Oxfam volunteering - open to all next week

Repost from last year, because it's happening again this year...

Like the title says, a reminder that Oxfam volunteering applications are open to everyone next week, mid morning on the 1st February. Go here https://festivals.oxfam.org.uk/volunteering/ to set up an account.

Places fill fast (usually in around a minute) once it opens to everyone next week, but the website works, so a bit less stressful than trying to get tickets. Also note that places pop up both in the morning after the release (because people fail to complete their transactions, book twice and have their second place released etc) and between now and the festival as people inevitably drop out - I got mine in late May last year. There were some glitches with changes to the payment system this year - they've made a change that makes the payment system a bit more robust, but the downside is that it can take a couple of minutes for your payment to register back on the Oxfam website. This seemed to be causing two specific problems yesterday in the priority sale:

  • People booking multiple festivals in quick succession were being asked for multiple deposits, as the system didn't realise they'd already paid
  • People were able to book the same festival twice...

However, they are already making repayments to people who've paid more than once, and they are very clear that if you pay you've got a place, so don't worry if it takes a few minutes to get the confirmation / show up on your Oxfam account.

A few tips to make your life easier:

  • Be registered, logged in, and ready to go on the festival selection page. You don't want to find out your browser has an issue with the Captcha or you need to reset your password when the release happens. You'll need to refresh the page at the time they open to see the dropdown list and select the festival.
  • Be ready to tick some boxes - you'll need to confirm that you accept the terms of stewarding, that you're available etc
  • Have your payment details stored in your browser to autocomplete, and have anything you need for payment verification to hand - like your banking app on your phone

Want to make your life easier next year? Do two festivals with Oxfam this year, and you'll get priority next year, which will pretty much guarantee you a volunteering spot at Glastonbury in 2025 (if it's not a fallow year!)