Volunteering 2023

[incident]

1 hour ago, abiwish said:

Same. Interesting no steward spots at all yet, wonder if they're holding off to do a batch as a "resale" of sorts like last year...

Given the fuck ups with payments when they released places initially, with people having money taken but then getting a "place not reserved" message - but then honouring places for people who hit that problem - I think it's very likely that they've currently got more stewards than they intended.

If my guess is correct, then it'd be likely that they don't offer up any more places until cancellations have reached a certain level so it could be quite a while yet.

[Snoop Cat]

Is anybody else having difficulty with the Oxfam website trying to complete their account details? Let’s me do some of the info but not input basic and contact info. Keeps going to the error message?!

 

thanks Snoop

[med]

13 minutes ago, Snoop Cat said:

Is anybody else having difficulty with the Oxfam website trying to complete their account details? Let’s me do some of the info but not input basic and contact info. Keeps going to the error message?!

 

thanks Snoop

It is working ok for me.

[balti-pie]

It looks like Trailwalker is off the list of Oxfam events now, they normally announce it a wee bit later than the rest but Trailwalker have launched a new website and started asking for volunteers with no mention of oxfam anywhere. This sucks, its only down the road from me and is the easy accompaniment to glastonbury ensuring i can get priority every year! Gonna have to rethink my volunteering route a bit . . . 

[philipsteak]

3 hours ago, balti-pie said:

It looks like Trailwalker is off the list of Oxfam events now, they normally announce it a wee bit later than the rest but Trailwalker have launched a new website and started asking for volunteers with no mention of oxfam anywhere. This sucks, its only down the road from me and is the easy accompaniment to glastonbury ensuring i can get priority every year! Gonna have to rethink my volunteering route a bit . . . 

Confirmed on the Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/oxfamfestivalsteam/permalink/10159696469008195/

Can you get priority through any of the other methods?

 

 

[balti-pie]

44 minutes ago, philipsteak said:

Confirmed on the Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/oxfamfestivalsteam/permalink/10159696469008195/

Can you get priority through any of the other methods?

 

 

Might do the Supervising role at glasto and pick another festival this year, then I’ll just have to do Glastonbury as a supervisor every year to keep up the priority (two events in the last two years as a supervisor) 

[philipsteak]

30 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

Might do the Supervising role at glasto and pick another festival this year, then I’ll just have to do Glastonbury as a supervisor every year to keep up the priority (two events in the last two years as a supervisor) 

Might as well. Supervising's fine. Think I'm only doing Glastonbury this year so it'll be the two years supervising for me for priority next year. Although if I work it out I might still qualify through the long term rule. 

[glasto-worker]

On 1/31/2023 at 8:53 PM, Leyrulion said:

Does anyone know about workers beer company? I've found their website but has limited info- is it recommendation only?  https://www.workersbeer.co.uk/volunteers

 

 

On 1/31/2023 at 10:25 PM, dondo said:

@glasto-workeris your man for WBC information 

The WBC was set up before the Internet {The World Wide Web} began so
its a bit more complicated because # they don't Directly recruit Volunteers # 

They have many authorised Groups as listed at 

https://www.workersbeer.co.uk/volunteers/current-organisations/

so a person ' who has a connection with that Group ' should contact them.

but please note - even well connected authorised Groups may not get all the places they are after.

My Group in the 90's used to get 25 places at Glastonbury - because there is now far more groups that has reduced my allocation - I have to tell people who have been a volunteer for 20 years+ that they will have to skip a year.

This is the right time to contact a authorised Group { provided you have a connection } - they should be able to tell you ' if you have a realistic chance ' - they will have to register you with the WBC { including face image } 

please understand Your Team Leader Cant Change Any Shift - depending where you are you could be working 6 days { although most will be 4 } - give them hassle and you can forget getting a allocation for other years. 

when I joined I certainly did not think I would still be a volunteer 35 years later { at Glastonbury and at loads of other events } 

Being a volunteer will not suit everyone but most bars at Glastonbury are easy compared to other events I have done in the past.

You have to arrive by WBC coach on the Tuesday { they depart from various places in the UK } if they don't know you bring photo ID as you may be asked for ID before they let you on the Coach.

They have a canteen { 2 food vouchers per day }  and cheap bar + showers etc etc ' you will be expected to camp in the crew area ' The Coaches will leave on the Monday morning so most people will pack up on the Sunday as its a mad scramble in the morning. Always double check its the right coach - some who thought they were on the London Coach ended up in Glasgow !!! - not sure at what point they twigged. 

[stuie]

6 hours ago, glasto-worker said:

 

The WBC was set up before the Internet {The World Wide Web} began so
its a bit more complicated because # they don't Directly recruit Volunteers # 

They have many authorised Groups as listed at 

https://www.workersbeer.co.uk/volunteers/current-organisations/

so a person ' who has a connection with that Group ' should contact them.

but please note - even well connected authorised Groups may not get all the places they are after.

My Group in the 90's used to get 25 places at Glastonbury - because there is now far more groups that has reduced my allocation - I have to tell people who have been a volunteer for 20 years+ that they will have to skip a year.

This is the right time to contact a authorised Group { provided you have a connection } - they should be able to tell you ' if you have a realistic chance ' - they will have to register you with the WBC { including face image } 

please understand Your Team Leader Cant Change Any Shift - depending where you are you could be working 6 days { although most will be 4 } - give them hassle and you can forget getting a allocation for other years. 

when I joined I certainly did not think I would still be a volunteer 35 years later { at Glastonbury and at loads of other events } 

Being a volunteer will not suit everyone but most bars at Glastonbury are easy compared to other events I have done in the past.

You have to arrive by WBC coach on the Tuesday { they depart from various places in the UK } if they don't know you bring photo ID as you may be asked for ID before they let you on the Coach.

They have a canteen { 2 food vouchers per day }  and cheap bar + showers etc etc ' you will be expected to camp in the crew area ' The Coaches will leave on the Monday morning so most people will pack up on the Sunday as its a mad scramble in the morning. Always double check its the right coach - some who thought they were on the London Coach ended up in Glasgow !!! - not sure at what point they twigged. 

I respect that you’ve done this a long time but it just doesn’t sound very attractive to me. Between 4 and 6 shifts, unable to swap, arriving on Tuesday and coaches leaving early Monday. There’s too much there that tips the balance more towards the work than the fun, in my opinion. 

Edited February 12, 2023 by stuie

[glasto-worker]

2 hours ago, stuie said:

I respect that you’ve done this a long time but it just doesn’t sound very attractive to me. Between 4 and 6 shifts, unable to swap, arriving on Tuesday and coaches leaving early Monday. There’s too much there that tips the balance more towards the work than the fun, in my opinion. 

Fine - sure it will not suit everyone - when I first started in 1988 the shifts were far longer - these days its about 6 Hours so most will do between 18 and 24 hours - it all depends which bar that Team has been allocated to.{only a few Teams would be expected to work 6 days as most bars are not open on the Tuesday}

+ these Volunteers are keen to raise money for their team/Group so they are not just doing it for a free ticket.

Everyone arriving on the Tuesday makes sense due to the GFL security checks they have to go though.

Entry last year was by Gate A - tickets were handed to Volunteers once their ID was checked  just before entry and after going though GFL security they made their way to the Crew Camp
.
being part of a Team means that trying to swap a shift is very tricky so its all the luck of the draw.

I have never met anyone who was concerned about the departure time of the Coaches { its designed to depart before the main bulk of the public Coaches.} last year it was 5am when the first London coach departed.

 

[stuie]

1 hour ago, glasto-worker said:

I have never met anyone who was concerned about the departure time of the Coaches { its designed to depart before the main bulk of the public Coaches.} last year it was 5am when the first London coach departed.

 

I’m still in Block 9 at that time.  Monday afternoon departure and Monday afternoon arrival swing it for me. I still have enough of the festival to do my thing! 

[Skip997]

2 hours ago, stuie said:

I’m still in Block 9 at that time.  Monday afternoon departure and Monday afternoon arrival swing it for me. I still have enough of the festival to do my thing! 

Same here.

Tuesday afternoon departure is great

[Leyrulion]

6 hours ago, stuie said:

I respect that you’ve done this a long time but it just doesn’t sound very attractive to me. Between 4 and 6 shifts, unable to swap, arriving on Tuesday and coaches leaving early Monday. There’s too much there that tips the balance more towards the work than the fun, in my opinion. 

 

3 hours ago, glasto-worker said:

Fine - sure it will not suit everyone - when I first started in 1988 the shifts were far longer - these days its about 6 Hours so most will do between 18 and 24 hours - it all depends which bar that Team has been allocated to.{only a few Teams would be expected to work 6 days as most bars are not open on the Tuesday}

+ these Volunteers are keen to raise money for their team/Group so they are not just doing it for a free ticket.

Everyone arriving on the Tuesday makes sense due to the GFL security checks they have to go though.

Entry last year was by Gate A - tickets were handed to Volunteers once their ID was checked  just before entry and after going though GFL security they made their way to the Crew Camp
.
being part of a Team means that trying to swap a shift is very tricky so its all the luck of the draw.

I have never met anyone who was concerned about the departure time of the Coaches { its designed to depart before the main bulk of the public Coaches.} last year it was 5am when the first London coach departed.

 

I think 24 hours is the standard volunteer allocation over the festival tbh. 

It seems very hard to get into through this route though. 

How many bars do they cover generally?

[Crazyfool01]

The worst gig I think is the carpark one … can’t remember the company but it needed a £400 deposit 

[incident]

25 minutes ago, Leyrulion said:

How many bars do they cover generally?

Don't know the numbers, but general rule of thumb is that WBC cover the major high volume bars around the Main Stages. Dreamtime, Village Inn, Mandela, etc and a fair few others I can't remember the names of. Also the Bread and Roses in the Main Markets.

[golden egg]

Lots of stupid questions;

 

has anyone managed to get an Oxfam resale spot yet?

has anyone else maxed out their free monthly distill emails? Is there a better way to monitor the page other than every single change?! Glasto seems to go shop only every other hour. 
 

on festaff do you need your second 2023 event already booked before you get access to glastonbury when

they become available?

 

whoch role on festaff is better? General stewarding or ticket gate?

[incident]

21 minutes ago, golden egg said:

whoch role on festaff is better? General stewarding or ticket gate?

At Glastonbury, Festaff only have one role - Wristbanding. At other festivals they may have more of a variety.

[Crazyfool01]

23 minutes ago, golden egg said:

has anyone managed to get an Oxfam resale spot yet?

not on here ... dont think there have been any yet 

[Leyrulion]

2 minutes ago, Crazyfool01 said:

not on here ... dont think there have been any yet 

Yeah, nothing on the Facebook group either.

[faymondo]

2 hours ago, golden egg said:

 

 

has anyone managed to get an Oxfam resale spot yet?

 

Nothing returned yet. Also been checking other popular festivals and nothing has come up.

Just need to play the long game I think ?

[March Hare]

I’m think Wateraid sending this email is a good sign if you still want to get in

[med]

15 hours ago, March Hare said:

I’m think Wateraid sending this email is a good sign if you still want to get in

I have applied as I didn't get lucky with tickets, but not sure if they will want me, as I have no previous experience working for them, we'll see..  Good luck to everyone that applies. 

[March Hare]

8 hours ago, med said:

I have applied as I didn't get lucky with tickets, but not sure if they will want me, as I have no previous experience working for them, we'll see..  Good luck to everyone that applies. 

If you are keen and engaged with the cause you have a good chance. Good luck 🤞🏽 

[Euphoricape]

On 2/16/2023 at 6:25 PM, March Hare said:

I’m think Wateraid sending this email is a good sign if you still want to get in

I have also applied with no previous experience, will we find out next week if we got lucky as applications close on Tuesday?

[med]

20 hours ago, March Hare said:

If you are keen and engaged with the cause you have a good chance. Good luck 🤞🏽 

Thank you.