News & events

If developing filmmaking skills or testing your existing skills while making an impact is of interest, this could be just what you are looking for.

The charity produces programmes, shows, shorts and feature films for public benefit. To help make this possible, it provides part-time training for volunteers interested in exploring ideas and using film, video and TV to get a message across.

The volunteering packages we run, result in actual programmes, reports, films and shows, for which everyone is credited and in the media world credits are currency.

There is a simple application form to complete here. We take all who apply, but don’t leave it too long as places fill up fast!

If you have queries or questions do email us at world.write@btconnect.com

The fabulous hamper we raffled for Worldbytes Worldwrite at the Battle of Ideas festival was won by pale blue ticket number 289. If that’s you please get in touch to claim these amazing goodies! We will keep the hamper at our volunteer centre in Hackney London E5 until December, when if not claimed we will auction items! Thank you to everyone who bought tickets, we raised an impressive £1400. This will pay the charity’s Volunteer centre rent & utility bills for a month, while we start the big edit of 40 sessions filmed, which is a brilliant start!

Thirty two intrepid volunteers filmed more than forty debates at the Battle of Ideas Festival on 19th & 20th October 2024. The crew worked really hard for the full weekend and we hope did justice to some amazing debates. Thousands attended this unique festival in the heart of Westminster and we hope to be media partners again next year. Keep an eye out for all the debates on WORLDwrite’s YouTube channel.

We’d like you to mark your calendars for a party spectacular as this year we’re celebrating WORLDwrite’s 30^th Birthday! Yes, WORLDwrite’s first programmes started life in 1994. With an unwavering belief in freedom and our common humanity, over three decades we’ve worked with 8000 young adults, transcended borders, challenged misanthropy in all its forms and collectively created some great works on a shoestring. Twelve major exchange programmes across the globe, 2000 videos and 18 award winning films in fact. That’s got to be worth a party. So on Saturday 31st August, join us for an unforgettable evening of feasting under the stars, the enchanting melodies of some live acts and a little movie magic. Save the date and be a part of this extraordinary celebration. Free tickets for all friends of the charity and volunteers will be available to book shortly. If you can help us organise this extravaganza from gourmet catering to a spectacular set, to giving us a song or two or designing a fancy invite, your input would be invaluable, just email us so we can rope you in.

At the moment our priority is raising funds to pay our volunteer centre rent and bills, so that we can afford to stay open! Some of our volunteers are doing a ‘Waistland challenge’ to lose pounds and raise many more to help keep the charity’s volunteer centre afloat. They’d be delighted to have your sponsorship here.  Have you got books you can donate to our second-hand bookshop, could you run in a marathon for us? Just email us. Keep us posted on jobs you hear about too, as our volunteers also have bills to pay.

This scholarship fund was set up by WORLDwrite in honour of Sadhvi Sharma who died in March 2021 aged just 39.  The fund will provide annual paid internships for young people interested in working with the charity and using film, TV and journalism to promote the best for humanity. Sadhvi’s husband Fredrik match funded all we innitially raised. The fund will make a huge difference and enable more young people to take up an internship who don’t have the financial means or parental support to do so otherwise.

STOP PRESS  In the first instance, the charity used this fund to help two young people from Ukraine, Hleb (25) & Vladlena (22) to come to the UK and be supported to work with us in 2022. They now have jobs in the media. In 2023 the charity was able to provide paid internships four more young people. Your donations will really help further aspiring young people.

We know Sadhvi would approve!

In her early 20’s, Sadhvi Sharma became a WORLDwrite volunteer. She helped develop and launch its film facility, worked on films in Ghana, the UK and India, became part of the staff team as volunteer coordinator and remained a vital member of the charity’s management committee until her untimely death. Sadhvi’s unfailing courage and commitment to the advancement of our common humanity saw her speaking up for modernization in Mumbai, challenging population control policies globally and campaigning for unfettered free speech and freedom in the UK. As an advocate of the most direct democracy possible Sadhvi believed in the capacity of us all to improve our lot.

This scholarship fund will assist young people interested in following a similarly inspiring and fearless path by developing media skills as Sadhvi did, to share ideas with the world that will make it a better place for us all.

Our Citizen TV volunteers filmed thirty-three debates at the Battle of Ideas Festival in November 2023

Most people maybe don’t know what it takes to get a completed video out, even a simple 1.5 hour debate. To capture, sync, (2 cameras) edit, sound clean, colour correct, add titles, straps & end credits, transcode, export, compress and upload takes a minimum of 2 days for each debate.

Thirty-three debates, sixty-six days, that’s £8,580 we need to raise, without paying anyone. There are some vital and fascinating debates here, well worth sharing with the world, but to get them completed we need to raise at least this target.

All the debates we have edited so far are available on this website here and on our WORLDwrite Youtube channel.

Please chip in what you can on our Justgiving page by clicking on the button below. Thank you.

An interesting venue from a filmmaker’s point of view, the historic Church House in Westminster was taken over by the Battle of Ideas Festival.

Our stalwart crew of young volunteers filmed 33 live debates over two days! A truly epic task.

This was the first-ever live shoot for most of our volunteers and they got up early, held their nerve, remembered their training, worked very hard and went to bed very late to produce professional-quality films with no ‘do overs’.

Well done to everyone who took part.

The charity is always looking for volunteers to help ensure our videos are well watched, the website is well known and our films screen globally. Whether you are a social media guru or digital marketing aficionado or have never tried anything of the kind, your help will be invaluable. From targeting free listing sites to Facebook groups to creating memes, there is plenty to do and we’ll show you how. Just email us from where ever you are in the world and we’d be delighted to rope you in.

Congratulations to, from left to right: Chiara; Lily; Emma; Maria; Bushra; Shuangqing; Max; Nicky and Krista for being voted WORLDwrite Jack Petchey Young Achievers.

Each one of them earned their votes in different but equally inspiring ways and deserve this recognition from their peers.

Special thanks to the Jack Petchey Foundation for their continued support. The foundation kept the charity’s young Citizen TV maker project afloat with a Covid Recovery grant. The whole team is hugely grateful.

IF ANYONE ELSE CAN CHIP IN, PLEASE DO.

As many of you know, WORLDwrite provides at least £1500 every year to share between families in villages in some of the poorest parts of Ghana. We met them when we were filming over 15 years ago and money is handed over in cash with no strings. A few key donors who have met family members chip in and the charity provides the rest.

With the cost of living crisis, a lot of people have had a hard year here but rest assured it’s been far harder for our peers in Ghana.

We have always believed in putting our money where our mouth is and we hope everyone who believes in real freedom will do the same. We hope you will have a heart and dig deep again this year.

You can make a donation directly into the charity’s account and reference it ‘For Ghana’. The account details are Account name: Worldwrite RC 1060869, Account number: 50071380, Sort code: 089001. Thank you.

Congratulations to Janith, Marianne & Anisa who were nominated and won the vote to receive Jack Petchey Foundation Youth Achievement Awards.

“Won’t you help to sing Another song of freedom” -Bob Marley

WORLDwrite’s big event for the festive season was developed with a crew of young volunteers. It was a continuous 8 hour festival of freedom online, with 100 high level speakers, top comedians, singers, writers, actors, activists and volunteers providing 4 minutes apiece on freedom and free speech. Given all the frustrations and fear that blight our lives due to Covid-19, it served to remind the world why freedom and democracy are so important for humanity to thrive. The event has been hailed as a major success and many of the inspiring 4 minute contributions are now available to watch as videos here and the full line up is here. The event raised enough to pay all the charity’s Centre bills in December too, checkout the Freedom Babbleon JustGiving page here.