Join The Team: Volunteer Coordinators Needed!

Supernormal is an independent alternative festival organised by a small, friendly team of enthusiastic individuals who help bring it all together. Everyone involved in the festival, from the management to the stewards, is a volunteer and we see it that everyone is as important as each other. 

Volunteer roles at Supernormal are hands-on, quite demanding and a lot of fun! As an alternative festival it attracts an eccentric clientele, both in performances and the audience and as such, we are always on the lookout for dynamic volunteers that reflect the innovative and progressive perspective of the festival. 

Supernormal is run by what we see as an extended team which includes the core crew and all volunteers. Volunteers are the interface of the event and its direct representative to the public and artists. Team spirit and a can-do attitude are the ethos of the festival and it’s essential that volunteers have and are able to demonstrate these attributes. 

About the Volunteer Coordinator role

As a Volunteer Coordinator, you are part of the core crew and an essential member of the team. Volunteer Coordinators are hands-on managers with a positive can-do attitude and a problem solving mindset. You are a role model for the general volunteers, who embodies the spirit and values of the festival. As the general volunteers’ line manager, you are their first point of contact.

There are four Volunteer Coordinators who work as a team and equally share the responsibility for managing volunteers.You will be allocated shifts of circa 4 hours a day during the festival but you will also be expected to support your colleagues in case of emergencies. There is also a daily handover meeting at breakfast time with the whole team and a mid afternoon meeting with the volunteer team.

Volunteer Coordinators arrive on-site the Tuesday before the festival begins. You will join the core crew in attending team meetings in advance of the festival to discuss recruitment, volunteer applications, build the rota and undertake other administrative tasks. This period of time is the opportunity to meet your Volunteer Coordination team and get to grips with the role.

Volunteer Coordinators receive all meals for free while on site and have access to the catering tent outside mealtimes for making tea/coffee.

1 - Before the festival

You will assist with assessing volunteer applications, communicating with applicants, building and managing the rota. 

You will set up and run the volunteer HQ from the arrival of the management team on-site until the take down of the festival.

You are responsible for the ‘meet and greet’ of the volunteers on-site, their induction and the training. Volunteer Coordinators liaise directly with the management team and volunteers on site. As well as sharing the values of the festival, you will make sure that the volunteers have all the practical tools to undertake their role. 

2- During the festival

You will be responsible for ensuring volunteers have arrived for their shifts, liaising directly with Area Managers to make sure they are fully staffed and get regular feedback from them. You will ensure volunteers have all the necessary equipment to undertake their role, such as hi-vis jackets, walkie talkies, rotas, health and safety info, dinner while on shift, etc and will take responsibility for checking equipment in and out.

Volunteer Coordinators are the first line of communication for any issues that general volunteers may have and are available to volunteers for 1-2-1’s upon request, as necessary. Any issues that need to be escalated are communicated to the Volunteer Manager, who is your direct line manager.

You will make any necessary changes to the rota and ensure a smooth shift handover with the other Volunteer Coordinators. You will be responsible for opening and closing Volunteer HQ each day, depending on your shift and you will attend daily meetings with the core crew.

3 - After the festival

You are expected to assist with the early stages of the festival take down, including Volunteer HQ. You will ensure take down volunteers meet with the team responsible for the site on Monday morning. 

Volunteer Manager

Volunteer Coordinators are managed by the Volunteer Manager. You will work closely with them in the planning and resourcing of volunteers. Any issue should be escalated to them, i.e. inappropriate attitude from a volunteer, health and safety risks, liaison with management team. 

Key responsibilities:

  • assist the Volunteer Manager to resource the festival with volunteers.
  • assist with the set-up and take-down of the festival, in particular the Volunteer HQ
  • put together the Volunteer Welcome Pack
  • welcome volunteers to site, check them in and provide them with a welcome pack
  • Introduce the Volunteer Team at the ‘Meet and Greet’ on Thursday evening 
  • introduce volunteers to their Area Managers
  • liaise with the management team and area managers to make sure volunteers have arrived for and completed their shifts. 
  • line manage general festival volunteers and be their first point of contact
  • be available for 1-2-1 meetings with volunteers upon request
  • ensure volunteers have all the practical tools to undertake their role
  • be responsible for checking in/out any equipment at the start/end of the shift
  • support the Volunteer Team outside of allocated shifts, as necessary
  • attend meetings with the team during the festival
  • embody the Supernormal principles and values of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in all activities, and to actively promote equality of opportunity wherever possible.
  • be responsible for your own health and safety and that of your colleagues.

To apply https://www.supernormalfestival.co.uk/page/volunteer-opportunities

Looking forward to hearing from you!