Dear RealBirth Volunteer,

Welcome to The RealBirth Company Rest Tent and a big thank you to you for providing your time and support to our services. As with all events, and duty of care, we need you to read and accept our term and conditions for joining us.

Main thing to remember: Plan for being outside, big smiles and going with the flow! The rest then sorts itself out! These events are great however they are very often in the middle of the countryside. Everything can change and often does. We will make everything as smooth as possible, and your assistance in being adaptable will be greatly appreciated.

Who and What is Real Birth?: The RealBirth Studio CiC is an antenatal and postnatal family education centre and maternity hub. The Real Birth Company provides a digital online birth preparation workshop and midwifery training, that the NHS uses across the country. It is worth doing spending sometime looking at the websites for a rounded understanding.

Volunteering: This volunteer arrangement is not a contract of employment, and it is not intended to be a legally binding contract between us. In volunteering for The Real Birth Rest Tents, you are accepting to promote and respect the company’s image and professionality.

Non-Refundable Deposit: This deposit is a commitment to volunteering. The deposit covers the admin and costs to run this service for free. Any funds left, at the end of August, will be donated to Children in Need at Carfest. It is a really good deal when you consider the Access, campings, food and Goodies Bag.

Tickets only for you: This access pass allocation will only be for you. We cannot commit any passes to family members or your guests. Our advice is come on your own, come with other midwifery friend and colleagues, and enjoy yourself….. xx

Ideally the whole event: We prefer it if volunteers can do the whole event. It is possible to do less or certain days. However, you definitely cannot camp with us, have a weekend access pass and then take days off the rota. Please mention your requirements on your registration form and we will do our best to make something work for you.

Bad Examples: On rota Friday, off Sat but staying and enjoying the event and are camping and eating with us, back on rota Sunday. Or, Saying you will be departing on Sunday morning so can’t be on the rota, and then stay! This has happened in the past and is not good and undermines the team ethos.

Good Example: You live close to the event and can only do certain days.

The role: Is to aid mothers, babies, and families, that need a rest and provide a calmer place for baby to feed with less distraction. You will find yourself being asked antenatal and postnatal questions, and many people will share their experiences with you. You will not be on your own, or without an experienced person on the shift. There will be a lead member at the Rest Tent, that will be more experienced about the company, or if you need support answering medical questions, or helping a member of public.

Rest Tent Management: You are agreeing to follow the rules and procedures for the Rest Tent. These will be verbally explained at the briefing, or before your shift. This will cover temperature and water management, and requirements specific to each Rest Tent or Event. The Rest Tents will generally be open from 10am to 8pm, sometimes 9.30pm, this will depend on the tempo of the event and people wanting assistance. In general, it starts to go quiet after 6.30pm when people all head to the main stage for the evening.

Main Stage area: We will normal have a picnic area in the stage area. Normally near the back so it is easy to find and bring the evening meal to. You are welcome to put you own camping chairs there and throughout the day someone will be there. It will also be marked with a flag, this will be explained more at the event.

Emergency: Whilst we are not a medical point on the events risk assessment, paramedics and event medical services are on site, we may still need to assist in emergency situations.

Radios: Simple radios help keep us connected and sometimes we may also have an ‘Event’ radio to link in with the Event organisers.

Phone Reception: Plan for poor reception!…….it be ok at the start and get poorer once everyone turns up. Carfest has over 100,000 people at it and Lakefest is in a dip in the landscape that affects signal.

Your voluntary hours: Dictated by the number of other volunteers we have for the event and cannot be guaranteed until the day starts. The rota duration will be fair and reasonably, and generally no more than 4-5 hours a day. The rota will not be set until the event starts. This is because there are to many variables and doing this early only causes us to redo it when someone drops out or is late. We will do our best to make requests work and please beware it will not be possible to please everybody.

What dates you can do? & Arrival/departure times: We will ask you this on the Registration form and also confirm this closer to the event. These help shape the rota and hosting camping. On the registration form please put the rough dates. We will also have a plan that factors in the lack of phone reception, so you will definitely get to the right place x

Travelling: The RealBirth Studio CiC holds no responsibility for your travel to and from the event.

Access and wristbands: We liaise with the event organisers for the amount of wristbands we need. We plan to give these to you when you arrive. Sometimes there are different rules and wristbands for areas and dates. This will be covered before you arrive so you will know exactly what you need to do. Please do what is asked because it can become difficult when multiple people turn up at the same time and not following the instructions can cause unnecessary stresses.

Campsite & Event: The RealBirth Studio CiC holds no responsibility for you at the event, or during your camping stay, or provide any camping equipment. Please treat this like you have come to the event by yourself and then layer on the Rest Tent Rota and Camping with us.

Arriving & Camping: We will send you details and guide you to the camping area. We normally start setting up days before the start and block off an area for us all to camp together. This will be explained more before you arrive and we will take car details and arrival times so we can meet you if needed. Some allocated camping does have electric and Camper-van spaces, however none of this is a guarantee. This will also be asked of you in the Registration form and will be confirmed at some point before the event.

Food: We will provide some food and refreshments for volunteers but we will not be able cover all food requirements. If there are specific requirements then please take those considerations in to account for your own responsibility. The food is cooked in a ‘home cooking’ and ‘camping’ style and it is your responsibility to choose to eat what is provided. The Real Birth Studio holds no liability for any illness from the food.

Breakfast: We will provide a simple bacon and egg, or sausage, bap.

Evening meal: We will provide a ‘chill and rice’ or ‘jacket potato’ type evening meal. This will be cooked at the campsite and then brought to the stage area.

Conduct: You are responsible for yourselves and your conduct, and your guests. In the rare case that this becomes an issue, we will ask you to leave. This is a family event, and in general, everybody is respectful and understands the environment. You are responsible for yourselves and the guests you bring.

Guests and family: Please plan to buy tickets for your guests. It is possible to accommodate families in the camping area but we cannot cover their access to the event. Please talk to us about this if you need advise/plan.

RealBirth T-Shirts: No smoking or drinking in the logo’d T-Shirts, or near the Rest Tent. It is the only major rule we have whilst at the event.

Photo Consent from you: This covers any photos/videos taken of you and used on social media and any marketing for the RealBirth Studio CiC & Company Ltd.

Photo Consent from families: Please ask families before you take a picture. There will be photo consent forms for families to sign. This covers any photos/videos taken and used on social media and any marketing for the RealBirth Studio CiC & Company Ltd.

Pack up and leaving: We normally plan to leave the day after the event finishes. This is because of the exit chaos and the time it takes to collapse any event tents . There is no rush to leave and we advise that if you can stay until the Monday it will be better for you. We will confirm the details at the vent when we know exactly what we are going to do.

Go with the flow: This is so important because it can be chaos at the start and everything can change. Most of these events are in farming fields and get built from scratch. Once the initial cars, campings and crowds get themselves sorted it settles. Just be prepared for this.

WhatsApp Groups: We have 3 x WhatsApp group and you will be added to it when your place is confirmed. This will help tie all the details together and assists with the updates as we get closer to the event. One is for general admin, One is for Chit chat and a photo dump, and the last one is for the Rota. This helps keep the info easy to access because if it was one group messages get easily lost.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to discuss

If you have a ‘let’s make it work’ character, like being at a festival and want to support families with us……get in touch x.

Interested? Please email: events@therealbirthcompanyltd.com

Interested? Please email: events@therealbirthstudio.com