Volunteer/Join us handout

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This is the drafting page for content for a new handout/leaflet for 2013 to allow people to express interest in volunteering and/or apply for membership on a tear-off and send section. All contributions welcome - we want to really pin point the benefits of volunteering for the Chapter.

How can you help?

  • Case studies - tell us about an amazing thing you achieved, saw or did as a volunteer for Wikimedia UK.
  • Quotes - do you have something to say about volunteering you think potential volunteers really need to hear?
Most of my favourite quotes are going into the Annual report 2012-13, so we could get some from there. Daria Cybulska (WMUK) (talk)
  • Stats - are there relevant statistics about volunteers delivering our outreach programme?
  • Pictures - what images from the past year best sum up the volunteer experience to you

Design brief

NB Costs may dictate some of the final decisions in relation to this

KB really likes a design like this - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/meta/6/61/Wikimedia_folder_2013_NL.pdf


Purpose

  • Hand out at Chapter run events
  • Put in delegate packs for events
  • Hand out at volunteer meetups
  • Send out to donors
  • Ask relevant partner institutions to display (BL, NHM, where else?)
  • What else?

Target audience

  • UK Editors who are not yet members of the chapter
  • 'Fellow travellers' in free licence and open knowledge movements
  • Other volunteers who are not yet members
  • Event attendees
  • Who else?
  • Create a Wiki version to send to wikipedians who are active in UK based Wikiprojects or who display a UK based Userbox but who may not be members
  • Create a Welsh language Wiki version to send to wikipedians who are active in the Welsh language Wikipedia (ditto Scots, Scots Gaelic, Kernow and Manx)
With this - I think it makes sense to have a nice online version of the physical document (whether that's a commons file or a wiki page) which we can run around and drop on talk pages, but frankly, we could just as easily drop a link to the volunteering or membership parts of the UK wiki (yes, its not in welsh which is naughty, but we can change that too) Therefore its almost a separate project (though a no less important one) and I'd like to get the physical document written and designed and being distributed and then move onto this :) I've highlighted the audiences we'd be targeting, so it's just making sure we've got a nice delivery mechanism and a good version in an online medium Katherine Bavage (WMUK) (talk) 10:07, 24 May 2013 (UTC)

NB these are general, and so not aimed a particular demographic. Can we leave a blank space as part of the design where we could stick a sticker aimed at, say, women or those in HE or BME editors with a QR code directing them to an extended reach page?

Information it will collect

  • Name (Title, First Name, Surname)
  • Email address
  • Postal address (Address and Postcode)

Express interest in Volunteering

  • 'I would like to attend a meetup'
  • 'I would like to help run an event in my area'
  • 'I would like to be involved in (insert a strand of program work we deliver, e.g. Education, GLAM, outreach to specific groups?)'
  • 'I would like to teach others to edit Wikipedia/contribute to Wikimedia projects'
  • 'I would like to volunteer in the office' (different options here)
  • Example

Express interest in Membership

  • I would like to be a member of Wikimedia UK - please send me details on how to apply

Other considerations

Welsh language version?

Must include

  • Company number, Charity number, and registered address
  • Contact details
  • Links to online presence (site, Facebook, twitter, IRC?)
  • Address on addressed postcard for tear off section

Section content

(This section structure follows that used by the WMNL leaflet example linked too above

First page

Plain background - cheaper!

Wikimedia UK logo, green box background

Logo image as used on business cards (with names of projects spiralling out)

Text

Underneath logo on left side of page

"...support the widest possible public access to, use of and contribution to open content of an encyclopaedic or educational nature..."

- Wikimedia UK's charitable objects
In green box on right side of page

When you hear 'Wikimedia' what do you think of? Perhaps you think of Wikipedia - the world's largest online encyclopaedia read by half a billion people around the world every month. Yet the Wikimedia movement is so much more than “just” Wikipedia.

In the 21st century there will be more mobile phones in use than people in the world yet access to knowledge continues to be a barrier for many people around the globe, particularly when this is prevented because of poverty or politics. Neutrally written, community driven and curated online knowledge, published in three times as many languages as the World Health Organisation's information, is a powerful resource. Wikimedia projects reach people, engage them, and are grown across the world by those whose voices haven't been heard before.

Wikimedia UK is the registered charity supporting and promoting the Wikimedia mission and Wikimedia projects throughout the UK. We support the Wikimedia projects which are developing freely available, freely reusable educational and reference material.

We are working with outstanding cultural institutions to increase access to public archives and document community histories. We are working with educational institutions to bring the benefits of free-knowledge culture and collaborative approaches to a new generation of students and teachers. We are using technology to connect, correct and expand the millions of articles and huge amount of media that the projects have already collected. At the heart of all of this work is the remarkable community of dedicated volunteers who are working together to discover, share and improve content that anyone can read and use for free. You can be a part of it.

Second page

Bottom right image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rear_side_of_Tajmahal.jpg
Caption: User:Narender9 won one of the prizes in the 2012 international photo competition 'Wiki Loves Monuments' by choosing to donate this photo under a CC-BY-SA 3.0 licence. This stunning image of the rear side of the Taj Mahal is available for anyone to share and remix as long as they do so under a compatible licence.

Text

The Wikimedia Movement

Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge. That's what we're doing.

- Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, 2004

The Wikimedia movement consists of the people and groups of people sharing common goals and activities with regard to creating and supporting free knowledge and educational content. The trademark 'Wikimedia' is owned by the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) - a non-profit organisation registered in the USA, which hosts the Wikimedia websites known as the "Wikimedia projects".

There are many other organisations which make up the movement, from organisations built around specific themes, user groups, and finally geographic 'chapters' - Wikimedia UK is the United Kingdom's chapter. The people who read Wikimedia content, donors, schools, cultural and educational institutions, and organisations co-operating with movement entities are also part of the Wikimedia movement. Without them there would be no Wikipedia.

Wikimedia projects

(In a pullout box on left side.)

The longest established Wikimedia project is Wikipedia, but there are many others. These include Wikimedia Commons, a repository for freely licensed image, video and audio files, Wikiquote and Wikisource, repositories of original text material, Wikinews for collaboratively written news coverage and Wikidata which acts as a central repository of data linking all the projects in multiple languages. The number of projects will continue to grow where volunteers think new projects can support knowledge and education through their collaboration and freely licensing what they create together.

Free content

Free content is any kind of work, artwork, or other content that can be copied, altered and redistributed by anyone for any purpose, subject to the requirements of the licence. Almost all content on Wikimedia projects, including Wikipedia, is made available under this licence. The reason Wikipedia uses free licences is to ensure that as many people as possible – the whole world, in fact – can make use of its content. The Wikimedia movement believes knowledge should be available to all and this is our way of sharing it with you – and we support free licences in all their forms.

Third page

Text

Be a part of the world's largest open knowledge project
How does Wikimedia UK fit into this?

Wikimedia UK operates throughout the UK in a number of different ways. The charity has its office in London, and has supported partnership work with cultural institutions in Newcastle, Edinburgh, Coventry and Bristol. It also has members of staff based in North Wales and Yorkshire. It hosts a full calendar of events in cooperation with leading volunteers who have identified or offered to support events that range from focusing on editing sessions, 'backstage pass' tours of galleries and museums, to talks, photo tours and workshops.

The goals for these events vary - sometimes they are about giving people the chance to come and learn more about how to edit or upload images to Wikimedia projects. Sometimes they focus on making public cultural works more accessible by digitising them and sharing them under free licences. Some events aim to give volunteers, and particularly editors, the chance to access unique source material which they can use to improve and expand related Wikipedia articles. Whatever the event the overarching aim is simple; to get more people more involved in helping create and curate content that will benefit everyone.

  • Note – check whether the possessive is used (or not) consistently throughout the document.
What are the different ways people can get involved?

There are plenty of exciting ways to contribute to the Wikimedia movement. Whether you're keen to learn to edit Wikimedia projects or more interested in taking part in real world events, there's something for you. Our events are often led by volunteers, delivered locally and aimed at a local audience. Staff can provide support in terms of training materials or setting up the event, but bringing together new editors and working to change and improve content is in the hands of those who choose to do something meaningful that will have an impact. Broadly there are four types of roles that go into Wikimedia UK:

  • Editor – someone who contributes content to one or more of the Wikimedia projects
  • Event co-ordinator – someone who supports and develops events on behalf of Wikimedia UK
  • Organiser – someone who co-ordinates the efforts of other volunteers to support distinctive programs
  • Trainer – someone trained by the charity who is then able to teach others how to use Wikimedia projects

Fourth Page

Text

Left side
Membership

A great way to demonstrate your support for Wikimedia UK is by becoming a member. Members have the right to elect the Trustees of the charity, attend members' specific events and receive a monthly newsletter with updates about the chapter and the movement . Our members are responsible for holding the Trustees to account and ensuring the chapter is governed prudently while fulfilling the public benefit requirement of Wikimedia UK's charitable objects.

The membership fee has been determined by the membership and is £5 for an annual membership term. This entitles you to full voting rights within the charity and the opportunity to apply for grants to support editing work if you wish.

Get involved

If you're interested in volunteering or applying for membership you can simply complete the form opposite and post it at no cost. You'll receive an email with instructions for how to join online or highlighting volunteering opportunities that match your interest in your area. So, take two minutes to fill this out and pop it in the post - and join a vibrant community of people taking part in delivering the Wikimedia mission in the United Kingdom.

Right side

Check box - I am interested in hearing more about volunteering with Wikimedia UK Check Box - I am interested in becoming a member of Wikimedia UK

Fields for completion (Please use capitals):

Name
Address
Address
Postcode
Email
Username (If you already edit Wikipedia - you do not have to include this)

Check boxes:

I would particularly like to know more about (tick as many as you wish):

  • Attending a meetup or event
  • Learning to edit
  • Learning how to donate images
  • Making material from local cultural institutions available
  • Working with educational institutions

Fifth page

Text

Pull out postcard - address side

Background - Pale grey
Wikimedia UK logo - top left
Text: Gill sans

Text

(Top right under stamp outline - subtext 'You don't have to use a stamp, but doing so will save us money.'

Centre

C/o Office Manager

FREEPOST WIKIPEDIA

Right side

Text

  • "It's been great to work with people who weren't all that confident about their digital literacy, who are developing their research skills and who are getting to the point where they're almost confident about editing. It's a great experience." -- Graeme Arnott
  • "Wikipedia is a wonderful hobby and such a great use of my spare time. It allows me to develop my skills as a photographer and writer, through contributing to a world-wide project that is doing something amazing - free knowledge for everyone. I love working and sharing with like-minded people around the globe towards a worthwhile goal." -- Julie Workman
  • "Running training events with Wikimedia UK allows me to not only teach people about how Wikipedia works, but also allows me to gain valuable experience working with other people and learn about different teaching styles. The people that attend the training events are diverse with a wide variety of interests, so it's a great way to meet new, open-minded people and discuss topics related to both Wikimedia projects and the free knowledge movement. The support that Wikimedia UK provides to trainers is crucial to getting these events off the ground, and letting trainers focus on the actual training." -- Dan Garry

Sixth page

Text

Left side
  • Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia
  • Wiktionary - a wiki-based open content dictionary
  • Wikiquote - a free online compendium of sourced quotations
  • Wikinews - the free news source you can write
  • Wikisource - the free library that anyone can improve
  • Wikibooks - the open-content textbooks collection that anyone can edit
  • Wikiversity - a community effort to learn and facilitate others' learning
  • Wikivoyage - the free worldwide travel guide that anyone can edit
  • Wikispecies - The free species directory that anyone can edit
  • Wikimedia Commons - a database of freely usable media files to which anyone can contribute
  • Wikidata - the free knowledge base that anyone can edit
Right side
Wikimedia UK
4th Floor, Development House,
56-64 Leonard Street
London
United Kingdom
EC2A 4LT
Website: www.wikimedia.org.uk
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WikimediaUK
Twitter: @wikimediauk

We welcome visitors! If you would like to visit our office and find out more just get in touch.

Images
Left side

Lined up against project name and subline:

Right side

Wikimedia UK Logo

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