Hey there! Captain here, I’m excited to announce I’ve created a new blog series and it starts right here!
So, what’s this all about? It’s a shiny new series highlighting the wonderful humans who volunteer their time year round for Kiwiburn. Yes, those beautiful, kind and selfless folk known as ‘year round volunteers’. Each one of these blogs will highlight a different team/department/group of volunteers, detailing who they are and why they choose to give up their time to volunteer every week.
I invite you to join me in finding out who the humans are that tirelessly work to make Kiwiburn a reality, by reading each new blog post (whenever they come out). By the end of this series, you should know a bit more about who each of us are, why we volunteer and exactly what teams there are ‘behind the scenes’ of Kiwiburn.
Without further ado, the first blog in the series is ready for your reading pleasure. Of course, I just had to start with my own crew, the EFP team! Let’s go!
What’s your name and what is your role?
Julia – I’m the Communications Facilitator
Jo – I’m the Comms 2iC
Captain – I’m an EFP and Blog writer
Shroomie – I’m an EFP Writer
Dario – I’m an EFP writer
How long have you been in your role?
Julia – Almost 4 years
Jo – 2 years or so
Captain – About a year and a half
Shroomie – About 2 years
Dario – 2 years!
What inspired you to volunteer initially?
Julia – Wanting to make a difference
Jo – I was new to the country having come from SA where I was a seasoned Afrikaburner. I wanted to come to Kiwiburn but I didn’t know anything or anyone! So, I volunteered and got into the community.
Captain – I enjoyed my first Burn experience so much that I was instantly hooked. I loved that it was all volunteer run, and as soon as the Burn ended, I thought to myself ‘I need to be involved in this year round’.
Shroomie – I wanted to get more involved! I’d been to a couple of Burns and was realising that the more I participated (on-site vollie, Theme Camp etc) the better my experience was and the more connections I made
Dario – Advice from a Burner friend who said that the best way to Burn for the first time was to be a part of it! I looked at the roles, chose EFP writer and never looked back.
What made you choose to apply for the role you’re in?
Julia – I can yap, write a decent article and am always keen to get stuck in
Jo – I like writing and I think I’m a little funny… So I started as an EFP writer. I’m not sure how I bubbled up into the 2iC role!
Captain – I chose the Comms team as I have always had a love for writing, and this role offered a lot more freedom than I have had writing in other formats.
Shroomie – I enjoy writing and was actually doing a similar thing for my job at the time so it fit perfectly
Dario – I’m a writer by trade, I chose the role that best suited my skills.
In your own words, what do you do in your volunteer role?
Julia – Herd cats 😊. Not really actually, the Comms team is a very well oiled machine. Which means I can focus on governance, interacting with Burning Man, media and other representatives and function on Excom
Jo – It varies! Not enough? I think “absorbing Julia’s overspill” is maybe the best way to put it?
Captain – Share the news articles that other departments need sharing, write fantastic (and sometimes silly) articles and blogs – all while having fun doing it!
Shroomie – Gather important info each week from various KB Teams, turn that into news articles, and publish it on the KB website which then goes out in the EFP
Dario – I write articles that people want printed in the EFPs that go out, and I occasionally publish the EFP, which takes a little more grunt work, and also like to pipe up in our comms teams Zoom meetings when we gather to talk about up and coming developments with KB.
What’s your favourite part of being a year round volunteer?
Julia – The recognition, warmth I receive and difference I get to make
Jo – Constant touch points with burn, and freedom onsite!
Captain – Honestly, being a year round volunteer means my fire is restoked every week. Instead of just being a once-a-year event, I get to be a part of Kiwiburn all year round – I love it.
Shroomie – Definitely the connections I’ve made through volunteering that I may not have made otherwise
Dario – Keeping up to date with what’s happening post and pre-Burn keeps me hyped all year round for the Burn to come!
What makes volunteering for Kiwiburn so rewarding and why is Kiwiburn a good organisation to volunteer for?
Julia – Cos we rock!! This community means the world to me, so it’s just so rewarding to be involved and try to make a difference
Jo – It makes the Burn 1000% better when you’re part of creating it! It’s YOUR thing, not just a thing!
Captain – Burners are my favourite kind of people. Volunteering for Kiwiburn is rewarding because I get to work with so many of them every week, all year round!
Shroomie – Being part of something bigger than my own little bubble and something that I’m passionate about gives me a sense of purpose and joy. The people make KB a great org to volunteer for, especially my Team – everyone gets along and jumps in to help when needed.
Dario – I contribute to KB all year, and each January I get to see it in action. It’s a very tangible reward for my efforts. I get to see my friends in the comms teams and other crews all get together and enjoy the fruits of our labours.
What would you say to someone who’s thinking of volunteering but hasn’t yet?
Julia – Do it!!!
Jo – What have you got to lose? If you don’t like it you can quit. If you do like it you will have a better burn then you can imagine! (and a ticket).
Captain – The comms team is arguably the best team but if you enjoy Kiwiburn, you will enjoy volunteering in any team. It may seem like a lot of responsibility but you’ll find yourself getting more out of it than you put in. So just do it!
Shroomie – Just do it! Keep checking the available roles, keep reading the EFP and eventually the right role will find you and you’ll wonder what took you so long!
Dario – It’s the best way to meet like-minded Burners, to exemplify the guiding principles, and to be a participant, not simply a ticket-purchaser. It gives you a vested interest in the event, because as a volunteer, it’s YOUR event.
There we have it, now you know a bit more about the EFP team and what we do!
If you’re feeling inspired and want to check out the open volunteer roles, head over here now.
Thanks for reading, hopefully you enjoyed it. I’ll see you in the next edition!
