Explore XR
This book is for anyone who wants to explore XR further.
Start Here
The Explore XR Team
What we do and how to contact us
The Explore XR team provides a solid understanding of XRUK whether you are simply looking to find out more about the movement or to become active in some way. We offer support, personal connections and all the tools you need for a flying start, from contributing to a local group to moving into a role with one of our amazing teams anywhere across the movement. We're working to make XRUK a diverse and inclusive space and we welcome everyone.
Want to find out more?
For general information about XR UK, try an Intro to XR talk. If you are ready to get going, come along to an interative Get Involved workshop. To attend either or both you can
Comments from people who have attended our training sessions:
“Very informative and very welcoming”
“I was inspired and motivated”
“I found the resources very useful as a grounding to XR (I wish I had done it earlier, I would have been better prepared for some actions) and to help me find where I could contribute in the working groups.”
“Having now started to engage with SOS (Self-Organising System team), I see that a lot of the training I did has put me in a very good position to understand most of what's going on in meetings”.
The Explore XR team will do its best to support you, whatever you choose to do. Feel free to email us at volunteer@extinctionrebellion.uk with any questions.
Zoom and Data Protection Information
Zoom Technical and Practical FAQs
We recognise that studying online is very different from hard copy reading materials and face-to-face learning. Using your Course Schedule form and attending Zoom sessions, as well as registering for them and keeping track of registration emails, can be a challenge, especially if you are not familiar with technology.
For these reasons, do please study our FAQ sheet FIRST as it has answers to many of the most frequent Zoom technical and practical issues you may encounter on the Course.
Data Protection - XR Volunteer Agreement
By taking part in Explore XR, you may have access to other people's personal details such as email addresses. Therefore, please sign (digitally) our XR Volunteer Agreement.
Learning on Zoom
Here you will learn about registering for and joining Zoom Study Sessions, and what the Study Sessions contain.
Zoom FAQs / Troubleshooting
Zoom Basics
Helpful advice on using zoom is here on the Tech and Data shelf of the Rebel Toolkit.
Do I need a Zoom account to access sessions?
You do not have to sign up to a Zoom account to join sessions. You can access Zoom by clicking on the Zoom link provided.
Note: If you would like to create a Zoom account and join via an account, advice would be to set this up and download Zoom at least 15 minutes before the session so it gives you time to set it up correctly.
I cannot find the email for the Zoom Session for which I registered.
Sometimes emails are directed to spam.
- Search for ‘XR’, ‘ddat+hub’ or volunteer@extinctionrebellion.uk' in your Spam / Junk folder
- Ensure the email address you have provided when you registered is correct.
If you're completely new to using Zoom with XR
XR uses Zoom a lot for our meetings and we have a few ways of working that might be different to what you are used to.
If this will be your first time using Zoom with XR, we recommend you read this short introductory page.
If I miss sessions will I get another chance to go?
- Some sessions are recorded while others can be booked on later dates.
- We do suggest that you plan ahead and book sessions that suit your schedule.
Training via Rebel Toolkit and Rebellion Academy
XR uses a lot of different tools and platforms!
These include Rebel Toolkit and Rebellion Academy for new joiners, and The Hub, Mattermost and iCloud for established team members. The different platforms have evolved over time and been created by different teams. We know this can be confusing but we recommend rolling with it and, with regular use, you'll build familiarity.
Rebel Toolkit (RT)
The Rebel Toolkit is an online library of resources where rebels can find information on how to make and do a huge range of things within the XR movement, from creating banners to writing mandates for teams. You're on it right now!
Rebel Toolkit holds post training resources for many of our training sessions. You can see a list of all our Talks & Training HERE.
Rebellion Academy (RA)
The Rebellion Academy is our online learning platform, offering interactive modules about all things XR. You can work through any of them at your own pace.
You can find more advice on using the Rebellion Academy here.
Users are asked to set up an account. Having an account and log-in means you can leave a training at any point and come back to it easily. It also means you can track which ones have been completed and which ones have sections still to be done. Every time you finish a training, you get a badge; okay it’s virtual, but it’s still an achievement!
What's Next?
Ways To Find Your Place in XR
Use this map to find your Local Group
Local and national actions are advertised HERE
All our campaigns, in-person and digital, are described HERE
Volunteer roles in a regional, national or UK-wide team are advertised on the Volunteer website.
Roles listed on the Volunteer Website can be filtered by:
- Role Type (from home or in-person)
- Types of Work
- Region/Nation
- Hours per week
It’s fine to try out more than one role to experience different aspects of XR. It’s also OK to leave a role if you find you no longer have capacity, or you would prefer to move to a different role, but please give your team a little notice.
In XR, autonomy is a key factor in how we organise as a movement. You can see this in a diagram of our movement, which we call an Organism. You can also read the mandates for all the groups and teams.
If you would like advice on which role to apply for, or if you have not heard back within a week following an application, do email us at volunteer@extinctionrebellion.uk. We will do our best to help.
Group roles
From the Rebellion Academy module Working Group roles, you will have read that teams have the following Core roles in accordance with our Self-Organising System:
- External Coordinator
- Internal Coordinator
- Group admin
These and other XRUK roles can be found here - click on the + sign to read the role mandate.
The other team roles include:
Secretary / Minute-taker : this role requires reasonable keyboard skills and very good listening skills. The secretary:
- arranges meetings and take minutes
- deals with day to day running of the team
- ensures that Action Points are clearly communciated to the team
- might act as facilitator if no-one has filled that role (but it is not expected)
Facilitator : this role requires training since XR meetings run in a specific way. The facilitator ensures that:
- meetings run smoothly according to the group agreement
- every voice is heard
- the agenda is covered as well as possible
- the meeting does not run over time
Integrator : the person in this role makes sure that the team / Local Group has members to fill its roles by recruiting and onboarding new members. Find more about this role in the Recruitment & Onboarding Handbook.
Budget Holder : a good understanding of figures and banking is required, or a willingness to train. The budget holder:
- understands what budget is available to a team and what it must be spent on
- approves expense claims from receipts for goods and services
- approves VLE (Volunteer Living Expenses)
Types of Work
The volunteer roles on the XRUK Volunteer Website can be filtered by 'Types of Work':
Actions
These groups plan and support specific actions and rebellions which need UK-wide involvement.
- Normally you would need to be referred by a trusted rebel and already have some experience through your local group.
- In some cases, your actual presence would be required on-site to help build stages for an action, act as a steward or provide wellbeing on a march.
Community Groups
XR Community Groups are a way to connect and work together through communities of shared self identity, rather than of shared location. The groups are welcoming and supportive, and are looking for you! Select this link to find a list of the Community Groups.
Finance
Finance roles include accounting, book-keeping, managing and monitoring expense claims, Volunteer Living Expenses (VLE) claims, strategic finance, supporting budget preparation, supporting budget holders and reviewing XR's financial and tax status.
Fundraising
XR operates almost entirely on contibutions from individuals.
- We never accept corporate sponsorship.
- Raising enough money for the rebellion to function, to amplify our wider messaging, deepen our relationship with supporters and create powerful content to serve the whole movement is one of the most crucial aspects of our work.
- Without it, XR would not exist!
Governance
Self-Organising Systems (SOS) provides governance by supporting teams on how to be self-organising, decentralised and non-hierarchical, by reference to the XRUK constitution and its principles of holacracy.
Legal
Some roles need legal professionals, but training is available for other roles, e.g. back-office during actions and the support of rebels in court.
Media
The Media & Messaging team is the mouthpiece of XRUK and coordinates all our communication channels.
- It’s a big team with many sub-groups.
- This team sits at the very heart of XRUK, closely linked with Actions and our many allies.
- The team’s output sets the tone and energy of the movement - this is extremely rewarding and impactful work!
Regions and Nations
Each Nation (Scotland, Cymru/Wales, Northern Ireland) and Region (South East, South West, East of England, London, Bristol, Midlands, North, North East & Cumbria) has its own support system and structure.
- You can find these roles quickly on the Volunteer Website using the filter 'UK Region/Nation'.
- Each Region & Nation has a 'Gardener', who supports the Local Groups within that area to grow and develop.
Research
The Data Analysis & Insights team supports evidence-based decision-making across XRUK by carrying out, and consulting on, data research and analysis.
Tech
Our computer services and technical team support and develop our websites, the Action Network application (for emails and newsletters), the Hub, GDPR & Security.
Training
Explore XR and Talks & Training teams include the following:-
- Intro to XR
- Get Involved
- Prepare for Action (Nonviolent Direct Action)
- The World We Want
- Rebellion Academy
Wellbeing
Regenerative Cultures is about creating a self-perpetuating system grown through community, ferocious love and genuine courage.
- This sustains the understanding, exploration, development, training and sharing of regenerative practices.
Global Support
This is a worldwide network of rebels who help XR chapters (Local Groups) grow. Their website is Extinction Rebellion Global.