Volunteering 2023

[Watergirl]

59 minutes ago, philipsteak said:

Yeah, A is the dream for me. Only had it once I think, maybe twice, out of 11 times. 

Had D this year. Not great. 

Same, D.  I did manage to see the Saturday headliner, which I wanted, but it's a tiring schedule, with a lot of free time on Wed/Thu when there is less on...

[Watergirl]

34 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

I got the dream early shifts with oxfam this year, Sun, Mon Tues 6am to 2pm before the gates even open - i have to say, its not really the dream, its a hell of a long time to be camping and three shower tokens for that period of time is a bit mean! There's not much in the way of food before monday afternoon really, though its great being there before the cider bus (before the cider bus!) and seeing everything slowly coming in, its a very long week and i was quite looking forward to monday morning and heading home for showers, clean clothes, sofas, carpet, all of those lovely things . . . i'm glad i got the chance to do the earlies, but think i'd probably request normal shifts next time 

I'd love to apply for the 'earlies' but I don't drive.  Would be happy to pay for a taxi from Shepton Mallet, but I don't think that is possible (not allowed on those access roads?).  Also, you won't find out whether you've got the earlies until about two weeks before the festival, when it is too late to book the regular Oxfam bus from Bristol, which you'll need if you DON'T get the earlies.... 

Are there any non-drivers who have found a way around this?  I know there is a liftshare option, but from what I saw in the Facebook group people weren't having much success with that.

Edited November 8, 2022 by Watergirl

[philipsteak]

36 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

I got the dream early shifts with oxfam this year, Sun, Mon Tues 6am to 2pm before the gates even open - i have to say, its not really the dream, its a hell of a long time to be camping and three shower tokens for that period of time is a bit mean! There's not much in the way of food before monday afternoon really, though its great being there before the cider bus (before the cider bus!) and seeing everything slowly coming in, its a very long week and i was quite looking forward to monday morning and heading home for showers, clean clothes, sofas, carpet, all of those lovely things . . . i'm glad i got the chance to do the earlies, but think i'd probably request normal shifts next time 

I'd love to get earlies once but strongly suspect that I'd be like you and just go back to normal shifts. It's a long time to be there. 

My friend got them this year but was on nights. Even though she had a couple of recovery days it did screw her up a bit even into the weekend proper. 

[stuie]

38 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

I got the dream early shifts with oxfam this year, Sun, Mon Tues 6am to 2pm before the gates even open - i have to say, its not really the dream, its a hell of a long time to be camping and three shower tokens for that period of time is a bit mean! There's not much in the way of food before monday afternoon really, though its great being there before the cider bus (before the cider bus!) and seeing everything slowly coming in, its a very long week and i was quite looking forward to monday morning and heading home for showers, clean clothes, sofas, carpet, all of those lovely things . . . i'm glad i got the chance to do the earlies, but think i'd probably request normal shifts next time 

Some girls we met done the early shifts and they got out to Block9, Shangri-la etc and grabbed loads of area wristbands.  They then swapped them with other Oxfam peeps for meal and shower tokens!

[andronnicus]

Volunteered as an Oxfam steward the last 2.

Priority is given to those who’ve attended 2 festivals this year however both times we’ve arranged it on the lead up to the festival.

You need to sign-up at https://myfestivals.oxfam.org.uk/ and from https://myfestivals.oxfam.org.uk/Signup/FestivalRole look for Glastonbury steward role and pay the refundable deposit.

In 2019, had a page monitor set-up for https://myfestivals.oxfam.org.uk/Signup/FestivalRole and managed to book 3 separately in May (bear in mind you have to complete training by the time of the festival).

In 2022 they released places on 20^th April https://twitter.com/Oxfamfestivals/status/1514188126654193666

Got one at 10:30 but was then unavailable, trying though the day managed to get a further 2. Further places became available up to the festival as people cancelled.

[dondo]

3 hours ago, Watergirl said:

I'd love to apply for the 'earlies' but I don't drive.  Would be happy to pay for a taxi from Shepton Mallet, but I don't think that is possible (not allowed on those access roads?).  Also, you won't find out whether you've got the earlies until about two weeks before the festival, when it is too late to book the regular Oxfam bus from Bristol, which you'll need if you DON'T get the earlies.... 

Are there any non-drivers who have found a way around this?  I know there is a liftshare option, but from what I saw in the Facebook group people weren't having much success with that.

There is a shuttle bus from Castle Cary that starts the Saturday before the festival.  Frequency obviously less than when festival starts.

[mufcok]

4 hours ago, balti-pie said:

I got the dream early shifts with oxfam this year, Sun, Mon Tues 6am to 2pm before the gates even open - i have to say, its not really the dream, its a hell of a long time to be camping and three shower tokens for that period of time is a bit mean! There's not much in the way of food before monday afternoon really, though its great being there before the cider bus (before the cider bus!) and seeing everything slowly coming in, its a very long week and i was quite looking forward to monday morning and heading home for showers, clean clothes, sofas, carpet, all of those lovely things . . . i'm glad i got the chance to do the earlies, but think i'd probably request normal shifts next time 

What do those shifts actually consist of, with no normal ticket holders on site? and are they something you can actively request in the new year, or is that pot luck?

[incident]

5 minutes ago, dondo said:

There is a shuttle bus from Castle Cary that starts the Saturday before the festival.  Frequency obviously less than when festival starts.

There is, but unless the arrival procedures have changed it's awkward for Oxfam volunteers specifically - the shuttle goes to the Coach Station at Gate A, whereas Oxfam staff need to arrive at the campsite outside Gate B in order to be accredited - so it's a fairly substantial walk around the outskirts of the site from the Coach Station.

[dondo]

15 minutes ago, incident said:

There is, but unless the arrival procedures have changed it's awkward for Oxfam volunteers specifically - the shuttle goes to the Coach Station at Gate A, whereas Oxfam staff need to arrive at the campsite outside Gate B in order to be accredited - so it's a fairly substantial walk around the outskirts of the site from the Coach Station.

Ah yes I forgot about that element of it!

[balti-pie]

Just now, mufcok said:

What do those shifts actually consist of, with no normal ticket holders on site? and are they something you can actively request in the new year, or is that pot luck?

its completely pot luck, i think there's a couple of hundred spaces out of the 2,500 people who apply - i seem to recall it being about a 10% chance. The shifts are a lot quieter than the normal ones ofc, its checking ID and passes etc for workers. I was on a vehicle gate which was locked shut at the time, so my job for 24hrs was telling people its locked 😆 oh, and stopping the security guards from kicking off at each other. fun and games!

You tick a box on your profile to say you can come down on the sat, instead of the normal mon or tues - but it really is a bit of a ghost town til monday lunchtime really, no food stalls, but theres a few staff bars so you can have a beer. I'd recommend it but be aware you are going to be camping for nine nights, and that can get a bit wearing. 

[incident]

3 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

its completely pot luck, i think there's a couple of hundred spaces out of the 2,500 people who apply - i seem to recall it being about a 10% chance. The shifts are a lot quieter than the normal ones ofc, its checking ID and passes etc for workers. I was on a vehicle gate which was locked shut at the time, so my job for 24hrs was telling people its locked 😆 oh, and stopping the security guards from kicking off at each other. fun and games!

You tick a box on your profile to say you can come down on the sat, instead of the normal mon or tues - but it really is a bit of a ghost town til monday lunchtime really, no food stalls, but theres a few staff bars so you can have a beer. I'd recommend it but be aware you are going to be camping for nine nights, and that can get a bit wearing. 

Worth adding to that - by the time the gates open to the public, there's already an estimated 35,000 staff that will have arrived - which by itself is larger than quite a few festivals.

If I was planning on working next year, I wouldn't be applying for early shifts - personally I reckon the "optimum" is to arrive around 4pm on the Monday afternoon - by the time you get set up, fed, and ready to head into the site, the bars should be open so can pretty much step straight into a good first evening. Then that leaves Tuesday to wander around more fully, when the site is closer to "ready" with more people around, and by the afternoon some of the food stalls should start to open up.

[dondo]

On recycling crew I always try for the pre festival shifts (Monday to Thursday) but have only ever got them once.  I do like getting on site beforehand too and even if I don't get those shifts I'll still come on site on the Monday.  

This year I stayed in Bristol on the Sunday night so was on site around 11am on the Monday morning which was ideal.

[Funkyfairy!]

5 hours ago, balti-pie said:

I got the dream early shifts with oxfam this year, Sun, Mon Tues 6am to 2pm before the gates even open - i have to say, its not really the dream, its a hell of a long time to be camping and three shower tokens for that period of time is a bit mean! There's not much in the way of food before monday afternoon really, though its great being there before the cider bus (before the cider bus!) and seeing everything slowly coming in, its a very long week and i was quite looking forward to monday morning and heading home for showers, clean clothes, sofas, carpet, all of those lovely things . . . i'm glad i got the chance to do the earlies, but think i'd probably request normal shifts next time 

Presume you could use the farm showers though , that non Oxfam  workers use rather than ones with tokens ?

[AAlex]

I think I know the answer to this already, but I'm guessing the places for the Oxfam Volunteering sell out within a minute or two, if not less?

Think I'll be seriously looking into this next year, I had three years to accept my fate by the time 2022 rolled around but after missing out again I'll be aiming to get there in any capacity.

Outside of Oxfam, and Festaff, are there any other options or are those the main two?

[balti-pie]

25 minutes ago, Funkyfairy! said:

Presume you could use the farm showers though , that non Oxfam  workers use rather than ones with tokens ?

The main festival site doesn’t need the sight of me trotting around in a towel 🤣 I’ll save that delight for the oxfamily 

[incident]

23 minutes ago, AAlex said:

I think I know the answer to this already, but I'm guessing the places for the Oxfam Volunteering sell out within a minute or two, if not less?

Think I'll be seriously looking into this next year, I had three years to accept my fate by the time 2022 rolled around but after missing out again I'll be aiming to get there in any capacity.

Outside of Oxfam, and Festaff, are there any other options or are those the main two?

I'm not sure of the exact time, but like the actual festival tickets, it's oversubscribed so basically goes as quickly as the site can handle the transactions.

@Leyrulion summed up the options in this post:

 

[stuie]

36 minutes ago, AAlex said:

I think I know the answer to this already, but I'm guessing the places for the Oxfam Volunteering sell out within a minute or two, if not less?

Think I'll be seriously looking into this next year, I had three years to accept my fate by the time 2022 rolled around but after missing out again I'll be aiming to get there in any capacity.

Outside of Oxfam, and Festaff, are there any other options or are those the main two?

Shelter also recruit from public applications and staff some of the bars.

[MrZigster]

5 hours ago, garc1a said:

So far with shelter you get priority for 2 years. Gives the opportunity for a year off. Been doing it for about 10 years with them had a 'falliw' holiday with kid n back following year. 

Hoping it will be the same as it's currently my plan to take a year off... Currently. March is a long time away to decide. 🙂

Didn't realise that.

Been doing a year volunteering with Shelter, a year as a punter, repeat, since 2011.

Guess as I have a ticket for next year that will mean I lose my priority?

May need to rethink things. I've always valued that little "in" if I miss out in the sale..

[Pinhead]

2 hours ago, incident said:

Worth adding to that - by the time the gates open to the public, there's already an estimated 35,000 staff that will have arrived - which by itself is larger than quite a few festivals.

If I was planning on working next year, I wouldn't be applying for early shifts - personally I reckon the "optimum" is to arrive around 4pm on the Monday afternoon - by the time you get set up, fed, and ready to head into the site, the bars should be open so can pretty much step straight into a good first evening. Then that leaves Tuesday to wander around more fully, when the site is closer to "ready" with more people around, and by the afternoon some of the food stalls should start to open up.

There's usually the evening briefing to wait for tho on Mon isn't there, tho they used to repeat it Tues too iirc. The Glasto one used to take ages as there's so much to cover...

[garc1a]

49 minutes ago, MrZigster said:

Didn't realise that.

Been doing a year volunteering with Shelter, a year as a punter, repeat, since 2011.

Guess as I have a ticket for next year that will mean I lose my priority?

May need to rethink things. I've always valued that little "in" if I miss out in the sale..

If you worked this year you should have priority for 2023 and 24 regardless if u work 2023 or not 

At least that's what has happened in past, I like to take occasional year off for a big foreign jaunt and not lose priority for next one.

 

[mufcok]

So it seems like Festaff is no go without prior experience elsewhere first, but Oxfam/Shelter is doable as a first time volunteer... that right?

Edited November 8, 2022 by mufcok

[balti-pie]

18 minutes ago, mufcok said:

So it seems like Festaff is no go without prior experience elsewhere first, but Oxfam/Shelter is doable as a first time volunteer... that right?

Yep 👍 I think the most important thing is not to get downhearted by not immediately getting a place when they first go up: be persistent, keep checking the site a few times a day, and you will get a spot as they get cancelled by people, particularly after the resale. Might take a couple of weeks, might even take a month or two, but if you keep checking you will get in 

[mufcok]

Just now, balti-pie said:

Yep 👍 I think the most important thing is not to get downhearted by not immediately getting a place when they first go up: be persistent, keep checking the site a few times a day, and you will get a spot as they get cancelled by people, particularly after the resale. Might take a couple of weeks, might even take a month or two, but if you keep checking you will get in 

Thanks. I guess there's always cancellations after the resale every year, for obvious reasons?

[balti-pie]

Seems to be, and there’s always cancellations in the couple of weeks ahead of the festival itself, for a variety of reasons I guess. Someone on here (I’m sure I read it on here?!?!) even saw a spot on the Tuesday of the festival a couple of years back and nipped straight down to take it - so get the days off work and prep like it’ll happen, and I’m sure it will! 

Edited November 8, 2022 by balti-pie

[mufcok]

7 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

Seems to be, and there’s always cancellations in the couple of weeks ahead of the festival itself, for a variety of reasons I guess. Someone on here (I’m sure I read it on here?!?!) even saw a spot on the Tuesday of the festival a couple of years back and nipped straight down to take it - so get the days off work and prep like it’ll happen, and I’m sure it will! 

Haha that's mad, nice one

Edited November 8, 2022 by mufcok