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Photo courtesy Tony McDonough
Important information
Most of our volunteer positions are snapped up within a few weeks of being advertised in January. If you leave booking until a couple of weeks before, we can’t guarantee that you will
(a) be able to work in your preferred area, or
(b) that there will be enough shifts remaining in any area to make up the hours you need to qualify for free entry.
- Volunteers should not purchase any tickets online either for themselves or close family members. Please talk to your Area Manager or the Fairbridge Festival Office, and see the ticketing information below for more info. There are NO REFUNDS on any tickets purchased online through moshtix
- Kingsley Park camp area is close to the festival precinct and amenities. Space is limited so you are also welcome to camp in either Fields or Oval. All volunteer tickets are clearly marked for Kingsley Park but are accepted for Fields and Oval
- Volunteers must work at least six hours to qualify for a free T-shirt and at least nine hours to camp in Kingsley Park
- On arrival at the Fairbridge Festival site, tickets will be scanned and wristbands issued to you while you are still in your vehicle. Once you have selected your camping area, get settled then check-in at Volunteer Central, located next to the Festival Shop, to receive your T-shirt and lanyard. This is your one-stop shop for any help you need as a volunteer.
How are volunteers rewarded?
- Volunteers, who register and commit to working the minimum number of hours over the Fairbridge Festival weekend, receive free entry and only need to pay for camping. Volunteers can camp in the central Kingsley Park area, reserved for volunteers, or an alternative area as desired
- Volunteers are allocated points for each hour worked. You can work for as little or as long as you like, but to receive a free volunteer T-Shirt you must accrue at least 12 points. To get free entry (and pay to camp over the weekend) you need a minimum of 18 points. Points are allocated as follows:
- Fairbridge Festival Weekend 26-29 April – volunteer over the weekend (Friday to Sunday, 26-29 April) and work a minimum of three shifts. Most shifts are three-hours long and will earn you six points each (18 points total for three shifts)
- Site Setup or Packup – volunteers for Site Setup (Monday to Thursday, 22-25 April) or Packup (the following Monday and Tuesday, 30 April – 1 May) will earn nine points each day. The average working day is 9 am-5 pm
- Area Setup – those working a three-hour shift, to setup a specific area (e.g. Ticket Tent or Festival Shop) on Wednesday and Thursday, 18-19 April, will earn three points for each shift
- Pre-Festival Assistance – volunteer for a minimum of 24 hours in the lead up to the festival, in administration or on the Street Team, and receive 18 points
- Free camping is at the discretion of festival management if you earn at least 27 points during the Fairbridge Festival Setup and Packup phases
- Volunteers who accrue at least 39 points over the period 22 April-1 May will automatically qualify for free camping. This is equivalent to working on Site Setup or Packup plus at least two x three-hour shifts on-event
- Volunteers who earn 24 points over the Fairbridge Festival weekend Friday-Sunday (i.e. work an extra shift) will earn a complementary voucher to the value of $15 that can be used with any of the food vendors or in the Festival Shop.
Once you have accepted your allocated roster you will receive a link that directs you to pay online via PayPal for your camping. Your combined entry/camp ticket will be automatically issued from moshtix between 2 and 13 April 2018. Tickets will be sent to the email address of your volunteer profile. Additional tickets purchased for your family through PayPal will also arrive during this period.
Other ways to volunteer
There are other ways to volunteer, which may be more flexible than signing up in advance for nine hours work.
- You can donate some of your time and volunteer for one or two shifts in a specific area (less than nine hours). To do this, check the box on the Application Form that says you intend to donate some or all of your hours, then confirm this with your Area Manager so they understand your intention
- If you’ve already bought an online ticket, or purchased at the gate, and decide you’d like to volunteer once you’ve arrived, you can head to Volunteer Central to see what’s available. If you accept a minimum six hours of work then you’ll qualify for a partial reimbursement of your entry cost (less camping and booking fees). Work worth 12 points will give you a 2/3 refund, and for 18 points you can receive a full refund.
To receive your reimbursement:
- Retain proof of purchase (online confirmation, e-ticket, or cashier receipt)
- Email scanned copy of proof of purchase together with your Area Manager signed time sheet to tickets@fairbridgefestival.com.au
- We must receive the above no later than Friday 10 May 2019
- On receipt of the above, you will be asked to call us and we will process your reimbursement as a refund to Visa or MasterCard. No cheques or EFT payments.
Fairbridge Festival does not support volunteer applications that are outside these guidelines. For example, working 50% of the hours does not entitle a volunteer to a refund of 50% of the entry fee.
Raffle
Raffle volunteers are expected to sell at least six books of tickets (each book contains 20 tickets at $5 each), during the Fairbridge Festival weekend to receive their free three-day entry, and will still be required to pay for camping in the Kingsley Park area.
The signup process for raffle ticket sellers is slightly different to other volunteers and tickets must be arranged through contact with the festival office at event@fairbridgefestival.com.au
Applying as a volunteer
- When open, complete the Volunteer registration. Your availability and preferences will be noted. Once complete, your roster will be emailed to you.
- Confirmation and acceptance of the roster is required within 72 hours, otherwise it will be cancelled
- Minimum age limits apply in some areas. You will be asked your age during registration
- As far as possible, our volunteers all work in one area and perform the same task for all shifts. This is primarily to minimise the time needed during the festival to train you in different roles
- Those volunteering to help with our Children’s and Youth activities will require a valid Working with Children Card (WWC card) from 2018. If you don’t already have one, we will send you all the necessary information you need to apply via your local Post Office. A WWC card is valid for three years and, as a Fairbridge Festival volunteer rather than a paid employee, it will only cost $11
- Shift lengths are usually three hours to make it easier to build up your minimum nine hours (18 points)
- Some popular areas are always oversubscribed. You can be waitlisted for a position only by contacting the area manager. If a vacancy becomes available, you may be offered shifts.
Youth volunteers
- A minimum age of 18 applies in most areas, but the following areas have some positions for volunteers under 18:
- Face painting – aged 14 and over
- Table Top Troopers – aged 14 or over if working with a parent on the same shift
- Backlot, Volunteer Central, and Waste Sorting – aged 16 or over
- Before an application will be accepted, the Volunteer Manager must receive confirmation from a parent or guardian to authorise their child applying as a volunteer, and also confirm that an appropriate adult will be attending Fairbridge Festival. Full details of the information required will be emailed on receipt of your application
- A guardian doesn’t have to be their own parent, but must be a ‘responsible adult’ such as a parent, family friend, or legal guardian, and who can reasonably be expected to exercise responsible supervision of another person. Name and contact details of the guardian must be received before the event
- We’re sorry, but someone under 18 can’t volunteer if they’re not accompanied by an adult guardian who will be on the festival site while they’re working
- Adults on shift may be accompanied by their children, provided the child is older than 13 and approval by the area manager has been given beforehand. However, in some areas (e.g. Entry, Site Setup and Packup) it is not appropriate for children to be in attendance and approval will not be given. There will be no ticket refund for children or youths accompanying their parents on shift
- Volunteers are asked to select their age group during application to ensure minimum age requirements are met.
Before and after arrival
- All volunteers must complete a short Induction course covering key information about Fairbridge Festival and important health and safety messages. You can do this online before the event or on arrival at Fairbridge Village
- A training session for all volunteers is held in Perth on Sunday 18 March at 2.45 pm. It is mandatory for first-time volunteers to attend and meet their area manager and other team members
- On arrival at the Fairbridge Festival, you must enter as a normal festivalgoer by showing your volunteer e-ticket and receiving your wristband. This will be while you are in your vehicle
- Check in at Volunteer Central, where you’ll be able to complete the induction training (if not already done) and receive your T-Shirt and name badge. You will also be able to make a note of your roster times, if you don’t already have this information in your diary or your phone.
Cancellations
FolkWorld Inc. is a professional organisation and many people put in a lot of effort to make Fairbridge Festival a success. Most of this work is also unpaid voluntary work.
We realise that things may crop up ‘last minute’ which might prevent you from attending.
- If you find that you can’t make the Fairbridge Festival it is your responsibility to contact your area manager and/or the Volunteer Manager
- Volunteers who don’t cancel in advance, and simply don’t turn up, have a significant impact on the smooth running of Fairbridge Festival. We reserve the right to refuse your application in future years if you don’t turn up as arranged.
As a volunteer…
- Wearing your volunteer T-shirt makes you an ambassador for Fairbridge Festival. Therefore, a positive attitude, and a courteous manner is required at all times
- Consumption of alcohol or drug use, before or during your shift, will not be tolerated
- Volunteers who do not complete their hours, without a valid reason, may be asked to pay for entry and may have their application refused in future years
- Smoking is not permitted in the festival precinct
- For your own safety, closed-in shoes must be worn at all times during your shifts
- All information and processes, associated with any volunteer position, are to be considered confidential
- Every year some of our volunteers work at Fairbridge Festival as part of a trip from interstate or overseas. We welcome their diversity and benefit from their experience. However, we expect these volunteers to be able to enter Australia and make their own way to the Fairbridge Festival site without any assistance from FolkWorld Inc. including sponsorship, assistance with visas, transport and/or accommodation
- Remember, volunteering gives you a different perspective and enhances your involvement in the Fairbridge Festival community – so make the most of it and have fun!