Volunteering Portal/Intro

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 designed to serve as a resource for all of our volunteers, whether you're an experienced Wikimedian or are new to the movement. This portal should offer you everything you need to know about becoming a Wikimedia volunteer. As the UK chapter of the global movement, Wikimedia UK is here to support and assist volunteers who are working in any way that's of benefit to the Wikimedia projects such as Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata and Wikinews. You'll find information about getting involved in editing, our events and programmes. There will be some experienced Wikimedians on hand to help you through the process so don't be nervous about asking for help and support. There's a virtual library from which you can download all of our publications, such as welcome to Wikipedia booklets, guides to wiki mark-up, annual reviews, booklets about education and GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives and museums) and much more. Because these are released under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License you are free to use, share and re-use as long as you let other people do the same. You'll find some interesting case studies of some of the projects undertaken by our volunteers, and the people behind the projects, which we hope will prove inspiring. You can also read some of the stories behind our projects, such as Wikipedia Takes Coventry, EduWiki and GLAM-Wiki. Whether you're interested in large conferences or small and informal meet-ups in a cafe or pub, there's an event for you. There's also space for you to discuss upcoming volunteering opportunities and ideas for projects you might be keen to collaborate on with others, as well as learn about some of the other activities that volunteers are working on. For those newcomers who aren't members of the charity, why not consider joining? Membership costs just £5 per year and you can find all of the information you need here. You can also subscribe to our newsletter and learn more about the charity's staff and board of trustees here. Finally, a big thank you for getting involved in the Wikimedia projects. Your contributions - whether editing, helping at events, donating money or anything else - are helping to make the sum total of all human knowledge available to everyone for free. That's a really powerful thing and something you can be genuinely proud of. If you'd like to learn more about how to volunteer with Wikimedia UK, or understand any aspect of the charity and its work, please email info@wikimedia.org.uk.