Creating a volunteer handbook for your eisteddfod committee
An eisteddfod depends on many people contributing their time, skills and local knowledge. Some volunteers may have helped for decades, while others may be parents, students or community members attending their first festival. A clear handbook gives everyone a shared understanding of how the event operates and what their role involves.
For a Welsh cultural event, the handbook should do more than list duties. It should explain the values behind the eisteddfod, from welcoming new performers to protecting Welsh traditions such as folk singing, folk dancing and cerdd dant. It should help volunteers feel confident while preserving the character of the local event.
A practical guide is particularly useful for committees in Australia, where volunteers may be spread across large distances and balancing work, school, family and community commitments. An event in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane may involve different venues, council requirements, weather conditions and audience expectations from a smaller regional gathering.
The best handbook is easy to use during a busy festival week. It should answer common questions quickly, provide contact details and explain what to do when plans change. It also becomes a valuable record for future committees, helping knowledge pass from one organising team to the next.
Start with the committee’s purpose and scope
Begin by explaining why the eisteddfod exists and what the committee is responsible for delivering. This opening should be warm and concise, setting out the event’s connection to Welsh language, music, dance, performance and community life. Include a short statement about respect, inclusion, safety and encouragement for participants of all ages.
The handbook should define the event’s scope. State whether the eisteddfod includes choral competitions, solo singing, instrumental items, recitation, folk dance, cerdd dant, craft displays or workshops. If the programme includes both Welsh and English, explain how language is used in announcements, adjudication, signage and printed material.
It is helpful to include a simple committee structure. List the chairperson, secretary, treasurer, volunteer coordinator, venue manager, safeguarding contact, programme coordinator and publicity lead. Add a short description of each role rather than relying on names alone. People change roles, while responsibilities usually remain.
Include the boundaries of volunteer authority as well. A front-of-house helper may welcome families and direct them to a room, but should refer complaints about judging or fees to the appropriate committee member. Clear lines of responsibility prevent confusion and reduce pressure on individual volunteers.
Explain roles in practical language
A volunteer handbook should make every role feel achievable. Replace broad instructions such as “assist with the competition” with specific tasks: check the room before the session, welcome performers, confirm the running order, guide participants to the warm-up area and report delays to the stage manager.
Create short role profiles for the main teams. These might include registration, ushering, stage management, music and accompaniment, catering, merchandise, transport, photography, first aid and clean-up. Each profile can include the purpose of the role, shift times, required equipment, key contacts and the point at which the volunteer should seek help.
Australian events often rely on volunteers who can only attend for a single morning or afternoon. Design shifts around realistic availability and provide handover notes between teams. A school-based eisteddfod may need extra support during arrival and dismissal periods, while an evening concert may require more people for parking, accessibility and venue security.
Avoid assuming that every volunteer understands Welsh cultural terms or festival customs. Add a short glossary covering words such as eisteddfod, adjudicator, cerdd dant and cymanfa. Explain the purpose of each competition or performance category in plain English, while retaining Welsh names where they are meaningful.
Build in safety, safeguarding and accessibility
Safety information should be direct and easy to find. Include emergency exits, assembly points, first aid arrangements, incident reporting procedures and instructions for contacting emergency services. Make sure the handbook identifies who has authority to pause a performance, close a room or respond to an urgent incident.
For events involving children, describe the committee’s child-safe procedures. Depending on the state or territory, volunteers may need a Working With Children Check or an equivalent clearance. The handbook should explain which roles require screening, how supervision works and who handles concerns about a child’s welfare. It should never ask volunteers to investigate an allegation themselves.
Accessibility deserves its own section. Explain accessible parking, step-free entrances, hearing assistance, seating arrangements, quiet areas and accessible toilets. Provide guidance on supporting performers with disability without making assumptions about what assistance they want. Ask the participant, parent or support person what is needed and maintain privacy.
Include practical information for Australia’s conditions. Outdoor queues may require shade, drinking water and sunscreen during a hot Queensland or Western Australian event, while a winter programme in Melbourne may need wet-weather plans and warm indoor waiting areas. If the venue is on or near bushland, record the procedure for responding to smoke, extreme heat or a changing fire danger rating.
Acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land where the event takes place, using the wording preferred by the relevant local community or venue. This can sit in the handbook alongside guidance for respectful engagement with local First Nations organisations and performers.
Set out communication and event procedures
Volunteers need to know how information travels during the event. Identify the official communication channels, such as a group messaging service, radio network, information desk or dedicated phone number. State which channel is used for urgent safety matters and which is used for routine updates.
Include a contact sheet with names, roles and mobile numbers, but review consent and privacy before distributing it. A version for general volunteers may show only essential operational contacts, while the committee’s private copy can contain more detailed information. Set a process for deleting outdated copies after the event.
A run sheet is one of the most useful documents in the handbook. It should show venue access times, sound checks, registration deadlines, rehearsals, competition sessions, breaks, prize presentations and pack-down. Add notes about likely pressure points, such as late arrivals, missing sheet music or a delayed adjudicator.
Write short procedures for common situations. These may include a lost child, a performer who becomes unwell, a missing instrument, a queue that blocks an exit, a power failure or an audience member disputing a result. Volunteers do not need complex scripts; they need to know who to contact, what information to record and where to wait for instructions.
The handbook should also explain confidentiality. Results, participant contact details, health information and complaints must not be discussed casually or posted online. Photographs and video should follow the event’s consent process, particularly when children are involved.
Support volunteers before, during and after the festival
A handbook works best when it is introduced through a short briefing. Hold an in-person session, online meeting or recorded orientation before the event. Walk through the venue, show volunteers where supplies are stored and allow time for role-specific questions.
Provide a quick-reference version for the event day. This might be a two-page summary containing emergency contacts, the venue map, shift times, essential procedures and the location of toilets, refreshments and first aid. The full handbook can remain digital, while key details are printed for volunteers who prefer paper.
Think about the experience of the people giving their time. Provide breaks, drinking water, suitable food and a clear way to report fatigue or concerns. A volunteer who is rostered for six hours should not be expected to remain at a registration desk without relief. Small gestures, such as a thank-you morning tea or acknowledgement in the programme, can strengthen future participation.
After the event, collect feedback while memories are fresh. Ask team leaders which instructions were useful, where volunteers were uncertain and which supplies were missing. In Australia, a short online survey can be convenient for volunteers across different suburbs or regional areas, while a face-to-face debrief may work better for a small local committee.
Record changes for the next year. If the committee used a council grant, community hall, Welsh society venue or local business partnership, note the contact details, deadlines and conditions. A relationship with a local market, school fete or community festival may provide future opportunities for promotion, fundraising and recruitment.
Keep the handbook current and easy to compare
Assign one person to maintain the handbook, with the committee approving major changes. Put the revision date on the front page and include a change log near the end. This prevents volunteers from relying on an old venue map, obsolete contact number or previous year’s safeguarding process.
Separate information that changes annually from information that remains stable. Venue addresses, programme times, ticket prices and committee names belong in an event information sheet. Values, role descriptions, safety principles and cultural guidance can remain in the core handbook. This makes annual editing faster and reduces accidental omissions.
Use plain language, readable fonts and consistent formatting. Make digital documents accessible to people using screen readers, and avoid placing essential instructions inside images. If the event serves Welsh speakers, consider a bilingual version or translated key pages. Even a small glossary or bilingual welcome can show that language is part of the event’s living identity.
A simple review can help identify gaps before publication:
| Handbook area | Essential information | Review point |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose and values | Cultural aims, welcome, inclusion and committee responsibilities | Before volunteer recruitment |
| Role descriptions | Tasks, shift times, equipment and escalation contacts | At the roster stage |
| Safety and safeguarding | Emergency response, child safety, first aid and incident reporting | With the venue and relevant authorities |
| Accessibility | Entrances, seating, facilities, communication support and assistance | During the venue walk-through |
| Event operations | Run sheet, room plans, registration and stage procedures | At the final planning meeting |
| Communication | Official channels, contact list and privacy expectations | Before distributing copies |
| Review process | Feedback method, revision date and change log | Within two weeks after the event |
Use the handbook as a working tool rather than filing it away. Team leaders can refer to it during briefings, and new committee members can use it to understand how the festival has developed. Over time, it becomes a practical expression of the committee’s knowledge and values.
A strong volunteer handbook gives people the confidence to welcome participants, protect performers and keep the programme moving. It also helps a local eisteddfod remain connected to the wider Welsh cultural tradition, whether it is held in a community hall in regional New South Wales or as part of a larger Welsh gathering in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane.
Cymdeithas Eisteddfodau Cymru encourages committees to adapt this approach to their own communities. Begin with your event’s values, speak with your volunteers and build the guide around the situations they actually face. Share the finished handbook with the committee, team leaders and new helpers, then update it after every festival so the next generation can take part with confidence.