Volunteering 2024

[Jay Pee]

On 1/18/2024 at 2:21 PM, balti-pie said:

Absolutely 100% from the Oxfam POV. There'll be ten of us at a gate for instance, with roles for probably six, and four people either helping with enquiries, getting stuck in and refreshing the people on the stated roles, or theyre stood around moaning that their feet hurt and inventing reasons why they cant finish their shifts 😄 

 

i'd far rather have a thing to do, and then i'll just get me head down and do it. It goes quicker!  Clockwatching does nobody any favours at all 

I did clear up crew last year and although it was a great time, it was annoying the percentage of people that fanny'd about instead of getting stuck in for the whole shift.

We had been on site for a week already before the first shift and had all burned the candle at both ends but it's not a reason to not work hard to get the task done efficiently.

I stayed up all night Sunday in SE corner (Monday off as site empties), got to bed about 8am and slept for a solid few hours and got match fit for Tuesday.. others tried to carry on the party and were blummin useless on the Tuesday which is the REAL shift. Hardcore and tiring.

It's teamwork and volunteering is about all putting the effort in to spread the burden.

[Pinhead]

Not sure about this year. Need to do 2 to keep the priority up. Bearded as usual if I can (would be 10th year!), but not sure what else.... have done Boomtown, Shambala, Beautiful Days in the past alongside BT. Got txt for G so not in the running.

 

 

 

6 hours ago, incident said:

Yep that's how I remember it.

Has happened for Glastonbury in the one year where too many people had priority, but has never been a thing for other Festivals.

It feels like filling all the smaller festivals up with priority people is a bit mean but I gather they prize experience over turnover at the end of the day.

[deepkittycaz]

3 hours ago, The Red Telephone said:

I’m thinking of doing Arctangent as my 2nd this year. Not my usual kind of music, but might be good to see something different. Think it’s only a 3-day festival, so only 2 shifts?

Anyone been?

I went as a punter last year and thought it was great 😃

[Leyrulion]

15 hours ago, philipsteak said:

I did Wilderness in 2021 so have nothing to compare it too but I didn't love it. I did enjoy it but that was probably more because it was only my 2nd post COVID festival and the first with all the gang back together. 

 

16 hours ago, incident said:

Are you able to make any comparisons to previous years?

My history with Wilderness is that I went in 2018, and loved it. One of my favourite ever festival weekends not named Glastonbury. Then in 2019, still enjoyed it, but felt like they'd cut budgets and it showed in places. 2021 felt like another step backwards with Festival Republic taking it over and from my perspective at least it felt like they made it a lot less quirky and more (for lack of a better word) industrialised, and introduced some changes on paper without really knowing the festival and therefore how those changes would work in practice. 2021 soured me a bit on going back - the weather didn't help much either - so would be interested what's changed since.

I've been with Oxfam in '21, '22 and '23 so would say I know a little bit about the festival. 

During that time I've met a few of the core staff and they all talk about how 2021 was an awful year in many ways. The year they don't talk about.  It's easy to forget now but they only had 7 1/2 weeks notice that it could officially happen after lockdown restrictions eased. Campsites were poor, toilet situation grim, late night area really badly laid out.

In terms of changes they've brought back letters live (saw Benedict cumberbatch this year) and the wilderness spectacular (same people that do London NYE drone show). There's a load more queer stuff with a dedicated tent, the late night area has been rejigged so there are a lot less (or no) queues to get in. Stages rejigged so they're a bit better and more sort of set dressing so it feels nicer. Campsites are better (although the Oxfam campsite isn't as good as '21 it's still alright). 

Oxfam shifts used to have no overnights but that changed this year so it's their 8-4,4-12,12-8 pattern with some exceptions if you get an arena shift. It seems to get bigger every year and take longer to get to shifts!

[Leyrulion]

1 hour ago, Leyrulion said:

 

I've been with Oxfam in '21, '22 and '23 so would say I know a little bit about the festival. 

During that time I've met a few of the core staff and they all talk about how 2021 was an awful year in many ways. The year they don't talk about.  It's easy to forget now but they only had 7 1/2 weeks notice that it could officially happen after lockdown restrictions eased. Campsites were poor, toilet situation grim, late night area really badly laid out.

In terms of changes they've brought back letters live (saw Benedict cumberbatch this year) and the wilderness spectacular (same people that do London NYE drone show). There's a load more queer stuff with a dedicated tent, the late night area has been rejigged so there are a lot less (or no) queues to get in. Stages rejigged so they're a bit better and more sort of set dressing so it feels nicer. Campsites are better (although the Oxfam campsite isn't as good as '21 it's still alright). 

Oxfam shifts used to have no overnights but that changed this year so it's their 8-4,4-12,12-8 pattern with some exceptions if you get an arena shift. It seems to get bigger every year and take longer to get to shifts!

Oh and I missed the most important bit, even at 8pm on a Saturday night all the toilets have loo roll!

[Paul ™]

45 minutes ago, Leyrulion said:

Oh and I missed the most important bit, even at 8pm on a Saturday night all the toilets have loo roll!

FR have sanitation managers now at most of their shows 

[oakdown]

The pandemic really scuppered my Oxfam priority by knocking out a couple of years of volunteering (done six since 2016, should have been at least eight) so I'll be looking to pick up a second this year. Boomtown is the current preference, anyone know how quickly it tends to fill up?

Despite absolutely loving 2000 Trees as a punter, I wouldn't recommend volunteering, albeit based on my one year of experience. It's such a short festival that even with only two shifts you feel like you're missing out on quite a lot if it's your sort of music. The positions themselves also felt far more stressful than at Glasto - I ended up directing traffic into parking spaces solo with no oversight or instructions, and as someone who doesn't drive, just being plonked in an empty field and told "off you go!" was a little anxiety-inducing. Your mileage may vary 🤷🏻‍♀️

Edited January 20 by oakdown

[philipsteak]

26 minutes ago, oakdown said:

The pandemic really scuppered my Oxfam priority by knocking out a couple of years of volunteering (done six since 2016, should have been at least eight) so I'll be looking to pick up a second this year. Boomtown is the current preference, anyone know how quickly it tends to fill up?

Despite absolutely loving 2000 Trees as a punter, I wouldn't recommend volunteering, albeit based on my one year of experience. It's such a short festival that even with only two shifts you feel like you're missing out on quite a lot if it's your sort of music. The positions themselves also felt far more stressful than at Glasto - I ended up directing traffic into parking spaces solo with no oversight or instructions, and as someone who doesn't drive, just being plonked in an empty field and told "off you go!" was a little anxiety-inducing. Your mileage may vary 🤷🏻‍♀️

Haven't done Boomtown for a good few years but it certainly used to have plenty of spaces quite late on. Don't know whether that's still the case.

[Leyrulion]

59 minutes ago, oakdown said:

The pandemic really scuppered my Oxfam priority by knocking out a couple of years of volunteering (done six since 2016, should have been at least eight) so I'll be looking to pick up a second this year. Boomtown is the current preference, anyone know how quickly it tends to fill up?

Despite absolutely loving 2000 Trees as a punter, I wouldn't recommend volunteering, albeit based on my one year of experience. It's such a short festival that even with only two shifts you feel like you're missing out on quite a lot if it's your sort of music. The positions themselves also felt far more stressful than at Glasto - I ended up directing traffic into parking spaces solo with no oversight or instructions, and as someone who doesn't drive, just being plonked in an empty field and told "off you go!" was a little anxiety-inducing. Your mileage may vary 🤷🏻‍♀️

I'm sort of the opposite, signed up for a load in the pandemic for something to do and when they got cancelled still counted towards priority. I had 5 festivals towards my priority before I'd even done my first one.

[oakdown]

12 minutes ago, Leyrulion said:

I'm sort of the opposite, signed up for a load in the pandemic for something to do and when they got cancelled still counted towards priority. I had 5 festivals towards my priority before I'd even done my first one.

Unfortunately I was an 'essential worker' (read: barista) and was still working over lockdown, with absolutely zero chance of getting time off, so I didn't apply for anything bar Glastonbury 2020. Suppose we'll see next year whether they count that one!

[StoneCircle]

2 minutes ago, oakdown said:

Unfortunately I was an 'essential worker' (read: barista) and was still working over lockdown, with absolutely zero chance of getting time off, so I didn't apply for anything bar Glastonbury 2020. Suppose we'll see next year whether they count that one!

Mine counted, that and Download 2020 gave me 7 in 7 priority. 🙂

[stuie]

Did the cancelled ones count towards the deposit criteria for any of you? I think if they count Glasto 2020 I might only have to pay half price? Just wondering.

On Wilderness toilets, I met their ‘sanitation manager’ - an events grad and his only job was to walk around and check toilets and call in problems 😂

[incident]

18 minutes ago, stuie said:

Did the cancelled ones count towards the deposit criteria for any of you? I think if they count Glasto 2020 I might only have to pay half price? Just wondering.

On Wilderness toilets, I met their ‘sanitation manager’ - an events grad and his only job was to walk around and check toilets and call in problems 😂

The policy has consistently been (dating back long before the pandemic) -

If the festival is cancelled, or if Oxfam end up not attending for some reason, then anyone who had a place booked at that point still gets credit for the purpose of calculating priority.

If you cancel a place, even if the festival is subsequently cancelled, then you don't get credit.

I think it does count towards the deposit discount as well. I'm eligible for it but not sure that I'd meet the criteria for it anymore without counting the cancelled 2020/2021 festivals.

Edited January 20 by incident

[oakdown]

If 2020 counts then I should qualify for the discounted deposit at least! 5 in the last 5 for it right? That'd be nice, the full amount for Glasto is brutal these days.

[Leyrulion]

54 minutes ago, stuie said:

Did the cancelled ones count towards the deposit criteria for any of you? I think if they count Glasto 2020 I might only have to pay half price? Just wondering.

On Wilderness toilets, I met their ‘sanitation manager’ - an events grad and his only job was to walk around and check toilets and call in problems 😂

Sounds like he was doing a good job managing it!

11 minutes ago, oakdown said:

If 2020 counts then I should qualify for the discounted deposit at least! 5 in the last 5 for it right? That'd be nice, the full amount for Glasto is brutal these days.

Yeah it does count, I'd done 3 actual fests and got it last year. Up to 6 actual fests now. 

[Skip997]

Panic over

Dragon Field gate crew still exists 

🙂

[stuie]

4 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Panic over

Dragon Field gate crew still exists 

🙂

Is she back from Asia? 😂

Nice one, Skip 😀

[faymondo]

More than happy to try for somebody when the Oxfam places come up. I think we are all sorted this year for ways into the festival  😄

[dondo]

51 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Panic over

Dragon Field gate crew still exists 

🙂

Great news

[philipsteak]

16 hours ago, stuie said:

Did the cancelled ones count towards the deposit criteria for any of you? I think if they count Glasto 2020 I might only have to pay half price? Just wondering.

On Wilderness toilets, I met their ‘sanitation manager’ - an events grad and his only job was to walk around and check toilets and call in problems 😂

 

It says in the latest email if you qualify for half price. (I knew i would but still a relief to see it, £700 MOT bill for my van this week.)

Edited January 21 by philipsteak

[deepkittycaz]

On 1/19/2024 at 8:21 PM, The Red Telephone said:

I’m thinking of doing Arctangent as my 2nd this year. Not my usual kind of music, but might be good to see something different. Think it’s only a 3-day festival, so only 2 shifts?

Anyone been?

Slightly more detailed answer now - 

It's a lovely small festival, so easy to get around!

The music was varied despite being at the alternative end of the spectrum. It meant that I could always find something on that I enjoyed listening to.

Really friendly crowd as well, people always happy to chat 🙂

This was the first year I've done the whole festival and I'm going this August as well.

Highlights of '23 were the Chinese Football 'Wall of Hug' (instead of wall of death); GGOLDD bringing the entire main tent to tears with their last song; and the whole Heilung set - don't know what I watched, but I was expecting a portal to another dimension to appear at any moment.

 

 

 

[chuckles07]

19 hours ago, oakdown said:

Boomtown is the current preference, anyone know how quickly it tends to fill up?

Boomtown is usually still available well into the summer. I think it’s one of the bigger Oxfam crews in the summer (excepting G of course) and has a lot of younger volunteer first timers.  Having done ‘19, ‘22 and ‘23 I can heartily recommend it. As an older member of this parish it’s not my kind of festival with its focus on dance and electronic music but i love working it. It’s a cliche but imagine the SE corner but bigger with not much else. People attending on the whole are great albeit if you work in downtown/stage areas you will spend a lot of time escorting spangled punters to the welfare tent 😀.

[Paul ™]

20 hours ago, stuie said:

On Wilderness toilets, I met their ‘sanitation manager’ - an events grad and his only job was to walk around and check toilets and call in problems 😂

That is exactly their job, easy and most of time its only daytime. Not bad for nearly £200 a day and crew catering/accommodation provided too.

[oakdown]

2 hours ago, chuckles07 said:

Boomtown is usually still available well into the summer. I think it’s one of the bigger Oxfam crews in the summer (excepting G of course) and has a lot of younger volunteer first timers.  Having done ‘19, ‘22 and ‘23 I can heartily recommend it. As an older member of this parish it’s not my kind of festival with its focus on dance and electronic music but i love working it. It’s a cliche but imagine the SE corner but bigger with not much else. People attending on the whole are great albeit if you work in downtown/stage areas you will spend a lot of time escorting spangled punters to the welfare tent 😀.

Cheers! That's what drew me to it to be honest, electronic music isn't my main thing but the vibe of the place just looks cool, especially with all the performance art going on. There's arena shifts up for grabs then? Would be nice to get a little more of a central rotation than the ped/vehicle gates at G.

[Leyrulion]

13 minutes ago, oakdown said:

Cheers! That's what drew me to it to be honest, electronic music isn't my main thing but the vibe of the place just looks cool, especially with all the performance art going on. There's arena shifts up for grabs then? Would be nice to get a little more of a central rotation than the ped/vehicle gates at G.

Glastonbury is essentially the exception for having only shifts on the edge. Most other fests there's usually at least an option of doing something in the action.