When it comes to big events, this year has been particularly busy for Colwick Park Lifeguards. After providing water safety at events including Nottingham City & Masters Regatta, Henley Royal Regatta and Wilderness Festival, the team headed to their newest event of the year: Reading Festival!
While the weather had been exceptionally kind to us at our previous events, it certainly did not spare us this time. Throughout the festival, the team was faced with heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms. Thankfully, we came prepared, kitted out in Fladen suits and wellies ready to take on whatever the British weather had in store.
Our role was to provide water safety along the stretch river of the River Thames for around 100,000 festival-goers, both as they arrived at and departed from the festival and throughout their stay. Colwick Park lifeguard volunteers were stationed both on land and on the water. Our safety boats patrolled approximately 4km of river from Reading Bridge, also known as Kings Landing (for all of the Game of Thrones fans out there!), all the way to the temporary footbridge, Dragon Bridge.
Our land-based lifeguards played an important role in keeping festival-goers safe as they boarded and disembarked from the river ferries, while also maintaining a watching eye over the surrounding water. Meanwhile, two safety boats were constantly on patrol, providing an additional layer of safety and allowing the team to respond quickly whenever needed.
Volunteers worked two three-hour shifts throughout the day. In between shifts, there was plenty of time to make the most out of the festival, whether that meant exploring the festival site, catching up with the team, playing cards or taking a tactical nap on the comfy sofas in our headquarters! The balcony quickly became an underrated favourite spot to read a good book, take in the festival atmosphere, keeping an eye on the river or simply waving to our safety boats as they passed by on patrol. As a bit of a side quest alongside our duties, I also got the opportunity to take the helm of the Devon Belle, one of the river ferries operating throughout the festival! It was certainly a new experience being considerably bigger than our usual powerboats!
The event also gave our newly qualified helms the opportunity to put their skills into practice. Having completed the helming course organised by Colwick Park Lifeguards earlier in the year, they were able to gain valuable experience on the water and build their confidence in their new roles in a festival environment.
Of course, none of this would be possible without our amazing catering and welfare volunteers. They kept the team fuelled throughout the event, cooking hot meals every day and making sure headquarters was always stocked with coffee, tea and plenty of snacks. Their support makes a huge difference during long days and is very much appreciated by the whole team!
One of the best parts of volunteering at festivals is that, after a long and rewarding day, we get to enjoy the festival too! This year, we were lucky enough to watch all the headliners live, including Fontaines D.C., Chase & Status, Charli XCX, RAYE and Florence + the Machine, as well as other artists such Geese and Sombr. There is a real sense of community when volunteering with the team. Everyone is incredibly welcoming, looking out for one another and there’s always someone ready to lend a hand, share a laugh with or make you a cup of tea.
Finally, a special thanks goes to Matt and the rest of the DO team for their time and effort in preparing for and organising the event both before, during and after the festival. From site visits and health and safety assessments to recruitment and countless meetings, six months of preparation went into ensuring the smooth running of the event. All that hard work did not go unnoticed, so huge thank you to you the event organisers!
Reading festival is a fantastic addition to the Colwick Park lifeguards calendar, and no matter the weather, our volunteers have persevered and kept their smiles up which is exactly what’s it’s all about! A huge thank you goes to the volunteers, without whom this event could not happen. We can’t wait to be back next year!
