Volunteering 2025

[MrZigster]

8 hours ago, gooner1990 said:

 

I did Avalon/Shelter in 2019.

 

I got a train to Bristol on the Monday afternoon and stayed overnight in the ibis right next to the pick up point in Millennium Square (as did a couple of other volunteers who I met at the bar in the evening)

 

Its about a 20 min walk from Temple Meads but as I had a weeks worth of camping gear I got a cab, and did the same on the Monday when they dropped us back there.

Thanks (and you got a double thanks button. Not sure how that happened).

 

Along with the posts from @ukmountieand @Afterlife that's exactly the sort of advice I was looking for. That makes me think that doing the Bristol thing would be doable. Costly but doable.

 

It's just the trek back across the site on the Monday that may kill me.

 

There has been a development.

 

Pre warning for this thread that there will be a MrZigster rant incoming. I just don't have the time right now.

 

Along the lines of  "FFS just let me bring my car". 

Edited April 1, 2025 by MrZigster

[Skip997]

1 hour ago, MrZigster said:

 

 

Along the lines of  "FFS just let me bring my car". 

This!

 

It’s ridiculous: volunteers being restricted on transport choices, volunteer campsites outside the fence, etc 

 

Complete nonsense 

[Afterlife]

14 hours ago, MrZigster said:

 

That is really helpful. Thank you.

 

Where are you flying in from? I'm having a bet with myself that it involves less changes than me getting a train into Bristol.

I'm flying from Dublin, so not too bad. Plan to stay in the IBIS right beside where we get the bus from on the Monday nights either side of the festival. The price of a flight back on Tuesday + a night in the hotel is quite similar to a Monday flight, so better off to do it that way and not be rushing around.

[LCR]

I've applied for Glastonbury with My Cause. I am not sure about the role though and would prefer to be back with Oxfam.

[CharlotteB]

On 01/04/2025 at 17:51, Skip997 said:

This!

 

It’s ridiculous: volunteers being restricted on transport choices, volunteer campsites outside the fence, etc 

 

Complete nonsense 

 

Agreed. Complete opposite of what it should be.

[stuie]

51 minutes ago, CharlotteB said:

 

Agreed. Complete opposite of what it should be.

 

Well, I wouldn't mind moving but I doubt the punters would be happy outside Gate B! 🙂 

[CharlotteB]

40 minutes ago, stuie said:

 

Well, I wouldn't mind moving but I doubt the punters would be happy outside Gate B! 🙂 

 

I'd suggest going back to pre-covid attendance capacity. 

[incident]

6 minutes ago, CharlotteB said:

I'd suggest going back to pre-covid attendance capacity. 

 

You'd need to drop overall capacity by at least another >20% on top of that, before you can start bringing staff campsites back inside the fence en masse.

 

The problem is as much about how people camp as the sheer number. Namely that both tent sizes and the percentage of people bringing vans etc have gone up significantly compared to say 10 years ago (which in turn had gone up relative to 10 years before that, and so on).

[Someoni]

21 minutes ago, incident said:

 

You'd need to drop overall capacity by at least another >20% on top of that, before you can start bringing staff campsites back inside the fence en masse.

 

The problem is as much about how people camp as the sheer number. Namely that both tent sizes and the percentage of people bringing vans etc have gone up significantly compared to say 10 years ago (which in turn had gone up relative to 10 years before that, and so on).

Petition to bring back CV West I say!

[Someoni]

Though this solves no problems, I'm aware

[MrZigster]

On 01/04/2025 at 17:51, Skip997 said:

This!

 

It’s ridiculous: volunteers being restricted on transport choices, volunteer campsites outside the fence, etc 

 

Complete nonsense 

 

Quite.

 

Don't mind being outside the site really (well, the noise...). Bringing my car is the only reasonable adjustment I need. I have coronary heart disease and carrying heavy stuff a long way is inadvisable. I can bring my sack trolley with my car but they are understandably not allowed on the coach. Used to be able to do it without my car (just) but, as noted on here numerous times, they just kept moving the goalposts in such a way as to make the increased distances involved a bit too much of a challenge for me.

 

I did enquire in my application this year whether there was any chance of getting into the long term stay staff car park right next to the campsite this year. I worked and camped with plenty of people with no noticeable disabilities who were parked there last year. I would have been happy with just general parking though.

 

I always kind of used to get why GFL didn't want volunteers bringing cars. Not wanting hundreds more cars on site etc..., but then they managed to increase the capacity by 7.5k so I think that kind of negated that argument.

 

On 19th March I emailed Avalon and asked about whether they had been allocated any parking spots for this year yet. No answer forthcoming, and so, with lose your whole deposit deadline day looming, felt I had no choice but to email again on 27th and regretfully withdraw unless they could guarantee me one.  No reply to that either.

 

Then, strangely enough, about two minutes after enquiring in this thread about getting no reply to emails (and on a Saturday evening no less), I get an email stating, no we haven't been allocated any parking passes (yet) and we don't want to give you the run around so will refund your deposit.

 

Of course I immediately emailed back asking if there was anyway to be kept on the list just in case they did get allocated some, and then immediately emailed again as an afterthought that, hang on, couldn't I just buy a parking pass on the gate? I have still had no response to those replies.

 

Then on 1st April I opened my banking app to check whether work had paid me (as you do) and spotted that they have refunded my deposit. On April Fools day no less. Guess I'm the fool and should have just kept my mouth shut and waited to see whether they get allocated any parking passes (at the risk of losing my entire deposit of course).

 

Pissed off is an understatement. This just seems so unreasonable. For a start I don't understand why the "lose your entire deposit" deadline is before anyone else is even asked to stump up for their ticket.

 

I've helped them put on the show five times previously.

 

Apologies for the rant. Sure you can understand just how frustrated I am by this.

[Someoni]

15 minutes ago, MrZigster said:

 

Quite.

 

Don't mind being outside the site really (well, the noise...). Bringing my car is the only reasonable adjustment I need. I have coronary heart disease and carrying heavy stuff a long way is inadvisable. I can bring my sack trolley with my car but they are understandably not allowed on the coach. Used to be able to do it without my car (just) but, as noted on here numerous times, they just kept moving the goalposts in such a way as to make the increased distances involved a bit too much of a challenge for me.

 

I did enquire in my application this year whether there was any chance of getting into the long term stay staff car park right next to the campsite this year. I worked and camped with plenty of people with no noticeable disabilities who were parked there last year. I would have been happy with just general parking though.

 

I always kind of used to get why GFL didn't want volunteers bringing cars. Not wanting hundreds more cars on site etc..., but then they managed to increase the capacity by 7.5k so I think that kind of negated that argument.

 

On 19th March I emailed Avalon and asked about whether they had been allocated any parking spots for this year yet. No answer forthcoming, and so, with lose your whole deposit deadline day looming, felt I had no choice but to email again on 27th and regretfully withdraw unless they could guarantee me one.  No reply to that either.

 

Then, strangely enough, about two minutes after enquiring in this thread about getting no reply to emails (and on a Saturday evening no less), I get an email stating, no we haven't been allocated any parking passes (yet) and we don't want to give you the run around so will refund your deposit.

 

Of course I immediately emailed back asking if there was anyway to be kept on the list just in case they did get allocated some, and then immediately emailed again as an afterthought that, hang on, couldn't I just buy a parking pass on the gate? I have still had no response to those replies.

 

Then on 1st April I opened my banking app to check whether work had paid me (as you do) and spotted that they have refunded my deposit. On April Fools day no less. Guess I'm the fool and should have just kept my mouth shut and waited to see whether they get allocated any parking passes (at the risk of losing my entire deposit of course).

 

Pissed off is an understatement. This just seems so unreasonable. For a start I don't understand why the "lose your entire deposit" deadline is before anyone else is even asked to stump up for their ticket.

 

I've helped them put on the show five times previously.

 

Apologies for the rant. Sure you can understand just how frustrated I am by this.

Oh mate I'm very sorry that this has happened.

 

Feels like very unglastonbury behaviour 

[faymondo]

8 hours ago, LCR said:

I've applied for Glastonbury with My Cause. I am not sure about the role though and would prefer to be back with Oxfam.

 

Good luck. Me and Mrs Fay have also applied for this.

[philipsteak]

12 hours ago, LCR said:

I've applied for Glastonbury with My Cause. I am not sure about the role though and would prefer to be back with Oxfam.

Be interested to know what this is like

Got some friends who aren't going to qualify for priority for Oxfam in the future so might have to look at other options. They'll be a loss to Oxfam as they have tonnes of experience but what can you do

[dondo]

13 hours ago, MrZigster said:

 

Quite.

 

Don't mind being outside the site really (well, the noise...). Bringing my car is the only reasonable adjustment I need. I have coronary heart disease and carrying heavy stuff a long way is inadvisable. I can bring my sack trolley with my car but they are understandably not allowed on the coach. Used to be able to do it without my car (just) but, as noted on here numerous times, they just kept moving the goalposts in such a way as to make the increased distances involved a bit too much of a challenge for me.

 

I did enquire in my application this year whether there was any chance of getting into the long term stay staff car park right next to the campsite this year. I worked and camped with plenty of people with no noticeable disabilities who were parked there last year. I would have been happy with just general parking though.

 

I always kind of used to get why GFL didn't want volunteers bringing cars. Not wanting hundreds more cars on site etc..., but then they managed to increase the capacity by 7.5k so I think that kind of negated that argument.

 

On 19th March I emailed Avalon and asked about whether they had been allocated any parking spots for this year yet. No answer forthcoming, and so, with lose your whole deposit deadline day looming, felt I had no choice but to email again on 27th and regretfully withdraw unless they could guarantee me one.  No reply to that either.

 

Then, strangely enough, about two minutes after enquiring in this thread about getting no reply to emails (and on a Saturday evening no less), I get an email stating, no we haven't been allocated any parking passes (yet) and we don't want to give you the run around so will refund your deposit.

 

Of course I immediately emailed back asking if there was anyway to be kept on the list just in case they did get allocated some, and then immediately emailed again as an afterthought that, hang on, couldn't I just buy a parking pass on the gate? I have still had no response to those replies.

 

Then on 1st April I opened my banking app to check whether work had paid me (as you do) and spotted that they have refunded my deposit. On April Fools day no less. Guess I'm the fool and should have just kept my mouth shut and waited to see whether they get allocated any parking passes (at the risk of losing my entire deposit of course).

 

Pissed off is an understatement. This just seems so unreasonable. For a start I don't understand why the "lose your entire deposit" deadline is before anyone else is even asked to stump up for their ticket.

 

I've helped them put on the show five times previously.

 

Apologies for the rant. Sure you can understand just how frustrated I am by this.

Sorry to hear this. 

 

Seems very unreasonable 

 

Hope you get something sorted 

[StoneCircle]

17 hours ago, MrZigster said:

 

Quite.

 

Don't mind being outside the site really (well, the noise...). Bringing my car is the only reasonable adjustment I need. I have coronary heart disease and carrying heavy stuff a long way is inadvisable. I can bring my sack trolley with my car but they are understandably not allowed on the coach. Used to be able to do it without my car (just) but, as noted on here numerous times, they just kept moving the goalposts in such a way as to make the increased distances involved a bit too much of a challenge for me.

 

I did enquire in my application this year whether there was any chance of getting into the long term stay staff car park right next to the campsite this year. I worked and camped with plenty of people with no noticeable disabilities who were parked there last year. I would have been happy with just general parking though.

 

I always kind of used to get why GFL didn't want volunteers bringing cars. Not wanting hundreds more cars on site etc..., but then they managed to increase the capacity by 7.5k so I think that kind of negated that argument.

 

On 19th March I emailed Avalon and asked about whether they had been allocated any parking spots for this year yet. No answer forthcoming, and so, with lose your whole deposit deadline day looming, felt I had no choice but to email again on 27th and regretfully withdraw unless they could guarantee me one.  No reply to that either.

 

Then, strangely enough, about two minutes after enquiring in this thread about getting no reply to emails (and on a Saturday evening no less), I get an email stating, no we haven't been allocated any parking passes (yet) and we don't want to give you the run around so will refund your deposit.

 

Of course I immediately emailed back asking if there was anyway to be kept on the list just in case they did get allocated some, and then immediately emailed again as an afterthought that, hang on, couldn't I just buy a parking pass on the gate? I have still had no response to those replies.

 

Then on 1st April I opened my banking app to check whether work had paid me (as you do) and spotted that they have refunded my deposit. On April Fools day no less. Guess I'm the fool and should have just kept my mouth shut and waited to see whether they get allocated any parking passes (at the risk of losing my entire deposit of course).

 

Pissed off is an understatement. This just seems so unreasonable. For a start I don't understand why the "lose your entire deposit" deadline is before anyone else is even asked to stump up for their ticket.

 

I've helped them put on the show five times previously.

 

Apologies for the rant. Sure you can understand just how frustrated I am by this.

 

Definitely email them back and ask to speak someone higher up. Is there a Facebook group for Avalon bar staff? Someone has to be accountable for cancelling your place.

 

Good luck and keep us posted! 🧚🏻🪄

[StoneCircle]

@MrZigster Found this group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/657077893249087/?ref=share 🤞🏻

[MrZigster]

2 hours ago, StoneCircle said:

 

Definitely email them back and ask to speak someone higher up. Is there a Facebook group for Avalon bar staff? Someone has to be accountable for cancelling your place.

 

Good luck and keep us posted! 🧚🏻🪄

Well TBF I did use the phrase "regretfully withdraw" as can't afford to risk losing £360. But then I did beg for a pass and as I said then sent two follow up emails suggesting workarounds. Which were obviously ignored.

 

I've managed to resist joining Facebook so far.

[StoneCircle]

4 minutes ago, MrZigster said:

 

I've managed to resist joining Facebook so far.

 

I have joined the group, will report back! 🧚🏻🪄

[MrZigster]

Just to add: I'm going to be absolutely furious if they do end up being allocated some parking places.

 

They have my phone number and I'm guessing Hannah reads these threads and has worked out who I am given the speed I got a reply after posting on here about not getting replies.

 

Think our posts are overlapping.

[UPB]

On 04/04/2025 at 14:58, CharlotteB said:

 

I'd suggest going back to pre-covid attendance capacity. 

 

Oh yes, they'll always find a way to put up the capacity, but any other concession is impossible, of course 😂 

[MrZigster]

6 minutes ago, StoneCircle said:

 

I have joined the group, will report back! 🧚🏻🪄

Thanks. Look forward to it. I'm going to email GFL regarding their policy on volunteers who need reasonable adjustments when I get a spare five minutes (back at work again now). Just hope the address I have for them works as they don't have any mail addresses on the website anymore.

[StoneCircle]

1 minute ago, MrZigster said:

Just to add: I'm going to be absolutely furious if they do end up being allocated some parking places.

 

They have my phone number and I'm guessing Hannah reads these threads and has worked out who I am given the speed I got a reply after posting on here about not getting replies.

 

Think our posts are overlapping.

 

Hopefully she will read this and take ownership of the issue. Not offering assistance to someone with Accessible needs is dreadful! 

 

See DM ...

[StoneCircle]

45 minutes ago, MrZigster said:

Thanks. Look forward to it. I'm going to email GFL regarding their policy on volunteers who need reasonable adjustments when I get a spare five minutes (back at work again now). Just hope the address I have for them works as they don't have any mail addresses on the website anymore.

 

It would appear that Avalon Bars are in breach of the Disability Act.....https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments-for-disabled-workers 

[CharlotteB]

It really sounds like they're being dicks. Hopefully this will get sorted 👍