Crowd with arms in the air, facing a lit stage
Joyned logo in vibrant pink on black background.

How Big Church Festival Streamlined Volunteer Communication with Joyned

What is the Big Church Festival

The Big Church Festival is a flagship moment in the UK’s Christian calendar. Hosted in West Sussex each summer, it brings together over 35,000 people for a weekend of music, worship, teaching, and celebration across a sprawling countryside estate.

The festival is a unique blend of massive scale and genuine community, featuring internationally known worship leaders, full-scale stage production, and immersive experiences for families, youth, and children alike.

About the Big Church Festival

In 2025, the event reached new heights:

  • Expanded from two days to three
  • Introduced full youth and kids programmes (each with 2,000 participants)
  • Mobilised 952 volunteers across 43 teams
  • Welcomed church groups managing 100+ attendees each

To coordinate all of this, the organisers needed to solve communication challenges they often faced on-the-ground during the event. So, they turned to Joyned. Being chosen to support communication at an event of this scale is no small thing – and a major validation of Joyned’s capabilities.

The Communication Challenges Across a Multi-Day Festival

Communication breakdown once on-site: As soon as the event began, organisers went straight to work - checking in guests, offering accessibility support, getting involved in activities, and so much more. With so many people and so much to do, staying connected via email was no longer a practical option. This left volunteers without a clear way to communicate with leadership.

Physical reliance for updates: Without a centralised platform, volunteers had to track down team leads in-person to ask questions or get last-minute info. This was an inefficient and often stressful experience. 

Support for large church groups: Teams managing hundreds of attendees needed a direct, reliable way to communicate with festival staff before and during the event.

Pressure from scale: With expanded programming and thousands more participants, even small delays or miscommunications had a ripple effect. 

The team knew they needed a tool that could cut through the noise and enable instant, flexible, and intuitive communication – even when plans changed on the ground.

Joyned Was Built for Exactly This Kind of Environment

The Big Church Festival’s organisers needed a communication platform that would:

  • Handle real-time queries from hundreds of people
  • Be simple enough for volunteers to adopt instantly
  • Offer secure, controlled communication that respected privacy
  • Support decentralised teams and large groups on the move

And, of course, Joyned delivered. 

Once introduced to the event organisers and volunteers, Joyned became the go-to space for key updates, support requests, and group communication. Whether it was volunteers asking where to find their coach tickets or group leads coordinating access times, Joyned kept the information flowing.

Joyned didn’t just support the festival – it enhanced the entire experience. It gave volunteers a new sense of connection, empowered group organisers, and removed pressure from the core team during the most intense days of the event.

Onboarding the Big Church Festival to Joyned

While setup began later than planned, onboarding was quick – and adoption among teams who used it was enthusiastic.

Volunteer Teams Loved It

They no longer had to rely on chasing someone down in-person to ask a quick question - saving time and hassle.

“The volunteers absolutely loved it. They felt like they could actually just reach out and ask a question – that was really beneficial.”

Georgia Lasley-Bond, Big Church Festival

A steward at an event smiling at the camera and putting his thumbs up.

Group managers praised iT

Joyned helped streamline communications with large church groups, offering a more personalised and responsive experience.

A steward at an event, standing in a doorway and monitoring the vicinity.

Easy to use

No steep learning curve. Volunteers could log in and start communicating immediately.

The festival team is now preparing for a broader rollout in 2026, building on the strong foundation laid this year.

A crowd of people walking along under a festoon lights at an event.

The Impact of Joyned was Instant and Meaningful

In an environment where communication is often the first thing to break down, Joyned became a backbone for the teams who used it. For many, it fundamentally changed how they experienced and contributed to the Big Church Festival.

  • Faster response times: Questions that would have required radio messages or face-to-face conversations were handled in seconds.
  • More connected teams: Volunteers felt seen, supported, and heard. This was a huge morale boost for teams working long hours.
  • Reduced stress for organisers: With fewer on-site interruptions and ad hoc requests, the leadership team could stay focused on running the event.
  • Support for scale: Group organisers managed hundreds of attendees with less friction, using Joyned to coordinate logistics and access.

With the Big Church Festival continuing to grow – and only 5% of the site currently in use – the potential is enormous. Joyned is excited to support that journey by providing the tools people need to stay connected, responsive, and focused on building meaningful communities.

“The feedback’s been incredible. Honestly, it’s all good things.”

Georgia Lasley-Bond, Big Church Festival

What's Next?

Joyned exists to bring people together - and that’s exactly what happened at the Big Church Festival.

With powerful feedback from volunteers and a hugely successful rollout, Joyned is set to be a Big Church Festival staple. And with the festival set to grow yet again in 2026, plans are already underway to:

  • Expand Joyned to all volunteer teams in 2026
  • Extend functionality for church group organisers
  • Explore a Joyned expo presence to support wider adoption and visibility