As work goes, it doesn’t really rank up there with spending late nights in the office to get that vital report finished, or having to dance with your boss at the Christmas do.
But our first T In The Park. IS all about water – and not just the biblical monsoons expected to fall out of the sky over the weekend. We’re supporting Water Aid, a brilliant charity which brings safe water, hygiene and sanitation to some of the poorest communities in the world.
We’ll be manning (and woman-ing) the Water Aid stand throughout the festival, where – as anyone who’s ever been will tell you – the importance of proper sanitation and clean water is often brought into pretty sharp focus.
Sixteen intrepid members of the Business Stream team will be heading to Balado this weekend, spreading the word about the charity’s work, giving out free water to thirsty music fans, and providing ponchos if (if?) the rain comes on in return for a donation to Water Aid.
Marketing manager Lynne Hall is one of the team braving the weather, and will be experiencing her first-ever T In The Park, so we asked her what she thought of the project.
So Lynne, why did you decide to volunteer at the Water Aid stand?
We always talk to our customers about the importance of water and why it’s such a precious resource, so for one thing it lets us get closer to the real business end of that message with a charity like Water Aid. The charity works closely with a number of water companies in the UK, so we’d come across them before, and we were keen to help out. And who wouldn’t want the chance to mix business with pleasure on this occasion?
What will it involve, then?
I’m hoping for a go of one of their water dispensing backpacks, they look brilliant! We’re given four-hour shifts where we’ll be helping the Water Aid guys get their message across, as well as providing water, ponchos and staffing Water Aid’s female toilets.
Why should anyone come to the stand?
Water is something we all take from granted even though it’s vital to life. Water Aid has some quite staggering statistics about the impact of dirty or unreliable water supplies. So for example, about 10 per cent of the world’s population doesn’t have access to safe water, which clearly causes a whole range of other very serious problems. I hope when people hear messages like that they’ll be able to spare us ten minutes and with any luck we can help Water Aid raise plenty of money.
Do you get any time to enjoy the festival?
We work for four hours every day, which will be really good fun. Between shifts we'll be going to check out our favourite bands and soak up the atmosphere - I can't wait to see the Stone Roses, I assume they’ll include ‘Waterfall’ in their set, it seems very appropriate! My wellies and the tent are packed but I'm still hoping for some Scottish sunshine!