Greenbelt volunteer FAQs

The festival is open to the public from 22 to 25 August 2024. As a URC volunteer, you will need to be arriving on site on the morning of 21 August for training and then available until the close of the café in the evening of 25 August. We will be asking some volunteers to join us for set up on site on 20 August (this is by invitation only). The camp site is available to us from 20 August until the morning of 26 August. Note that food outlets will be very limited on 21 August and not available on 20 August so you should bring your own meals for the setup days.

There is a large campsite, a place for touring caravans and campervans, and also glamping (large pre-erected tents containing ‘beds’) available on site. There is also a limited number of pre-erected standard tents that have been rescued from other festivals which are available to hire for a low cost. These pre-erected tents tend to sell out very quickly.

Showers, a shop, toilets, fresh water and some provision for people with additional accessibility requirements are available. If you would prefer to stay offsite, there are hotels, student accommodation blocks and B&Bs within a reasonable radius of the festival. It’s best to book this as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

GGreenbelt takes place in the grounds of Boughton House, near Kettering in Northamptonshire. There is a large field for car parking on site. There is also a regular shuttle bus service that Greenbelt runs between Kettering railway station and the site in the days before and during the event and on Monday 26 August.

• Visit the Greenbelt Festival website for more information

We are a friendly bunch and you will hopefully soon feel at home and make lots of friends. We will meet on Zoom before the event a few times and when we arrive on site we try to pitch our tents close together to help develop a strong sense of community where it’s easy to relax, have a chat and ask for help. We attract a diverse range of people onto our team and we’re sure you will find a great welcome and quickly settle in.

Yes. Day tickets are available and it is a great way to experience some of the festival without making a major commitment. Hopefully, you’ll be encouraged to come back for longer the following year. However, if you’re coming to serve on team, we’d prefer that you commit to the whole weekend as this creates a better experience for you and the rest of your team.

Training will be given in food hygiene before or during the event. Most of our volunteers don’t have a lot of experience in their roles but are willing to give it a go. You will have support from a team leader and your team mates. Our Youth Team has particular requirements and a certain skillset necessary to be able serve in that area.

Please let us know asap and we will do our best to accommodate your request.

There will be set rotas for each team. If you would like to arrange a swap with someone else on the team, that is no problem. Please notify your team leader so we know who to expect to cover your shift.

We will do everything in our power to accommodate anyone who wishes to serve on a team. Please let us know how we can create the right environment for you, and what gifts and abilities you might be willing to share.

We generally ask that you commit to one team, as it makes it much easier for team building, training and scheduling. Come again next year and try another team!

We need lots of people in our café and youth teams. Fewer people are required for the craft, hospitality and programme teams. If your preference is for craft, hospitality or programme but you indicate you are willing to serve in other areas too, there is more chance that you will be selected to serve on the volunteer team.

When we have many volunteer applications, we will prioritise applications from people who have not served on team before, because it helps us to grow the number of URC people who have experienced the festival. We will then prioritise people who have served for one year only.

The Youth Team has slightly different arrangements, but in general all URC volunteers have their festival tickets paid for and are given some vouchers towards the cost of meals. Food can be on the pricey side on site, so you might wish to bring some food with you as well. Parking on site and the shuttle bus are free. Generally, you will need to cover any other transport costs. Caravan and campervan pitches can be made available: please enquire about this with us as soon as you can.

If you are not part of a URC or Local Ecumenical Partnership of which the URC is a constituent, but can demonstrate a sympathy for/understanding of the URC‘s ethos and values, then you’d be very welcome to apply.

On all applications, we ask for the details of a church minister, church elder (or equivalent) who knows you to act as a referee.

This is not a problem, although you might not get to see them as often as you would like. Family members can arrive on site early with you but will not be given access beyond the campsite until the official opening.

Email: [email protected] with your questions. For the Youth Team, contact [email protected] directly.