Volunteering?

[sisterofmercy]

I'm tempted to give volunteering a go next year just in case I have difficulty paying for my ticket (the parents have only agreed to pay the deposit).

I've looked at the Glastonbury official website, but I was wondering how early all the volunteering places fill up and when they become avilable.

Also for those who have worked Glasto as a volunteer with any specific charity, do you have any good experiences to share?

[jaydoubleyou]

You'll probably find you need to pay a deposit upfront, which costs the same as a ticket, just in case you get in and disappear into the festival never to be seen again! I worked for SLS (http://www.stuartsecurity.co.uk/home.html) last year and this year - it's paid work rather than volunteering - I think they start looking for people in Nov/Dec, you will have to pay the deposit but you get it back plus your wages in August or thereabouts. I'm pretty sure most voluntary organisations have the same sort of arrangement (minus the wages obviously!), Oxfam certainly do.

[sisterofmercy]

That sounds pretty good, I'm definitely thinking something like Oxfam would be the way to go, going around painting people blue is definitely not the worst way of working off your ticket! I'll definitely try and keep a lookout for the charity stewarding soon then, I gather the places fill up quite quickly.

[jaydoubleyou]

Certainly beats sitting in a field being rained on, which is how I spent my Friday morning at this year's festival! One of the reasons I paid for a ticket for next year's!

[akicif]

True. For me it was the dead rainy Thursday night into Friday morning shift on a pedestrian gate the year before - the Friday morning rain this year was pretty light in comparison: but in all honesty SLS aren't bad folk to work for, and the three shifts weren't too onerous....

Details, with approx times: you get three shifts, one each of 0700-1500, 1500-2300 and 2300-0700, but these are times in position (ie you sign on something like half an hour to an hour before the start and it can sometimes be as long as half an hour before you're back to base to dump uniform stuff - and you don't get paid for this time). Shifts run (or ran in 2007-8) from 7am Wednesday until 7am Monday and seem to rotate amongst five groups. So, in theory, you can work out which teams are working when - but this isn't as much use as it could be, as you don't get to chose your shifts anyway.

The bogs aren't bad, the showers are hot, and the food, while a bit institutional, is cheap and filling (a bit boring if you're veggie, though, and I don't know how a vegan would have managed) - in 2007 we didn't buy any food inside the festival at all.

[jaydoubleyou]

Shifts were the same both last year and this - A-E, A doing Wed early (0700-1500), Thu night (2300-0700) and Sat late (1500-2300), B Wed late, Fri early and Sat night and so on. I did B both years - was given the choice last year and liked it, so asked if I could do it again this year. Initially I was told no and given a different one, but eventually (after being told the shifts were 'different this year'...) managed to persuade the guy to give me B (some people seem to have pre-allocated shifts, others don't, the earlier you get there on Tuesday the more likely you are to be able to choose). Someone later said that the guy who came up with the shift pattern thought B was the best as well!
The key is to wait for the full line-up to come out around the beginning of June (this year someone posted the line-up with times, which was invaluable) and work out who you don't mind missing - you'll inevitably miss someone, but on B shift you only miss Friday until about 4 and the end of Saturday night. And don't let on that you know how good B is!

[akicif]

Yup, one shift on, four off, seems to be the pattern. I think I was on C in 2007 and A in 2008 - and I remember deciding at the time that A was better than B for some reason.

I think they let you ask to be on the same shift as your friends if a group of you sign up together, but this didn't quite work last year (I think a lot of us signed up quite late), so they would let you - within reason, as they say - swap shifts with folk when they were being allocated.

[The Noah Cross Legal Team]

I've been working for Oxfam for quite a while. Friendly people, good crew. They look after you - showers, hot drinks, bar. The catering is great, the veggie caterers are really good. You pay a deposit, work three 8.15 shifts over 5 days (Wednesday to Sunday). Recommend getting down on the Monday before the festival (they let you do that) and spending a week there. Good to see everything build up. The only bummer IMHO is the fact that they are dumped outside the site (North West side around Big Lickle) so if you camp there (for the food, company and showers etc) you have to go through a gate (Ped Gate B is the nearest one) every time you want to get on the site. Shouldn't stop you from camping on the site though and nipping out to the Oxfield for briefings and grub. You get 5 meal tickets at Glasto (usually 3 at other festivals). A lot of the crew are very experienced. I've done Glasto 9 times (1 as punter, 1 litter picker and 7 with Oxfam) and some other festis. But some people have been doing Glasto since 1970 onwards - and there are quite a few that do EVERYTHING on the circuit that they can - like they have done 50+ or a 100+ or something festis with Oxfam (Oxfam currently work around 12 festis a year - the number seems to get bigger every year as they get more in demand). The current Boss (Judy) and the management crew are brilliant - it really is a nice way to do it - not least because you can get like 8 or 9 days down there. I can't recommend it highly enough. I can't see myself doing it any other way unless I get in with something like the permaculture crew who get down there even earlier and camp on site. I would miss my friends though - that's the thing.

[The Noah Cross Legal Team]

Forgot to add. Michael gave them a cheque for 600k for third world projects and aid. It's always in the back of your mind that you are doing good.

[Glasto-worker]

I have been a Organiser for the past twenty years with the WBC { Workers Beer Company } that holds the main license for Glastonbury and how we organise things is a bit different to other volunteer organisations.

For a kick off volunteer's cant apply to the WBC direct as they only deal with Organisers.

Initial it was set up for Trade Unions and Labour Party groups but this has been extended over the years.

Each Group forms one or more Teams so if you are in Team A you will all work together.

No volunteer has to pay a deposit hence why Organisers are very reluctant to take on any strangers - I run a Team of forty eight people and this was built up over the years and no one could join unless they were sponsored by a Team Member.

It must work as I have a unbroken record although some Teams do get into a lot of trouble if they have Team members who vanish as soon as they get though the gates - if that happens twice the Team will get barred ' for life '

The Bars can start at 10 am and may run on until 4 am although we have tried a few 24 hour bars although as they are more trouble than they are worth I doubt we will bother running any next year.

Each shift can be five - six or seven hours but it would be highly unusual Teams would have to work all the late shifts.

Once the shift is fixed - ' its fixed ' so a Team cant swap over shifts .

Working behind a bar can be fun although you need to be dependable and trustworthy otherwise your actions can affect the whole Team.

The current WBC campsite at Glastonbury is a cracker - all the area around it is ' out of bounds ' so its well out of the way and I doubt many ticket holders would be aware its there .

The coach goes up the production road and stops off near the WBC Camp which is only a four minuets walk to the camp and the best bit as its a private area it does mean you can leave bags by the coach without worrying about jokers stealing them.

The WBC Hires its own Security Team who will patrol the camp and anyone spotted without a WBC pass will be detained.

We have a whole block of Private showers and toilets + with a WBC pass its possible to use the toilets behind every bar.

We have our own catering Company and we have our own staff Beer Tent which stays open very late and staff get free soft drinks - a pint of lager will cost roughly £ 1.50 although each volunteer also receive two drinks vouchers and two meal vouchers per day.

The staff bar is the large tent you can see at

http://www.wbc-team.co.uk/new-camp-RIGHT.jpg

http://www.wbc-team.co.uk/new-camp-LEFT.jpg

I have some rough images of the camp etc etc at

http://www.wbc-team.co.uk/glasto-200...asto-2009.html

I have a guide how to find a team starting at

http://www.wbc-team.co.uk/wbc-official-teams-1.html

and a full list of all the current organisations at the end of the guide.

Anyone needing help can contact me but I am sorry I will not be taken on any new people for 2010.

Due to the way the bids work the time to hunt out a Team is now - each Organiser has to register their Team as early as February/March once that deadline has been reached no new people can be added.

Brian

[Glasto-worker]

A update to my post above.

I am a Official WBC Organiser so the WBC contacted me today laying down their deadlines for 2010

The Deadline this year has been moved back to the 1st of March 2010.

The other change is unlike last year everyone who wants to work for the WBC has to be prepared to catch a Coach on Tuesday 22nd June and return on Monday 28th June.

I am afraid anyone who is not already registered by now is going to find it very difficult to join a WBC Team this year - my best advice is to contact a team in the Winter as the WBC may move back the deadline next year as well.

I know from a few e-mails that some people assume that its set up a bit like Oxfam where individuals can apply direct to Oxfam but that is not the case.

The WBC will only deal directly with Official WBC Organisers .

Its a very clever system as that cuts down the paperwork for them.

I am amazed at how many people contact me even although they are already a member of a Trade union as most now run their own Teams - it does not matter if your local branch does not have a Team as you can join any team run by that trade union.

The biggest are Communication Workers Union - Fire Brigades Union - GMB - NATFHE - Public and Commercial Services Union - Prospect - T&G - TSSA - UNIFI - UNISON - USDAW .

Don't forget if you have connection with CND - Wateraid - Oxfam Campaigns they also run their own Teams .

I have a full list at http://www.wbc-team.co.uk/wbc-official-teams-5.html

although you would be wise to read the advice starting at

http://www.wbc-team.co.uk/wbc-official-teams-1.html as I know what a Organiser is looking for.

The biggest mistake is people tend not to give their date of birth { which is critical because everyone has to be at least 18 } or what their connection is to the organisation.

I used to be a Organiser for UNISON and loads would write to me but very few would list their UNISON Membership number or give details of where they worked . I gave them a second chance but very few ever sent the requested details - make no mistake about this - if you want to join a WBC team { any team } its up to you to supply full details as Organisers can pick and choose - they are not going to chase you for the details.

its a bit like applying for a Job - if you send a letter with no details and just with the words ' gizza a job ' you are very likely not to get any replies.

I would bet that the vast majority reading this have a connection with a WBC Team although you may be looking in the wrong place.

If you think I can help send me a message { e-mail address is on my site } but I need full detail so I can point you in the right direction.

I am sorry but as I run a very experienced team I have no plans to take on anyone who is new.

[GlastoWatch]

Shelter have a waiting list you can join to work the bars at Glasto.

http://england.shelter.org.uk/what_y...at_glastonbury

[Glasto-worker]

Shelter have a waiting list you can join to work the bars at Glasto.

http://england.shelter.org.uk/what_y...at_glastonbury

On their site it says ' You will be working for a hospitality company called Avalon Bars and Events ' so has anyone worked for Avalon Bars and Events before ?

How many actual bars do they have and where ?

I suspect it may be in one or more of the guest areas.

On paper it looks very similar to the WBC except the WBC Team Organisers don't take any deposits and shifts are shorter although most WBC Teams will be working five shifts so its all swings and roundabouts.

[GlastoGeek]

Does anyone have any experience of working as a steward for these guys? x