Practical information
Arriving / leaving | Set up / tat down | Site Crew | Accommodation | Facilities | Bring | Access | Cost | Food | Young people | Dogs | Photos
Arriving and leaving
Sessions start on the morning of Wednesday 4th August, so make sure you arrive by the evening of Tuesday 3rd if you want to come to the whole event; the gate will be open from 12 noon on Tuesday. The last session will end on Sunday 8th August at 6ish. Please stay for Sunday night and help us on Monday to take down the site. .
Set up / tat down
If you can help with set-up or tat-down on site for a few days before or after the Gathering, please let us know as soon as possible. You don't need to have any particular skills for this, just willingness to do a bit of work and you'll walk away with lots of practical skills and new friends. If you've never been to the gathering and feel a bit shy, the set-up is the best place to start, as you'll really get to know some really nice people. We could do with some people with carpentry skills, knowledge of how to set up marquees, solar power systems, greywater systems, plumbing, compost toilets, first aiders and drivers with van. Oh, and a couple of people to cook some nourishing food! Set-up will start Monday morning (31st July), but you are welcome to arrive the evening before.
Accommodation
Accommodation on the site is camping. So please bring a tent and any equipment you need to camp for the duration of your stay.
A women's & queer camping space will be provided - and there's scope for people to create a women's and/or queer only workshop space. There will also be a quiet camping area. For people who are unable to camp, we have information on local B&B accomodation - get in touch if you'd like us to send it to you. Also if you let us know well in advance we may be able to arrange accomodation in someone's live-in vehicle.
Please don't just turn up with your live-in vehicle. It's important to contact us and book in advance.
There will be taps nearby for drinking water, and we will build some lovely compost toilets toilets, strawbale urinals and a wash area. You may choose to cook for yourself, or you may buy meals in advance from the fantastic Anarchist Teapot. Veggies will be running a cafe/cakestall.. See the food section for more details.
We are making the site as accessible as possible for disabled people - see the Access section for more information. If you have any access needs please contact us, so we can try to make arrangements. You can also talk to the people staffing the gate tent on arrival.
Facilities
- Reception tent
- Vegan catering by Anarchist Teapot
- A café by Veggies
- Kids' / young people's area
- Reading library
- Radical book stall by Natterjack Press
- A women's / queer space
- Compost toilets and strawbale urinals
- Running water
- A space for spontaneous workshops and discussions
- First aid facilities
- prisoner writing area
- a well-being area
- washing facilities
Natterjack Press will be running a stall selling books and pamphlets. Commercial stalls are not welcome, but remember to bring along any information about your group, campaign or upcoming action. It would be great if where possible you could also provide your material in alternative formats, especially in large print.
Bring with you:
- Shelter
- Warm, waterproof clothes and boots
- Money for the gate and for food from the communcal kitchen unless you're catering for yourself. We'll be asking for £20-30 at the gate, depending on what you can afford. Meal tickets for the Anarchist Teapot are £5per day (£4.50 concessions; £3 Children; £2.50 single meal)
- Literature on anything you're doing or planning which might be of interest to others
Access
We aim to make the site and programme as accessible to all as we can. We will do what we can - given our limited budget and being in a field! - to make it possible for you to come along, whatever your impairments.
If you need assistance, then people at the gathering will be very happy to help under your guidance.
Part of the site is fairly even, and disabled camping and all the workshop spaces will be in this part. If needed we will build an accessible compost toilet with hoist and basic washing facilities. Please contact us well in advance if you require this, so that we have time to build it. There will be a power source for charging electric wheelchairs and space for storing them if necessary. We will provide as much written material as possible in alternative formats.
If you need BSL interpretation, please contact us so we can try to find an interpreter. There are usually people at the gathering with some sign language skills. No guarantees though. On that note if you have BSL skills and are up for interpreting for a session or two or take notes for people, please volunteer at the gate tent.
We will assist you with camping as much as you want/need, but if you don't want to camp then we can supply a list of local bed and breakfast accommodation.
We have to be careful with how many live-in vehicles we can allow at the site, but if you really need to bring a live-in vehicle for disability-related reasons then let us know and we'll see what we can do.
The gathering is a safe place for people who experience mental distress.
If you have any special needs, please contact us in advance, so we can plan how to meet them.
If you have any special skills, e.g. Sign Language, care assistant, Makaton etc., please also contact us!
Cost
At the gate, we will be asking for a contribution of £ 20 - 30, on a self-assessed sliding scale according to what you can afford. We are asking for a contribution from everyone to cover the costs of the gathering (everyone pays no matter how much work they've done to make the gathering happen). If you can give more, that would be great as we are short of money.
Earth First! has no central office, no members, no paid workers, and also no money. Any donations will be much appreciated. Please make cheques and postal orders payable to Earth First! and post to the contact address.
Food
The Anarchist Teapot collective will cook vegan food - 3 meals a day plus hot drinks. Food is £5 per day, £4.50 concessions, £3 children, £2.50 for a single meal, or bring your own food to cook and a camping stove. There will also be cooking facilities for people with children to cook food either individually or communally.
Young people
Children and young people are welcome. Please let us know numbers, ages and any access needs. There'll be a kids' space, hopefully a teen space, and some activites, but you're still responsible for any young people you bring.
Dogs
Dogs: the gathering is held at a dog free site, unfortunately we will have to turn away any dogs that arrive. Please make alternative arrangements.
Photos
The site is absolutely no photos. Please respect this and leave your camera at home. Please be also sensitive about your mobile phone. They are best left in your tent for security reasons (Nifty little listening devices in disguise, and no this is not paranoia...) Though having said that, there's apparently no mobile reception on the site anyway, so you just as well leave your mobile phone at home. There is a public phone box at the site.
This is an activist gathering not a press event, so if you are coming as a journalist then you are not welcome. Please respect the wishes of some people not to be photographed and leave your camera at home.