Volunteering Portal

edit   Volunteer with Wikimedia UK Welcome to the Wikimedia UK volunteer portal! Volunteers are at the very heart of the Wikimedia projects and the global Wikimedia movement. This portal is a resource for all of our volunteers, whether you're an experienced Wikimedian or are new to the movement. As the UK chapter of the international movement, we support and assist those who are working in a way that benefits the Wikimedia projects such as Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata and Wikinews. You'll find information about editing the projects, and our events and programmes. There are experienced Wikimedians on hand to help you so don't be nervous about asking for help. There's a virtual library where you can download our publications, such as guides to editing and wiki mark-up, our annual reviews, and booklets about our outreach work with education and GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives and museums). You can subscribe to our newsletter and learn more about the charity's staff and board of trustees here. If you'd like to learn more about how to volunteer with Wikimedia UK, or learn about any aspect of the charity and its work, please email volunteer@wikimedia.org.uk. edit   I have been a contributor to Wikimedia projects Wikimedia UK works with volunteers to help them deliver projects that improve the content of Wikipedia and its sister sites. We help them to deliver events, to gain access to cultural and educational materials, and to find new ways to make good use of the projects, such as in higher education. We deliver training sessions for people who would like to learn to edit, and we work closely with partner institutions to provide access to cultural materials that can improve the content of the projects. We encourage the use of open licenses for cultural and educational materials so that they be freely shared. We also offer project grants to members of the chapter, to help pay for equipment, source materials and other resources that will help them with their editing or outreach work. edit   Featured volunteer story Dan Garry is an experienced Wikipedian and trainer with Wikimedia UK. He has assisted with, and organised, events to teach others about contributing to Wikipedia. I had started editing Wikipedia between classes when I was at college, and it all kind of spiralled from there. I'd been editing the English Wikipedia for eight years when I first got involved with Wikimedia UK. I'd been an admin for seven years, and a bureaucrat, checkuser and oversighter for around six. I also had some experience with training; I had been a demonstrator on a course that taught basic mathematical and computational modelling techniques to new biology PhD students. Part of that demonstration involved giving a lecture on programming, and running a one week intensive programming course. At the Train the Trainers events, I learned quite importantly that there is a big difference between running a technical mathematical training course and delivering Wikimedia training courses. I also learned a lot about my own learning style. It's helped me to tailor my training to my audience, so that the training is much more effective. I ran a Women in Science 2013 Editathon on Ada Lovelace Day in Oxford (blog post) with Martin Poulter and Doug Taylor. The editathon was aimed at an academic audience, from undergraduates to professors, to contribute articles about women in science. From volunteering with Wikimedia UK, I've met lots of great people, and it's great to know I'm making a difference to something which is used by billions of people worldwide. The idea that something that I write can be instantly accessible to the entire world is really inspiring. To others considering volunteering, I would say: don't be afraid. Get stuck in to volunteering, no matter what your experience with Wikimedia projects in. Dan can be contacted on his user talk page. edit   I am new to Wikimedia projects If you're new to Wikimedia projects then you're in good company. You're joining the estimated 75,000 people around the world that regularly contribute to the largest reference work the world has ever seen. As one of the 14,000 new editors new to Wikimedia projects, there's a variety of ways that you can become involved in sharing the world's knowledge. Whether you are simply interested in editing Wikipedia, or you're an expert in education looking to support the development and utilisation of open educational resources in formal education settings we can help you to enjoy contributing in a way that suits you. edit   Featured upcoming event Do you want the chance to improve Wikipedia science coverage? Would you like to find out more about, and discuss, the issues surrounding women in science? We are running a two-part event, consisting of a Wikipedia editing session and an evening panel discussion. You can choose to participate in both, or just one of them, on Tuesday 13th May 2014 at the University of Liverpool. Working with Wikimedia UK and the Medical Research Council, the University of Liverpool is organising a Women in Science-themed editing event. This event builds on the success of the first such event run by the Royal Society in October 2012, and now also features the MRC. Event attendees will be helping to create or add to the Wikipedia articles about female scientists (who tend to be under-represented on Wikipedia), and attract more female editors to the project. In addition we are pleased to announce that there are 90 places available for an evening Women in Science reception and panel discussion to serve as a forum on women's experiences in science (5:00 – 7:30pm). This includes a talk by Professor Dame Julia Higgins, who will be accompanied on the panel by Professor Sue Wray, Professor Tara Shears, Professor Ian Greer (TBC) and two MRC Fellows, Dr Lauren Walker and Dr Sarah Skeoch. Come along to discuss how women can be better represented in science and hear how female scientists' careers have flourished. The events are open both to people who are new to Wikipedia and experienced Wikipedia editors alike. Female would-be editors are particularly encouraged to attend. Attendance is free, but booking through EventBrite is essential. Find out more about the event here. edit   Membership newsletter archives 2013 January February March April May June July August September October November December edit   Featured volunteer project The Wikipedia voice intro project is a project by Wikipedia editor Andy Mabbett to make audio recordings in which Wikipedia subjects - whether they are celebrities like Stephen Fry, or those notable for other activities like scientists or artists - say their name and introduce themselves in a short segment lasting around ten seconds or so. The recordings are then uploaded to Wikimedia Commons and shown on the subject's Wikipedia article, so that readers know what the person sounds like and how to correctly pronounce their names. Aside from Stephen Fry, contributors to the project so far include lunar astronaut Charlie Duke and British peer Jim Knight. You can find all of the voice recording made for the project so far on Wikimedia Commons. A related project that Andy has been working on is the BBC voice project where the corporation is releasing hundreds of audio snippets of notable people talking recorded on some of their radio programmes over the years. At an event at New Broadcasting House on 18 January 2014, over three hundred suitable clips were identified by volunteers, which the BBC are in the process of reviewing, processing, and uploading to Wikimedia Commons. Examples of clips that have been uploaded and used on the English Wikipedia include that of World Wide Web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. edit   Things you can do Sign up to Wikimedia UK monthly online newsletters Come to one of our upcoming events Apply for a project grants to help with your Wikimedia work Borrow some volunteer equipment, for example to take pictures for Wikimedia Commons Contact the office about arranging a training event Contact Us General inquiries: info@wikimedia.org.uk Fundraising or donations: fundraising@wikimedia.org.uk Membership enquiries: membership@wikimedia.org.uk Volunteering: volunteering@wikimedia.org.uk