Campaigning at festivals for Oxfam:
Frequently Asked Questions about the application process
What information do I need to fill in my application?
What is the difference between a steward and a campaigner?
How many hours will I have to work?
Which festivals can I apply for?
Have you started recruiting campaigners yet?
How do I apply to be a campaigner?
Do campaigners have to be on site for as long as stewards?
When is the closing date for application forms?
How do I apply?
How do I save and reload my application form if I come out of it?
What will happen to the information I give you?
How do I upload a photo?
How long will it be before I find out whether I have been accepted?
'I've not had any confirmation emails from you, but I thought my application had gone through OK'.
I haven't got my own email address so I always use my partner's, is that OK?
How many festivals can I apply for?
How does the waiting list work?
If I want to apply for more than one festival do I have to pay twice?
How old do you need to be to work as a campaigner?
Who can apply to volunteer to be an Oxfam campaigner?
Can I apply from abroad?
Why do you need to know my shift partner's date of birth?
Who can be my referee?
What does campaigning involve?
How many campaigners do you need?
Do I need to wear a specific uniform?
I am a person with disabilities, can I still apply to steward?
I am pregnant, can I still campaign?
I would like to bring my 13 year old and 3 year old children, is this possible?
Can I bring my dog/cat/budgie/ferret/pet rat etc?
How can I get in touch with other people who are stewarding at the same festival as me?
What information do I need to fill in my application?
A valid debit or credit card
To pay your deposit of £175. We cannot accept payment by cheque or American Express. Your deposit will be refunded onto the same card at the end of the festival season, so ensure the account will still be active at the end of your last festival.
A diary
a) To help you book a campaigners or Supervisors training session, if needed.
b) To ensure you are available for the whole time we need you onsite at each festival.
Details of your transport to each festival
So we know how many car passes to order from the festival and (for some festivals only) how many buses to provide.
A photo
To be used on your new 2009 year long campaigning ID card, so ensure the photo is the same quality as you would use to apply for a UK passport. It needs to be a JPEG (.jpg) file type, less than 50kb in file size and no larger than 3.5 x 4.5 cm.
Shift partner’s details
The full name and date of birth of the people you want to work with so we can match you with them as shift partners.
Referee’s details
If you have worked at 1 festival for Oxfam, or have never campaigned for Oxfam, you need to provide details of a referee. (Their name, the Company / Organisation name, position held, daytime telephone number and email address).
Emergency contact details
In the unlikely event that you have a medical emergency onsite, we need the name and phone number of someone we could contact. This should not be someone with you at the festival.
Doctor’s details
These will only ever be passed on to medical personnel, in the above circumstance. If you have a medical emergency, we may be asked to provide your Doctor’s details (Doctor’s name, surgery address and phone number)
For priority applications only:
Your campaigner id (you will have received this in your priority application email).
What is the difference between a Steward and a Campaigner?
Oxfam is paid by festivals to provide volunteer stewards who are expected to perform a vital service. The role of stewarding forms an integral part of the festival safety system, and failure to work our shifts or fulfil our duties can seriously compromise the safety and welfare of both the festival public and other workers.
Oxfam is also able to bring a number of voluntary campaigners to each festival who help co-ordinate and promote a variety of fun, interactive Oxfam initiatives, aimed at encouraging festivalgoers to get involved with us. In the past, campaigners may have asked festivalgoers to sign petitions, upload photos to our festival gallery or simply visit our marquee and get involved with Oxfam.
How many hours will I have to work?
You will be required to work three shifts, each shift is eight and a quarter hours long – usually one will be in the morning, one in the afternoon/evening and one overnight.
Which festivals can I apply for?
You can apply to campaign at any of the festivals listed on the festival campaigners home page.
Please note - you cannot apply to steward and campaign at the same festival, nor should you apply for more than one festival on the same weekend.
Have you started recruiting campaigners yet?
No. We have decided to stagger the recruitment of campaigners and stewards. Previous campaigners will be emailed with application instructions but there will not be a priority application period this year.
How do I apply to be a campaigner?
We only have a limited number of places for campaigners and there is a selection criteria in order to help us match the skills required for the role. If you're proactive, upbeat, energetic, fun-loving and happy to go out into the crowd and talk to people about Oxfam, then you'll enjoy the exciting plans we have for this year's festival campaigners. As with the stewarding, we will be recruiting campaigners online. Please follow the instructions on the web page to access the application form.
Aside from the additional box asking you to tell us why you would make a great campaigner, all the other elements of the stewarding application will apply to the campaigners application, i.e photos, paying a deposit, getting a refund, cancellation etc.
Do campaigners have to be on site for as long as stewards?
No. Generally, we need campaigners to arrive on site in time for opening to the public, which is usually Thursday or Friday, until Sunday. Campaigners do not work 24 hours, but at the festivals where we staff a music marquee, the shifts may run up until 4am.
Campaigners will be expected to work three shifts, each shift lasting eight and a quarter hours. The same as stewards. Shifts may involve several different activities to keep them interesting. As with stewarding, you will get a break and the chance to be paired with your shift partner.
When is the closing date for application forms?
Application deadlines for each festival are on the festival campaigners home page.
Once the positions are filled, you can put yourself on the waiting list by going straight to Stage 4 of the application. If places become available, we will contact people directly to let them know. If you have already applied to campaign, and were suitable,you will be contacted and added to the waiting list, if you are happy for us to hold your deposit until the Monday after the cancellation deadline. Should a vacancy become available, we will be in touch.
How do I apply?
You will only be able to apply for campaigning online. If you don't have a computer, we recommend you go to your local library or internet café.
How do I save and reload my application form if I come out of it?
At the bottom of each of the web pages there is a save for later button, you can click this button wherever it appears during the application process. Then close your browser.
Saving your form uses cookies, so you can only save one application form at a time. Do not save your form on shared or public computers, because if someone else tries to write a campaigning application on the same computer, they will get access to your information, and you will lose your form.
To reload your partially completed application, you will need to go back to www.oxfam.org.uk/applications/festivals. Click on the campaign button, then move to the bottom of the page that appears and click on "load from before". Your saved application should reappear.
Once you have started the process, you can save a partially completed application for up to 30 days, as long as you use the same computer and same browser when continuing with your application. Saving your application does not submit it, and festivals may become full during the time you take to complete the form, so to ensure a place at your chosen festival, it’s best to complete your application in one go and submit it with your deposit payment as soon as possible.
What will happen to the information I give you?
Once we receive your application, the information will be stored on our database. We will use the information to allocate you to festivals and roles, and to facilitate your attendance at the festivals. We will be sharing your names with the organisers of the festivals you are going to for them to issue relevant passes for volunteers to enter the festival and obtain car passes. For some festivals we will share your name and date of birth with the Police to allow them to carry out PNC checks. You are asked to agree to this on your application form.
If you have expressed an interest in finding out more about Oxfam, we will share your details with other departments within Oxfam. We will not share your personal information with anyone else.
How do I upload a photo?
To upload your photo, click on the browse button, then navigate to where you have saved the photo on the computer and click OK.
Please note if the photo is too big, more than 4.5 cm (height) and 3.5 cm (width), the form will not accept it. You will need to resize or crop your photo, see below for details.
Guidelines on acceptability and size
Please read the Identity & Passport Service photo guidelines (pdf) for providing an acceptable photograph.
Guidelines on resizing your photo:
A guide to cropping images in MS Paint (video)
A guide to cropping images in Photoshop
If you are using other image editing software, please refer to their guidelines on cropping and resizing images.
How long will it be before I find out whether I have been accepted?
When you have paid your deposit and submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation email from Oxfam to let you know we have received your application form. You will then receive a second email from WorldPay to let you know that your payment has been processed.
If you do not receive the WorldPay email or WorldPay tell you that your payment was not successful then your place is not secured and you will need to call us on 0300 200 1266.
The third email you receive will confirm whether you have been successful in your application and which festivals you have a place to campaign at. It’s the 2nd from us but the 3rd in total, because one is from worldpay
'I've not had any confirmation emails from you, but I thought my application had gone through OK'.
Firstly check your Spam/Junk folder, as the email(s) may be there. You should then add these addresses to your contacts so that future emails will be accepted into your In box.
If the email is not there, but you received an e-mail, which stated your WorldPay transaction number, then your application and payment will have been received.
You can double check this by emailing: festivalcampaigners@oxfam.org.uk.
If you didn't receive a Confirmation page with a WorldPay transaction number, then please call 0300 200 1266 to discuss.
'I haven't got my own email address so I always use my partner's, is that OK?'
Our computer systems will not send two emails to the same address, so if two stewards apply using the same email address, one person will not receive emails about their application or about attending festivals they have applied for. If you share another steward's email, please set yourself up with a free yahoo or hotmail account for the purposes of this application, or ask a non-stewarding friend to let you use theirs. Please use a different email address for each person who applies.
How many festivals can I apply for?
As many as you like, as long as they don't clash. There are some weekends where two or more festivals are running simultaneously.
How does the waiting list work?
Once the positions are filled, you can put yourself on the waiting list by going straight to Stage 4 of the application. If places become available, we will contact people directly to let them know. If you have already applied to campaign, and were suitable,you will be contacted and added to the waiting list, if you are happy for us to hold your deposit until the Monday after the cancellation deadline. Should a vacancy become available, we will be in touch.
If I want to apply for more than one festival do I have to pay twice?
No, one deposit will automatically be carried over until you have worked the last festival you have applied for. If you apply to steward at one festival and campaign at another, you still only need to pay one deposit. You can apply for as many festival as you like when you complete your application. After that, if you apply for a second festival you will not be asked for a second deposit as long as we have received your first deposit, which can take up to 3 working days. This one deposit will be held for each festival, and refunded within a month of you satisfactorily completing your last festival of the season.
Please note, you cannot apply to steward and campaign at the same festival.
How old do you need to be to work as a campaigner?
You must be 18 when you arrive onsite for your first festival, but you can attend training aged 17. There is no upper age limit!
Who can apply to volunteer to be an Oxfam campaigner?
This year we are looking to recruit people for a wide range of roles. You may be an Oxfam supporter or activist, have experience of promotion or be upbeat, enthusaistic and ready for a new challenge.
More details of the camapigner roles.
You may be police checked for suitability.
Can I apply from abroad?
Certain visa restrictions apply, if you are not an EU citizen and do not have a working visa please contact the Festival Office to check whether you can volunteer at a festival.
Why do you need to know my shift partner's date of birth?
With so many campaigners now on our database, we have quite a few with the same names. To make sure you are paired up with the right person, we need this additional piece of information.
Who can be my referee?
Similar to applying for a job, we don't want you to give your mum or your housemate. We would consider a college lecturer, employer, or someone who knows you in a formal capacity to be appropriate. Your referee will be emailed with a proforma to return to us stating their relationship to you, and whether they consider you to be suitable to act as an Oxfam campaigner. If we fail to get a satisfactory response, we will contact you.
What does campaigning involve?
Campaigning at festivals with Oxfam in 2009 will involve a variety of roles to raise awareness of climate change. The details of these roles will be on the website when we open applciations.
How many campaigners do you need?
This varies from festival to festival, ranging from 25 to 90 campaigners per festival. For the latest numbers please check the festival campaigners calendar. (Please note that the information on this calendar is subject to change).
Do I need to wear a specific uniform?
No. Although we may provide t-shirts, you need to make sure you bring all the appropriate clothing, come rain or shine! Sturdy shoes and a waterproof coat are essential!
I am a person with disabilities, can I still apply to campaign?
Please indicate what your disability is on your application form, if you need us to adapt your job role. There are a small number of roles at the festivals that do not require you to stand for long periods.
We work in liaison with an organisation called “Attitude is Everything” who “improve disabled people's access to live music” at Glastonbury, Leeds and Reading festivals and they recruit campaigners to work with us.
I am pregnant, can I still campaign?
You can campaign, although we would request that you consult with your midwife closer to the time of the festival, and get them to sign to say they support your decision to attend the festival. There are considerably more health & safety issues related to pregnant workers, and regarding the facilities we as your temporary employer would need to provide. Therefore, if you are going to be more than 4 months pregnant at the festival, please call the festivals office on 0117 9166483 so we can discuss your needs.
I would like to bring my 13 year old and 3 year old children, is this possible?
See festival specific FAQs, however our general policy on children is:
- Each working adult can bring two children under the age of 13, as long as they can arrange for childcare whilst they are working their shift. We will require you to fill out a children’s form, which we will post to you once we have received your application form.
- No children can accompany their parents on shift.
- No child is to be left unsupervised in the Oxfam camping area. If any campaigner’s child is found to be disruptive or disturbing other campaigners you may be asked to camp elsewhere in the festival.
- Any children brought onto site are the responsibility of their parents/guardians.
- No child under the age of 18 can be involved in campaigning work.
- Children may be required to wear specific wristbands/laminates to identify them as children of campaigners.
- If you wish to bring your children, but need to work opposite shifts to your partner, we can arrange this, so please contact us at the festivals office festivalcampaigners@oxfam.org.uk
In addition, each working adult may also bring up to two children between the ages of 13-18 if they have purchased a festival ticket, to camp in the campaigner's area. You will also need to indicate this on the children's form.
Can I bring my dog/cat/budgie/ferret/pet rat etc?
Most festivals are pet-free zones, so please do not bring animals on site. You will not be able to bring a pet into the car park for fear that they may be left in the car. The RSPCA are always on alert at festivals.
How can I get in touch with other people who are camping at the same festival as me?
Data protection states that we can’t put you in touch with other campaigners, but there are opportunities to talk to other campaigners, arrange lift shares and get handy tips on the festivals forum: http://www.oxfam-stewards.org.uk/forum. This also applies if you have met someone at a festival but didn’t exchange contact details at the time.
Is there any campaigners training?
Yes, details of these will be emailed to people once they have been selected. We hope to arrange a couple of training sessions off site before the festival season begins, but we will also have briefing sessions for campaigners before you start your first.
What is "denied status"?
A few people are placed on the “denied list”. If you have “denied status”your application will not be accepted.
The possible reasons for this are: you did not complete your shifts, you did not show up at a festival where we were expecting you and didn’t let us know, you are a “serial canceller” and have never actually worked a festival, or we felt that you did not comply with Oxfam’s terms and conditions on site.
If you have “denied status” and feel that this is unfair, please contact festivalcampaigners@oxfam.org.uk.
