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Who We Are
WORLDwrite is a UK based charity with a remit to provide educational projects and programmes which promote international understanding. For WORLDwrite this means recognising that our peers globally are not different from ourselves and should equally enjoy a great life. Hence we campaign for freedom from toil and the struggle to survive, to allow us all the opportunity to learn at the highest level, to exercise our creativity, advance new knowledge and impact upon society. To make this possible, we support and promote aspirations for the best of all worlds and stand up for unfettered growth, serious development and freedom.
For many years the charity's work revolved around two-way youth exchange programmes. The charity is now film-focused. WORLDwrite encourages young people to critically examine the world and to understand and support their peers using film and new media technologies. WORLDwrite's News channel programmes on WORLDbytes and its documentaries are making a significant impact. They have: won numerous accolades; been screened across the globe; raised new levels of debate in schools and universities and been broadcast on digital channels.
Origins, achievements, organisation
WORLDwrite has a unique history of providing quality creative programmes and is now able to support a small paid staff team but is predominantly volunteer run. It presently has several hundred volunteers, with no shortage of new enquiries each week. The charity directly benefits about 1,500 people each year through its programmes and educational resources, including free film training. WORLDwrite is proud of its unique open-door policy to all volunteers.
Key staff include:
Ceri Dingle: Director |
Viv Regan: Director |
Saleha Ali: Volunteer Coordinator |
Registered Office
The WORLDwrite Centre
Millfields Lodge
201 Millfields Road
London, E5 0AL
Tel/Fax: (0044) 020 8985 5435
Email: world.write@btconnect.com
Registered with the charity commission as a youth education charity.
WORLDwrite Charity Registration Number: 1060869
WORLDwrite's annual reports and accounts are freely available to view and download from the UK charity commission website.
A quick historical overview
1992: European tour examining the Holocaust and contemporary racism involving young volunteers in the UK and partner groups in Frankfurt, Berlin and Paris; centre opened in Birmingham.
1993: National open-submission exhibitions on war and censorship and images of the 21st century; volunteer summit in Strasbourg.
1994: UK-wide tour involving 400 schools to re-examine the meaning of Hiroshima and the problem of racial thinking; centre opened in Nottingham.
1995: National exchange programme with Japan; arts exchange; national essay competition; centre opened in London.
1996: Exchanges with Germany; Images of Africa exhibition; Ghana exchange launched.
1997: Gained charitable status, NYVO status and UN DPI NGO status; first outward Ghana exchange; computer refurbishment programme commences to provide computers to UK volunteers and villages and schools in Ghana, India and Brazil.
1998: Exchange visit with rubber tappers in the Brazilian Amazon; first educational film produced and launched with the Brazilian Embassy.
1999: Further Ghana exchange; first Ghana film made for community use, looking at North-South inequality; further shipments of computers to Ghana and India; Brazil hosting programme; India exchange.
2000: Millennium relay over three continents involving volunteers carrying the baton for development; accompanying film work, exhibitions, workshops and summit.
2001: Ghana hosting programme, touring performers from Ghana across UK schools and debating development; huge computer appeal and refurbishment programme completed with container loads for Ghana.
2002: Uganda hosting programme, touring Ugandan Red Cross youth workers with workshops and presentations to encourage volunteers and community groups to debate humanitarianism and the importance of neutrality and aid; arranged alternative summit with SOAS on sustainable development.
2003: Raising Horizons to Raise Water walk across London; further school summits; Breaking Boundaries programme; film facility launched and wins a national award for its fresh and pioneering opportunities.
2004: Breaking Boundaries conference; first documentary, The Bitter Aftertaste, released with Irish partner Group Trasna; Trasna-Ghana exchange; volunteer hosting programme; film groups pioneer ideas for new films, including Flush it and see and Corruptababble; major auction; Shoot it, Share it, Save it programme commences; outreach film training with local groups and Irish partners.
2005: Major Ghana shoot for series of five documentaries; global appeals for Ghana partners ASA and Tsibu Bethel; 100 computers sent to Ghana; festivals screen WORLDwrite films; further celebrity-led auction; hosting programme for young Ghanaians; tours arranged with USA students, film training programmes are a huge success.
2006: UK-wide tour of universities and schools for documentary Damned by Debt Relief; Ghana hosting programme; grants procured for Bethel Cambridge school; charity plans Bulgaria film school; marquees and film tents at festivals; web micro-sites developed for new films; WORLDwrite shorts win huge online audience; over 300 apply for WORLDwrite's intensive film training.
2007: New film training programme launched and over-subscribed; Pricking the Missionary Position series of five documentaries completed; first premieres are sold out as films hit the headlines; four new web microsites developed; DVDs for schools launched; major festival programme commences; London Behind the Scenes new programme starts, involving online, on foot and on film alternative tours, open lectures series gets under way; first three pilot Newsreels completed; appeal launched for Ghanaian village.
2008: The charity launches WORLDbytes its online alternative news channel with programmes filmed by young volunteers learning to shoot on intensive training days. London Behind the Scenes takes off with numerous screenings of its films The More the Merrier & Cash back & popular alternative walking tours.
2009: WORLDbytes releases over 100 programmes in its first year and sees audience figures climb to a cumulative 30,000 viewings per month across over 20 web channels and video hosting sites. London Behind the Scenes launches Hidden London. Ghanaian partners, villages & a shanty town receive support from the charity's global appeal programme. Train and shoot courses for young citizen journalists win widespread commendation.