply, but it did say "we aim to get back to all enquiries within two working days"..... so will see next week. 

I imagine it's going to be a free for all, otherwise what we be the point in the early bird e-mails 😞

[pie_and_a_pint]

On 2/4/2023 at 11:55 AM, Aragorn said:

I am likely doing recycling crew this year. Can you get into any crew bar or is it try it and see?.

There'll likely be a big recycling crew bar crawl again on the Tuesday night. I adore backstage at Acoustic but they're a bit tricky once the festival starts, but everywhere else is pretty much available to you as a crew member - and Maceo's (behind Block 9) is open pretty much 24/7.

[oakdown]

1 hour ago, pie_and_a_pint said:

There'll likely be a big recycling crew bar crawl again on the Tuesday night. I adore backstage at Acoustic but they're a bit tricky once the festival starts, but everywhere else is pretty much available to you as a crew member - and Maceo's (behind Block 9) is open pretty much 24/7.

We started at Acoustic on the Oxfam crew bar crawl on Monday last year and ended up involved in a wedding! Was a magical moment. Came back towards the tent in time for New York Brass Band (I think?) playing some tunes before moving on, fantastic bar pre-fest.

Edited February 5, 2023 by oakdown