Glastonbury Festival Events Ltd
GFELStewards Terms, Conditions and Contractual Obligations
OVERVIEW
Please do read this document to the end – all aspects of Glastonbury Festival stewarding are amazing, even our terms and conditions! Well maybe not, but writing this took a significant amount of consideration and time, so do please read through it…
The onsite stewarding for Glastonbury Festival Events Ltd (henceforth referred to as “the Festival”) is provided by volunteer charity groups. Each group has a team leader and team leaders recruit their own teams and staff particular gates, venues, campsites etc. We have a significant number of stewards on site, each working 24 hours over the event, and each earning funds for their charity. Our stewards wear the all-pink tabards or the yellow campsite t-shirts.
This volunteer team model is fantastic! A win-win for the local community and the event. It engenders high retention and hence experience (over 70% of stewards return year on year), and everyone in the team supports one another, meaning we get very few no-shows as teams have to cover their own deployment positions.
Michael and Emily are extremely supportive of the local community, and of the citizenship provided by our community stewarding.
The stewarding is part of a much wider festival delivery team – it takes a lot of staff to put on the best festival in the world! It is important to recognise that our work is safety and licence critical; you will be covering a specific location or role within the event management plan, which is part of the licence agreement with the Council. It is therefore extremely important that you perform your role within the context of these terms, conditions and contractual obligations.
Before we go into the somewhat dry details of the terms, I think they can be summed up by saying we want stewards who are part of the event, not just using it as a way in. We want stewards who come back year on year, who love their role, and who can tolerate and step up to the hardships when the weather or whatever does its damnedest to dampen the spirits. We want stewards who care about the event and the public, and who take their job seriously. If you can tick these boxes, then all the rest will fall into place.
On with the detail…
ELIGIBILITY TO STEWARD
We celebrate diversity. We welcome volunteers to steward with the Festival regardless of nationality, age, ethnic origin, or sexual orientation; from all social, economic and religious backgrounds, genders, marital status; and people with physical or learning disabilities as well as mental health problems, so long as it is safe and legal for you to work.
1 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to uphold these diversity values where appropriate in any behaviour and communications with other staff, volunteers or the public, and to conform to the policies below.
Glastonbury Festival's Harassment Policy
Glastonbury Festival's Anti-Slavery Policy
2 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to be at least 18 years old on the day you arrive on the festival site, whether you are scheduled to work that day or not. You can, however, train to be a steward while you are still 17 years old.
3 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to have fluent written and spoken English language skills to ensure safe communications.
4 - If you have unspent criminal conviction(s), you are required to contact us in confidence to discuss your eligibility to work.
Photo ID
5 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to upload a recent photo to their account for improved security and safeguarding.
As wristband security was improved in 2019, forgeries became too difficult, and criminals had to resort to theft of wristbands to gain access to the festival. This puts everyone, including stewards, at risk, so to reduce the likelihood of such theft, steward laminates will now have a photo of the steward and a QR Code relating to the steward ticket and wristband. This means the wristband by itself will not necessarily gain access to the event, which will help to deter criminals from such theft. Having the laminate, wristband and tickets all related in this way will reduce the likelihood of ticket or wristband theft or misuse, and will therefore better safeguard stewards from such criminal behaviour.
Access Requirements
6 - Please note the access requirements box in the registration form/My Account. If you require any adjustments in order to enable you to steward then please contact us or the festival access manager in confidence to discuss them.
If you are an Access Steward, and if you have accessibility requirements, then follow the link on your home page to specify them and request resources as required. The Access team will determine whether your application for such resources is successful, and please direct all such communications direct with this team.
Medical Conditions
7 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to inform us of any known medical conditions which may affect your safety or the public ticket-holders’ safety in carrying out your duties.
Medical Issues on Site
8 - If you are unable to work on site during the festival due to illness or injury, please give us as much notice as possible, and make your way to Big Ground Medical for support.
UK Work Visas
9 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to take personal responsibility for obtaining any required visa or work permit for this voluntary stewarding position. UK Borders Control are regular visitors to the Festival, and have the right to check that any member of staff has the correct supporting documentation. Please also note that the Festival does not support visa applications for volunteers.
Home Office Guidance published here (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1019544/Visit.pdf) on page 28 specifically states that visitors coming to the UK for tourism may undertake volunteering provided it is for a charity that is registered with either the Charity Commission for England and Wales; the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland; or the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator but must not be undertaking work ancillary to the organisation’s charitable purpose, for example fundraising (which precludes working as a volunteer steward for Glastonbury Festival).
Training
10 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to complete the Glastonbury Festival Basic Steward Training Course (henceforth referred to as “Training Course”) within the last five years (non-festival years are included in this five year period) which consists of 3 modules:
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the ELearning Introductory Training (ELIT); this is a short 25 minute video that introduces the festival and stewarding. For stewards renewing their trainng, this module is optional
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A live online 2 hour Zoom session that covers the principles of stewarding and what is expected of you
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Evaluation (EVAL); this is a short confirmation questionaire which you complete after the online training.
Please note that the steward MINICONF (for Team Leaders and other Key Personnel) does not count as Basic Training - all stewards, even Team Leaders etc. must have been trained within the last five years in order to volunteer on site.
This is part of the EMP (Event Management Plan) which is part of the licence agreement with the Council.
In 2024, we are also requiring all stewards to complete the ACT (Action Counters Terrorism) Training provided by Highfield e-learning in advance of the introduction of Martyn's Law. Certiifctaes dated from 1-1-23 onwards are acceptable and must be uploaded into the database. Stewards with certificates uploaded in 2023, that meet this criteria, do not need to upload them again.
Training Content
The Basic Training Course specifies the detail of a steward’s role, and instructions and guidance on being safe and helping the public to be safe. This includes personal safety and security, fire safety, medical situations, Love the Farm sustainability, staff camping locations – everything in fact related to your role. If you are not due to be trained this season, then we advise downloading the session slides, and scanning through them both as a recap, and to pick up any new material added since you last attended the training. These terms and conditions assume you are up to date with training, and agree to follow the guidelines within the training.
Once updated for the Festival, the Basic Training Course content can be viewed from the GFELStewards Resources page.
The Basic Training Course content is a secure and commercially sensitive document, that you need to be logged in as a steward to view.
LOVE THE FARM, LEAVE NO TRACE
11 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to set an example to the public, and take a lead on the stewardship of the farm. Leave your camping area spotless, don't use single use plastic bottles, don’t pee on the land, don’t pollute in other ways, and challenge others (in a polite way of course) who break these rules.
We expect you as stewards to play your part in keeping your carbon footprint to a minimum, so do please consider how you travel, and what you bring. Try and minimise the amount of non-recyclable waste you generate.
The Training Course provides a detailed overview of our sustainability expectations for stewards.
ADDITIONAL ASPECTS
Site Safety Rules and Emergency Contacts
12 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to be familiar with the Site Safety Rules and have access to the emergency contact sheet before starting work on site.
The rules and contact details are updated pre-event each year, and will be available to download from the Resources page of this website. A copy will also be on display in each of the steward cabins/muster points.
The site safety rules are particularly important if you are arriving on site before the festival opens. You will be expected to complete a brief induction training online - the link will be made available on the training page and advertised in Latest News in the steward home page as soon as the festival release it.
Please note: Very few stewards will drive on site in an official work capacity. The Steward Coordinator will deal direct with such drivers to obtain driving licences and get appropriate authorisation from the Site Office.
If you are driving your own vehicle on site (e.g. you have been provided with a short stay pass) then please note the section in this document on insurance. You need to be covered under your own policy.
Allocated Shifts
13 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to complete their allocated shifts, as set out by their team leader. Any flexibility on shifts will be at the discretion of the team leader, who is responsible for ensuring the required stewarding needs for their allocated area of responsibility are met.
If you cannot cover your allocated shifts, please let your Team Leader know asap after you’ve been informed of them, so they can offer your position to one of the reserves.
14 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to agree that in the event of a Festival emergency, and as determined by the Steward Coordinator or by Event Control, you may be relocated from your agreed position and role to another. All roles will be within the context of stewarding, as specified in the training course.
If you are requested to assist in an incident, e.g. providing a cordon for a crime scene or suchlike, we ask you as high-vis tabard wearers not to make any unofficial statements regarding the incident. If the incident is significant, then an official statement will be made by the festival on the website, through social media, and through our internal communications routes. Information provided to the public in these situations can result in fast changes in crowd movement and behaviour, which may make things worse. You can always say “I haven’t been informed…”
Unauthorised Absence
15 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to note that unauthorised non-attendance at shifts may result in eviction from the site and a subsequent future restriction on working at the Festival and associated events
Unlike most festival volunteer steward organisations, we do not take deposits, we work on the basis of trust. You will be earning a donation from Michael Eavis for your team’s particular cause, a charity, school, carnival club etc., and any unauthorised absence may result in that organisation losing the donation for that shift, and you being charged for the cost of your ticket.
Enough said on this. Just don’t let us (or yourself) down. Thank you.
Passes, Site Plans and other Internal Documentation
16 All GFEL stewards working on site are required to ensure their tickets, passes, wristbands, laminates and any other security documentation remain secured at all times, and any losses are reported immediately to the Steward Coordination Team
Staff tickets, passes, wristbands, laminates etc. are significant potential security risks if they fall into the wrong hands.
PASSES MUST THEREFORE BE SECURED AT ALL TIMES, AND NEVER LENT, BORROWED, SOLD OR SWAPPED. DESPITE THEIR POTENTIAL VALUE, PASSES ARE NOT CURRENCY AND MUST NEVER BE USED AS SUCH. ALL PASSES ARE UNIQUELY IDENTIFIED, AND CAN BE EASILY TRACED BACK TO THEIR ORIGINAL RECIPIENT. ANY SUCH BREACH MAY LEAD TO YOUR CHARITY GROUP BEING EXCLUDED FROM FUTURE STEWARDING.
Staff tickets, passes, wristbands, laminates etc. are also sensitive and protected items and images of these must not be uploaded to social media. The same applies to other festival related information, such as spot plans, site plans, passes summary sheets etc.. This includes anything that is downloaded from the Resources page of this website or received by other means. In the wrong hands, such information is potentially damaging from a safety, security and commercial perspective.
Radios, Tabards and other Essential Resources
17 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to ensure their radios, tabards and other essential resources remain secured at all times, and any losses are reported immediately to the Steward Coordination Team via your team leader
These are expensive and safety critical resources. Loss or theft of such items is a considerable security risk, and we ask you to look after them as if they were your own. However, if such a loss or theft does occur, please immediately inform your Team Leader, who will update Event Control (who in turn will update security and stewarding, so we are at least aware of the new security risk).
Depending on the circumstances, the cost of such lost items may be recovered out of your charity organisation’s donation.
Staff Campsites
18 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to camp in their allocated specific staff campsite. Staff camping in public campsites is a licence breach and you cannot camp in the public campsites unless you are part of the campsite steward team for that field
Staff camping in public campsites is a licence breach, and we will be mounting a significant joint security and stewarding operation on the Tuesday night before the public arrive to ensure any such staff tents are immediately removed, and offenders’ names passed on to their appropriate coordinators.
Positive Promotion of the Festival and Stewarding
You are volunteering on behalf of the Festival, who support you in your role and your fundraising. As a representative and ambassador of the event, your behaviour and relationship to the public is critical. You are expected to be positive about the event and your role (how could you not be!), and to be a friendly face to the public and any other festival staff. So please be professional, friendly, fair and firm in your work.
Constructive criticism is welcomed however, and we have formal internal mechanisms in place for such feedback to promote continuous improvement. The press and social media are not the place for complaints. Comments on social media from those “in the know” have a tendency to go viral, and may be unjust, poorly considered, unreasonable and lead to additional work for our busy senior management staff.
Social Media Policy for Volunteers.
19 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to follow these simple guidelines:
- Be aware when posting on the internet that you may be identifiable as working for the Festival.
- Do not post, retweet or share anything which could cause reputational damage to the Festival or anything ‘behind the scenes’ which could jeopardise the Festival’s license or ruin the surprise for Festival-goers.
- If you are in a backstage area, with visibility of the stage, do not take photographs/videos of the performer(s). They often have strict media control clauses in their contracts which we need to respect
- Especially during the build/break, be mindful of who can see your posts. If your profile is public be aware that anything you post could be picked up by the media or the council, and potentially harm the Festival.
- If you reference the Festival on your personal social media accounts, make it clear that you are publishing personally. You are not a spokesperson for the Festival.
- Do not post anything that could be construed as a brand endorsement, linking the Festival with third party brands, e.g. by tagging or hashtagging.
- Act responsibly with the information you are entrusted with (including physical site build, artwork, etc). The Festival’s intellectual property is commercially sensitive and should not be shared. Do not share copyrighted material.
- Be respectful. Offensive or discriminatory conduct is not tolerated by the Festival.
- Use your common sense. If in doubt, always err on the side of caution. If you’re not sure whether something is appropriate to share electronically, check with your line manager, or refrain from posting.
- Do not use Festival email addresses for non-Festival communications.
- Job titles / roles should only be posted in context (e.g. on Linked-in) and should stick to the wording defined in your work agreement. If you are posting about your work for the Festival on Linked-in, ensure you link to the correct company (Glastonbury Festival Events Limited) and not Glastonbury Festivals Ltd. If your work is on a freelance basis, you must make clear that you are not an employee of the Festival.
- The simplest way to share authorised Festival news with your network is to repost items posted by the Festival’s official social media accounts.
- Finally, please put phones away whilst working unless they are being used for operational purposes. Do not post on any forums posts or pictures whilst working – it is unprofessional to do so.
Personal Information, Data Security and Privacy Policy
20 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to agree to the terms and conditions set out in the GFEL Privacy Policy and the GFEL Stewards Privacy Policy. By agreeing to this Terms, Conditions and Contractual Obligations document, GFELStewards have signed a Data Protection Agreement with GFEL to comply with GFEL’s Privacy Policy and work with GFEL’s Data Protection Officer.
GFEL’s Privacy Policy can be viewed here
GFELStewards Privacy Policy can be viewed here
Final things to note
Photography On Site
As with public ticket holders, any picture/videos taken of you onsite may be used by the Festival for purposes such as marketing and media, training etc.
Insurance
You are covered on site by Glastonbury Festival Events Ltd Employers Liability insurance, which provides cover to any staff, labour only crew or volunteers employed directly by the Festival, or anyone working under the festivals direct supervision or instruction.
It is important that you follow the instruction or direction of the festival and adopt all site rules or work practices set by the Festival, as laid out in this document, the site safety rules, and the steward training course.
If in doubt, contact the Festival Health & Safety Coordinator BEFORE you start working.
Do we provide health cover? No. Although clearly you have access to the Festival Medical team and facilities.
Is your van or car insured by the Festival? No. It is up to you to provide insurance for your vehicle.
What about your property? The Festival cannot be responsible for any loss, theft or damage of individual’s tools, work plant or equipment/clothing or other items of personal property
If you step outside your remit and are injured or cause injury (e.g. if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol and suffer an accident or injury whilst on duty, or act as if you were SIA registered, manhandling etc.), then any related claim may be contested, so please, work within your prescribed duties.
21 - All GFEL stewards working on site are required to comply with legislation as it applies in England. In addition, all GFEL stewards are required to follow any additional guidance and advice set out by the festival organisers
AGREEMENT
In accepting the volunteer steward position, you agree to all the requirements set out above.
Failure to adhere to the terms of reference included in this document may lead to you being asked to leave the festival site and your invitation to volunteer with the Festival in the future withdrawn.
A Message from the Steward Coordination Team
If you’ve got this far then blimey and thank you!
Every steward plays a key role in enabling this wonderful and unique event to take place.
Year on year our knowledge, experience and understanding of the festival, the culture and the diverse variety of festival goers provides a much valued and fundamental service to the event and the public; we play a key role in the on-going success of the Festival, and long may it continue.
Just remember, any point of contact between a steward and the public may be that festival-goer’s only point of contact with a steward. Let’s continue to make every such moment special.
With kindness and pride,
Bev, Dave S, Martin A, Jon, Jim, Andy, Greg and the rest of your Steward Coordination Team x
And finally, a message from Michael Eavis:
“It’s difficult to say something new, when it seems like we’ve been going for ever and ever! Far from taking everyone for granted ‘tho, I really want to say thank you all so much for putting in the work and dedication that makes our festival so successful. It really couldn’t work without the passion and sheer pleasure that people get from getting involved with all the action!”
Document authored and maintained by Bev Osborne, Volunteer Steward Coordinator, Glastonbury Festival Events Ltd