About the shifts

As an Oxfam steward you will be required to complete three, eight and a quarter-hour shifts over the duration of the festival, normally across a 24-hour shift system.

How do I find out what shifts I've been assigned?

You will find out your shift times and roles (sometimes called locations) at registration when you arrive on site. You will then be expected to turn up to all of your shifts by the start time stated on the shift letter. It is really important that you turn up for your assigned shifts on time, as Oxfam and the rest of your team depend on you.

Shift times

Festivals are dynamic environments and run 24 hours a day. So, at most of our festivals our shifts run 24 hours a day and you will usually have one daytime shift, one afternoon/evening, and one overnight shift. Your shifts may mean you have to get up early, miss music and catch up on sleep during the day.

Supervisors

On all of your shifts you will be allocated a supervisor. You will normally meet your supervisor at your location for the start of your shift, but this can change at each festival and you will find out when you get to the festival. If you have any problems or issues on your shift, your supervisor is the first person you should go to.

Breaks

All stewards will get a half-hour break on each of their shifts. Your supervisor will organise your breaks, so please ensure you do not take your break without agreement as this may risk your deposit being returned.

The weather!

You need to be prepared for all weather conditions, and will often be on shift in the open air. You could be on your feet for eight hours so need to bring sensible footwear. You may also work a nightshift and it will be cold - so bring warm clothes!

Will my shifts always be busy?

It's not always busy. Your shift might sometimes seem monotonous, but all positions are tasks that the festival organisers need to be done to legally fulfil their license. Oxfam is providing a service to the festival organisers and gets paid for these positions so we need to fulfil them in a professional way.

When will my first shift be?

You may not have your first shift until Thursday or Friday, even though you will be registering on Wednesday. This is because it is imperative everyone attends the same briefing, training and registration, and we do not have the time to re-brief people.

Missed shifts

If you fail to show up to any of your shifts without contacting us first, your deposit will be affected.

Read our Shifts FAQs