Safeguarding & staying safe.

The short version

Festipalis here to keep the memories — the photos, the bands, the daft little moments. But a good weekend is one where everyone gets home grinning, so here are a handful of easy, no-fuss ways to look after each other while you’re there.

Agree a meeting point before you scatter

Phones die, signal drops, and a big crowd has a way of swallowing people up. Sort a simple plan before you split off, and getting back together is easy.

• Pick somewhere obvious to regroup — a flag, a food stall, the top of a hill.
• Use your box’s meet-me map: everyone’s got their own square with a daft three-word name, so “lost the group? meet at Sam’s square” just works.
• Keep the crew’s numbers handy too — the crew roster on your box has everyone’s name and any contact number they’ve added, so you’re never stuck.

Keep your phone charged — and a copy offline

A phone’s only any use while it’s alive, and a field is no place to rely on signal. A little prep goes a long way.

• Bring a power bank, and top up whenever you pass a charging point.
• Screenshot the things you’ll need when there’s no bars — your meet-me square, the crew’s numbers, the site map, your travel plan.
• The meet-me map saves to your phone once it’s loaded, so your squares still work with no signal — but a screenshot never hurts.

Know where welfare and medical are

Every festival has a welfare tent and a medical team, and they’re there for exactly this — feeling poorly, feeling lost, feeling a bit much, or just needing a quiet sit-down and a cup of tea. There’s no such thing as a daft reason to pop in.

• Find the welfare and medical tents early, so you already know where they are.
• They’re kind, they’ve seen it all, and they’re never a bother.
• If a mate needs them and won’t go, walk them over yourself.

Look out for your mates

The best safety net is each other. A quick check-in now and then keeps everyone right, and nobody ends up wandering off on their own.

• Check in with the crew through the day — a wave, a message, a head-count at the food van.
• If someone’s flagging, slow down with them — water, shade, a sit-down.
• Trust your gut. If something feels off about a mate or a stranger, say something.

If something goes really wrong

For anything serious — someone hurt, someone missing, or a situation that scares you — don’t wait and don’t try to sort it alone.

• In a real emergency, call 999 (or 112, which also works across Europe).
• Or find the nearest steward, security or welfare crew — they’re all over the site and they’ll know exactly what to do.
• Note where you are as you go, so help can find you quickly.

A couple of quick ones