Volunteering 2025

[UpAndDown]

does anyone have a link to this year's oxfam whatsapp they could dm (:

[TitchyMitch]

16 hours ago, UpAndDown said:

does anyone have a link to this year's oxfam whatsapp they could dm 🙂

I’d also be grateful for a DM if anyone has this!

[TheBoz]

Does anyone who has done Oxfam before have any insight into the 'Pre-festival shifts' and what they entail? Do they replace your normal Wed-Sun shifts or in addition to? Would you say they are worth applying for in the small chance you get them? 

[stuie]

1 hour ago, TheBoz said:

Does anyone who has done Oxfam before have any insight into the 'Pre-festival shifts' and what they entail? Do they replace your normal Wed-Sun shifts or in addition to? Would you say they are worth applying for in the small chance you get them? 

 

Not done them and don't fancy it.  It replaces your festival shifts but the work is very slow, vehicle gates etc. 

[incident]

58 minutes ago, stuie said:

Not done them and don't fancy it.  It replaces your festival shifts but the work is very slow, vehicle gates etc. 

 

I was never much interested either.

 

One thing that probably doesn't get mentioned often enough is that before gates open the festival site during daytime can be pretty dull. It's still very much a workplace for most of the people on site with a looming 8am Wednesday deadline, and so areas may be taped off or deserted. Doesn't tend to liven up until the evening when people clock off and the bars open.

[Johnnyseven]

7 minutes ago, incident said:

 

I was never much interested either.

 

One thing that probably doesn't get mentioned often enough is that before gates open the festival site during daytime can be pretty dull. It's still very much a workplace for most of the people on site with a looming 8am Wednesday deadline, and so areas may be taped off or deserted. Doesn't tend to liven up until the evening when people clock off and the bars open.

 

The bars are only open after 6pm too.

[LeeHC]

28 minutes ago, incident said:

 

I was never much interested either.

 

One thing that probably doesn't get mentioned often enough is that before gates open the festival site during daytime can be pretty dull. It's still very much a workplace for most of the people on site with a looming 8am Wednesday deadline, and so areas may be taped off or deserted. Doesn't tend to liven up until the evening when people clock off and the bars open.

Surely this is the point though? You don't miss anything?

[incident]

10 minutes ago, LeeHC said:

Surely this is the point though? You don't miss anything?

 

Sure. Just suggesting that you might end up with a lot more time to kill beforehand than you expected as it's not all fun and games.

[bob323]

2 hours ago, incident said:

 

Sure. Just suggesting that you might end up with a lot more time to kill beforehand than you expected as it's not all fun and games.

 

If you like watching people do builds up and working - it's great. Extremely very peaceful apart from the odd lunatic driver

 

Don't expect a mini festival

Edited April 24, 2025 by bob323

[Skip997]

4 hours ago, stuie said:

 

Not done them and don't fancy it.  It replaces your festival shifts but the work is very slow, vehicle gates etc. 

Getting your shifts done pre festival is perfect. We can hours of doing nothing in Dragon, then a mad rush, but we’re at home. 

[stuie]

18 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Getting your shifts done pre festival is perfect. We can hours of doing nothing in Dragon, then a mad rush, but we’re at home. 

 

I'm already on the farm for a full week and have a finite amount of annual leave to fit in all my festivals, events, holiday etc.  

Also, I love the work, with the festival people... so no desire to do the work when there's no people at the festival! 

[Jensescapade]

Hi We did pre festival shifts for Oxfam a few years ago on Orchid Gate from 2pm-10pm. Some of the volunteers covered the ped gate section which was very quiet, but we were managing the vehicles entrance. They were the busiest shifts we have done for Oxfam. We had a little wander each morning and once shifts were done went to the crew bars. It was great, but its a long time camping onsite x

[philipsteak]

One thing to consider is you get three of the same shift. Which of course means you might get 3 night shifts. You're also trying to sleep on the Monday as everyone on normal shifts is arriving and the field is probably at it's busiest. One of my friends had them a few years back and she found it quite tough.

[philipsteak]

Just got the pre cancellation deadline email from Oxfam

 

Still nothing about the changes to training and no green tick showing in my account.

 

@stuiewas it you who asked about it on the Facebook group? Did you ever get an answer?

[stuie]

39 minutes ago, philipsteak said:

Just got the pre cancellation deadline email from Oxfam

 

Still nothing about the changes to training and no green tick showing in my account.

 

@stuiewas it you who asked about it on the Facebook group? Did you ever get an answer?

 

It was indeed! 

 

No official response from the office so far, but I know plenty of people like us, with no green tick when they should have one including some co-ordinators and drivers.  I expect they are still finishing working on whatever it is and there will be another email shortly. 

[philipsteak]

8 hours ago, stuie said:

 

It was indeed! 

 

No official response from the office so far, but I know plenty of people like us, with no green tick when they should have one including some co-ordinators and drivers.  I expect they are still finishing working on whatever it is and there will be another email shortly. 

 

And there it is.

Online, do it in your own time, but got to be done every two years now.

 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Putting another Oxfam space back into the pot.

[stuie]

5 hours ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Putting another Oxfam space back into the pot.

Did you get a coach ticket? 

[efcfanwirral]

6 hours ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Putting another Oxfam space back into the pot.

Hoping to be doing the same tomorrow!!

[CaledonianGonzo]

1 hour ago, stuie said:

Did you get a coach ticket? 

 

Thursday night was a good night.  Doubly so given the amount of booze I'd taken onboard by the time the sale started.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Cancelling Oxfam, should ai expect some sort of email confirmation from them?

[rubenz]

Can I volunteer to drive the artists about in a little golf cart/nice land-rover?

[incident]

3 minutes ago, rubenz said:

Can I volunteer to drive the artists about in a little golf cart/nice land-rover?

 

The job exists, but I've never seen it publicly advertised. Contact them and ask.

[dotdash79]

17 minutes ago, rubenz said:

Can I volunteer to drive the artists about in a little golf cart/nice land-rover?

I did that job at global gathering one year and I crashed the cart. Got the rest of the weekend off and partied. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Just now, dotdash79 said:

I did that job at global gathering one year and I crashed the cart. Got the rest of the weekend off and partied. 

 

That's the way to do it.  Jacknife Matty Healy into a ditch and then hit the SE Corner.