The Malfare department operates 24/7 during the event (and a few days before and after) and their remit is to look after the wellbeing of participants. Many volunteers are involved in this effort, and Malfare also co-ordinates the Nomads. During the event Malfare deals with a wide variety of issues, and is the first point of call for many types of problem, from answering requests for directions, to evicting problematic participants. malfare@goingnowhere.org
During the rest of the year, the Malfare Team;
Nomads are Nowhere’s Rangers, who patrol around the site in pairs, checking on the safety and wellbeing of participants during 6hr shifts. Full training is provided via Zoom or on site and is mandatory before the first shift. They are trained to mediate situations of conflict and will often be the first point of contact for participants needing assistance.
There are two parts to Nomad training, Part A (theoretical) and Part B (practical) that need to be completed before a first shift. Part A is offered pre-event both via Zoom and onsite, and Part B is offered onsite only. Training must be refreshed every second year. (A)MSL training is usually done onsite, and Overwatch is via mentoring and practical experience.
The Nowhere Protocols are a collection of documents designed to guide shift leads in the event of a major incident. They cover a range of potential scenarios, and detail what each team can expect to do before, during, and after such an incident. The current Protocols date from 2015 and rather urgently need updating, and possibly expanding.
Malfare maintains various forms which are printed and used during the event to collect data. These include:
During Nowhere there is a 24/7 rota of volunteers who speak Eng/Spa or Eng/Spa/Fr (and often many further languages) who are on call in case they are needed. The can be called on by the Malfare Shift Lead for a wide range of reasons, but most often it is to provide interpretation between Malfare and Red Cross, or Malfare and Security, as both these external teams mostly operate in Spanish. Interpreters are given a radio, basic radio training, and can continue to enjoy Nowhere (albeit sober) until their services are needed.
During Nowhere there is a 24/7 rota of volunteers who are legal to drive in Spain. Before their shift they must present their driving licence and photo ID at the Production Office and sign the relevant waiver. Like the Interpreters, they are given a radio and are on call. They are largely used for ferrying participants to non-urgent medical care or to run errands into town.
FIST is Nowhere's online volunteer management system. (Does anyone know what FIST allegedly stands for??) Through this rota volunteers are recruited, and it is also used to manage Build volunteers. Those signed up for pre-Gate shifts are automatically granted Early Entry (EE) passes.
Each year all Nowhere departments who need one apply for a budget. This process also informs the ticket price. <More info here on Malfare's budget.>
<Info and link to inventory doc goes here>