Here are full details on how you can join the AWOL team as a Co-ordinator.

Who are Co-ordinators?

AWOL Co-ordinators are volunteers who help to organise AWOL events and activities, and encourage and offer support to others to run their own events. The title emphasises the fact that they help co-ordinate what happens in the organisation, and do not “rule over” AWOL members.

What are the benefits of being an AWOL Co-ordinator?

The role of Co-ordinator is a purely voluntary position, and so there is no financial recompense for it. However, Co-ordinators will be able to develop and demonstrate various skills, such as team working, and planning/organising events. Co-ordinators will be able to state the fact that they’re volunteers for AWOL on their CVs, and will be able to use the Lead Co-ordinator as a reference for job applications if they wish to do so.

What is the time commitment for AWOL Co-ordinators?

As much or as little as each volunteer is willing to give. However, there will be an overall increase in activity around November when the AWOL main writing event takes place.

How do I apply to be an AWOL Co-ordinator?

Send an e-mail to: associatedwritersoflondon@gmail.com

The subject of the e-mail should be “Co-ordinator Application”. The body of the e-mail should state how you meet the criteria for Co-ordinators, and that you agree to the key principles (both stated in Section A below). It should also say what you feel you can bring to the Co-ordinator team, including what relevant experience you have. Try to keep the length of this e-mail to no more than about 1,000 words (although you don’t have to write as much as that).

There is no deadline for applications, and they will be considered on a rolling basis until further notice. The Lead Co-ordinator may request to meet with you prior to making a decision on your application. (N.B. At the time of writing – August 2025 – the Lead Co-ordinator will be making the decisions on who to appoint as Co-ordinators. Once a team of Co-ordinators is established these decisions will then be taken by the team, including the Lead Co-ordinator.)

AWOL is an organisation which champions and celebrates inclusion and diversity. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from members of under-represented groups.

Job Description

Version 1.1

Signed off by Lead Co-ordinator, Sophie Green, on 24/08/2025.

To be reviewed no later than 31/08/2026, and then at least annually thereafter.

The Job Description is split into three sections.

Section A

This section is split into two parts – Criteria and Principles. All Co-ordinators must meet all of the Criteria, and agree to abide by all of the Principles. The Criteria and Principles are not negotiable.

Criteria

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You must live in, or near, London. (“Near London” is broadly defined as being able to easily travel into central London for in-person events, although you won’t have to attend every in-person event.)
• You must previously have taken part in at least one organised month-long writing challenge, whether this was organised through AWOL, NaNoWriMo, or a similar organisation.
• You must be willing to work as part of a team, listening to the views of others, and be able to work towards a compromise (whilst also adhering to the Principles) where views between individual Co-ordinators differ.

Principles

• AWOL is an organisation which champions and celebrates inclusion and diversity. We are an open and welcoming space for people of all Protected Characteristics, as defined by the Equality Act (2010) – Age, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Reassignment (irrespective of whether or not a physical transition has taken place), Race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), Disability, Religion or Belief, Being Married or in a Civil Partnership, and Being Pregnant or on Maternity Leave. AWOL Co-ordinators must not discriminate against any individual on the basis of a Protected Characteristic.
• Whilst AWOL is not primarily for, or advertised to, minors (i.e. people under the age of 18), minors may participate in AWOL *. When dealing with minors, Co-ordinators will abide by child safeguarding best practice. This includes (but is not limited to) not having private online conversations with minors (unless directly dealing with a moderation or safeguarding matter, or responding to an enquiry directly related to AWOL), not arranging to meet up with minors alone in private, and not including minors in conversations (online or in person) of an adult nature.
• Whenever a safeguarding issue arises within AWOL (whether it relates to a minor or a vulnerable adult), Co-ordinators will treat the issue seriously and as a priority, and not as an inconvenience.
• AWOL events are meant to be fun and enjoyable for all participants – including those organising them. Co-ordinators will endeavour to do their best to ensure that this is so.

* Minors will need to be at least 13 years old to participate in our online spaces, as per the Terms of Service of the spaces we use. Specific guidelines regarding the presence of minors at in-person events will be developed and agreed upon once a Co-ordinator team is in place, however, it has already been determined that minors under the age of 16 should be accompanied by an adult at an in-person event.

Section B

The items in this section are the minimum activities that Co-ordinators will be expected to do. Each individual Co-ordinator will not have to do everything within this section, but the team of Co-ordinators will need to collectively ensure that all of the below happens.

• Organise a Launch Party ahead of the main AWOL event in November. This normally takes the form of a social gathering in a pub in central London on the last Saturday in October.
• Organise a “You Made It” Party after the main AWOL event in November. This normally takes the form of a social gathering in a pub in central London on the first Saturday in December.
• Organise two “Rilla” events each year – one in November as part of the main AWOL event (called “AWOLRilla”), and one in July (called “SummeRilla”). “Rilla” events normally take place on a Saturday, and consist of a walking tour around London, with stops to do writing sprints. Co-ordinators will need to plan and test routes in advance, with backup indoor locations planned in case of bad weather.
• Run a weekly write-in every Sunday from January to November. These take place at 1pm – 4pm, at a coffee shop in central London. (Co-ordinators can consider a change in venue, but should ensure that a consistent venue is chosen i.e. they don’t change venue each week.) Sunday Write-Ins consist of 15 minutes of chat at the top of each hour, followed by 45 minutes of silent writing. (The “silent” part of “silent writing” is to be enforced more strictly during the main AWOL event in November.)
• Run and moderate the AWOL Discord server and Facebook group.
• Promote AWOL and AWOL events via the official AWOL accounts on social media platforms. (N.B. AWOL currently has a presence on Facebook, X [formerly known as Twitter], and Instagram. The exact social media platforms that AWOL will have a presence on going forward can change, and will be discussed and agreed upon once a Co-ordinator team is in place.)
• Answer any enquiries about AWOL received via e-mail on the AWOL Gmail account, and via other means (such as social media and Discord).
• Send out regular e-mails, via our mailing list, informing people of AWOL events.
• Encourage AWOL members to run their own events, such as write-ins, and to share details of these events with other members, via the AWOL website and by e-mail.
• Establish a way to handle donations to cover the running costs of AWOL. (N.B. It is not a requirement for AWOL Co-ordinators to fund AWOL running costs out of their own pocket.)
• Update and maintain the AWOL website.
• Produce AWOL stickers and distribute them at in-person events.
• Going forward, AWOL will encourage members (although not make it mandatory) to get sponsored for their writing challenges to raise money for charity. Co-ordinators will select which charity AWOL will raise money for (although individual members would be free to raise money for other charities if they wish to do so). The aim will be to select a different charity each year. Co-ordinators will not handle charity donations directly. They will either arrange for members to donate money directly to the chosen charity, or will set up a page on a third party website to take donations and pass them on to the chosen charity.
• Select and appoint other Co-ordinators to join the team, as required.

Section C

The items in this section are suggested optional extra activities for Co-ordinators to do. It is not a requirement for them to carry out any of these tasks, and they should only take them on if they feel they have the capacity to do so. This list is not exhaustive, and Co-ordinators will be encouraged to come up with their own ideas for additional activities for them to carry out. Some items in this list have financial costs associated with them. Co-ordinators can choose to use their own money for these if they wish to do so, but it will not be mandatory for any Co-ordinator to use their own money to fund any AWOL activities.

• Send out postcards to members (who choose to receive them) with personalised pep talks written on them.
• Consider appointing a Treasurer from amongst the Co-ordinators, to manage AWOL finances, and produce an annual report on income and expenditure. Once in place, develop a budgeted fundraising list, and then approach appropriate businesses and organisations to see if they would like to sponsor AWOL.
• Organise an overnight writing event. In the past these have taken part on a Saturday night/Sunday morning in the latter part of November. They have taken place in a bookshop and in Scout huts. They consist of a series of writing sprints interspersed with games. Co-ordinators would have to identify a venue, assess the costs (possibly asking for voluntary contributions from attendees), and come up with a schedule for the night, including selecting (and even devising) what games to play.
• Organise writing trips to other cities. In the past trips have been organised to Brighton, Cambridge, and Oxford.
• Arrange a way for members (who choose to do so) to share their wordcounts in a league table as part of a friendly competition. (In 2024 we used Trackbear for this.)
• Organise “Word Wars” and other writing challenges with other writing groups in other regions, both in the UK and throughout the world.
• Select and design an official mascot for AWOL.