One of our Investigations Officers, Jo, takes us through two days on site at the Reading Festival, as part of our SIA team ensuring licence holder compliance.
The famous music event attracts over 105,000 festivalgoers each year, while the security provision numbers around 2,000 operatives.
Tuesday 22 August
10.45am I arrive at the festival command centre for the event. It’s home to control teams from the police, ambulance and fire services, as well as event control and security. There’s already an impressive buzz to the place. Communication equipment, monitors and displays are arranged in the centre’s multi use courts.
11.00am I meet the rest of our inspection team who are supporting me today. We meet the Safety Manager for the Reading Festival, and he takes us to the site.
Before we’re allowed in, we must go through a site induction and be given our access wrist bands. This was one of the smoothest processes we’ve encountered to access an event. We were impressed by the improvements to the accreditation process implemented since last year.
The weather was glorious – so no festival mud to traipse through.
When operatives arrive, they must scan in a QR code, which amongst other details includes emergency contact details, then they move to accreditation desk.
11.15am The Safety Manager takes us to the compound for one of the larger of the three security companies looking after public safety at the event. Two others are also supplying security. In the main accreditation tent, we get to grips with checking the process and how security officers coming onto the site are being checked.
Our inspection team splits into groups to do the same with the other two companies supplying security.
Firstly, we are assured of how their accreditation is set up. When operatives arrive, they must scan in a QR code, which amongst other details includes emergency contact details, then they move to the accreditation desk.
Each operative is checked against a staff list, their SIA licence is checked against additional photo identity and against the SIA register of licence holders, as well as a physical check of the card itself using an ultraviolet light to test security features.
It is a good set up and well run. We see people being taken out of the line to undergo further clarification on their accreditation, which shows due diligence on behalf of the security company.
Operatives then move through to pick up their uniforms, any equipment they need and a tabard, different colours for security staff and stewards.
Before they leave, they attend an initial briefing and one final SIA licence check.
It was a good set up and well run.
12.00pm Within the accreditation area, we undertake our own further checks on SIA licences and contact our operation control to confirm all is well.
By the time we finish, our team has checked 85 licence holders – all good.
It’s worth a note, that the total security provision numbers around 2,000 individuals across the whole weekend, less today as the event is still setting up. But the number of operatives on duty will increase when the festival opens to the public.
1.30pm We man the gatepost where operatives enter to undertake initial checks before they get to the accreditation gate.
2.00pm We return to the main security compound and meet back up with our team who have been doing similar checks with the other companies.
After a brief break, we go to see the deployed security staff. There’s security staff at three gates to the site and more dotted around arena and stages. We go to the main site gate then walk into the arena, checking staff as we go.
On our way back to the security compound, we hitch a ride on a buggy. We are held at a junction to make way for a convoy of 12 ice cream vans!
5.00pm We meet our team and make our way to the exit performing a few more checks along the way.
6.00pm We’re signed out of the site, and I can make my way back home. I endure the M25 again and when I get home, spend a little time catching up on emails and messages before signing off the day.
Thursday 24 August
11.00am We arrive back at the command centre and meet with our team including our Chief Executive, Michelle Russell who is joining us today.
Despite threats of rain, and taking heavy coats and stout shoes, it was another glorious day.
By now, the festival is functioning rather than being set up. The campsites are filling up fast, there are already tents cheek by jowl. Concessions stands are open and the festival feels like it’s getting into full swing.
There are lots of people walking around, sitting about, enjoying the atmosphere, and getting to know where things are. Metal roadways along the main routes save these from turning into mud baths if it rains.
We can see a constant stream of people arriving, some with some strange luggage solutions; chairs strapped to backs, tents being dragged, sleeping bags hanging from rucksacks, things being dropped.
Security staff are now doing their job rather than being accredited.
Operatives are deployed walking around the camps, keeping an eye on concessions, undertaking access controls and deploying searches for main access areas.
There are eight camps in total; white, brown, orange, purple, blue, yellow, orange and eco.
Our team splits into a separate group.
11:30am We head off for ‘white’ camp, the furthest away, about a 30-minute walk. It was a good day for steps. I clocked up around 15,000 during the day.
White camp is over a temporary bridge built over a river. At each of the camps is a camp manager, store and security manager. We make further checks as the Security Manager radios his team one-by-one to come in for a check.
On the way back we check a further two camps. In addition, we sweep up any security operatives we meet as we walk through and carry out further licensing checks.
1.45pm We stop for lunch sitting down for a well-deserved break. After which, we walk on a bit further to a site access point and carry out some more checks. We don’t interfere with the search area, as this is very busy.
2.30pm We visit the brown and purple campsites on the way back carrying out more licence checks.
4.15pm As we sweep our areas the other team does the same with theirs. We meet up at the main arena where another security company is providing service for the main arena with the huge stage. We introduce ourselves. The manager is helpful but very busy, so we carry out checks as efficiently as possible and let them get on.
“It was good to have our Chief Executive, Michelle Russell along to share our experiences and talk to her about the little things that can help make our jobs easier.”
4.45pm We decide to call it a day and sit in the command centre for a de-brief.
Overall, the team undertook a total of 85 checks during the day.
It was good to have our Chief Executive, Michelle Russell along to share our experiences and talk to her about the little things that can help make our jobs easier.
5.50pm Michelle thanks the event controller and we leave the site.
8.30pm I get home. A quick check in to catch up on emails and messages before logging off for the day.
Overall, the team completed 170 checks during the two-day operation. In addition, I created 14 watchlists and checked 637 licences prior to the event. So quite an achievement.
This was the first festival operation that I was leading on, and I was pleased with how it went. Everything was well planned and everyone in the team, both (literally) in the field and at control did a marvellous job.
It was good to see the security provision being deployed to a very high standard. All the checks we undertook were positive, testimony to the work we do with security suppliers long before events take place.
Thank you to the SIA team, the security and events management companies and security operatives who all did a fantastic job in keeping the public safe over the two days.
“Everything was well planned and everyone in the team, both (literally) in the field and at control did a marvellous job.”
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