On Friday 3 July 2026, Wikimedia UK hosted its Big Birthday Party in London, bringing together an inspiring mix of people to celebrate two major milestones: 25 years of Wikipedia and 15 years of Wikimedia UK as a registered charity.
The event brought together editors with two decades of contribution behind them alongside newer volunteers, partners, leaders from the open knowledge sector, policymakers, staff, trustees, members, funders and donors. It was a powerful reminder of the breadth, generosity and commitment of the community that has helped make Wikimedia’s mission real in the UK.
From its beginnings in 2001, Wikipedia has grown into a global public resource spanning more than 300 language editions and a vibrant network of sister projects. Every day, it helps billions of people explore ideas, answer questions and follow their curiosity.
At a time when reliable information, media literacy and public access to knowledge matter more than ever, the gathering was also an opportunity to reflect on the continuing importance of Wikimedia UK’s mission: enabling people in the UK to engage with open knowledge, access reliable information, develop their understanding of the world and make informed decisions about issues that affect them.
We were honoured to welcome Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales as our guest of honour. Jimmy presented Wikimedia UK’s Silver Jubilee Awards, recognising volunteers whose contributions have had a lasting impact on the UK Wikimedia community over the past 25 years.
Silver Jubilee Award nominees
There were more than 20 nominations for 18 potential recipients. The five award winners were proposed by a small subcommittee and approved by Wikimedia UK’s Board of Trustees.
Below is the full list of nominees:
Alice White, Andy Mabbett, Daria Cybulska, Ed Saperia, Ewan McAndrew, Femke Nijsse, Jason Evans, Jess Wade, Kelly Foster, Kirsty Ross, Lucy Hinnie, Lucy Moore, Martin Poulter, Mike Peel, User, Roger Bamkin, Sammy Fox and Zeyi He.
Silver Jubilee Award winners
Huge congratulations to the five Silver Jubilee Award winners.
Andy Mabbett
Andy’s volunteer work is a huge part of Wikimedia UK’s story, and of Wikimedia more broadly, since he began editing in 2003. He has given training, run events, built partnerships and been a mine of knowledge and insight for other volunteers.
Andy was an early adopter of the Wikimedian in Residence model and pioneered ways for institutions to share open knowledge, including through residencies at the Royal Society of Chemistry, ARKive, a charity documenting threatened species, and the Disruptive Media Learning Lab at Coventry University.
Andy also set up the Voice Intro Project, encouraging the subjects of Wikipedia articles to record their own voices. The project famously resulted in a recording made aboard the International Space Station.
Throughout his work, Andy has consistently championed inclusion, particularly the accessibility of Wikimedia projects for users with disabilities. He has remained committed to the vision that we are not simply building websites, but sharing knowledge freely with everyone.
Kelly Foster
Kelly has been a driving force in supporting the addition of content about Black people, who have historically been underrepresented on Wikimedia projects, as well as in training new editors. She has been part of the Wikimedia movement since 2012 and began volunteering with Wikimedia UK in 2016.
Kelly exemplifies leadership and vision. She has served as a trustee of Wikimedia UK and worked as a Wikimedian in Residence with the Making African Connections research project. She is an excellent trainer and advocate, inspiring new contributors and helping organisations understand the value of Wikimedia.
Kelly combines enthusiasm with informed and necessary criticism. She has consistently encouraged the Wikimedia movement to engage with the legacy of colonialism in shaping the world we work in. She reminds us that open knowledge is a transformative project that should challenge, rather than perpetuate, the dominance of Western culture and the best-resourced institutions.
Kirsty Ross
Dr Kirsty Ross’s involvement with Wikimedia UK since 2020 has created an important connection between the charity and higher education. Kirsty is a public engagement professional at the University of St Andrews. She founded the IDEA Network with Dr Abd Alsattar Ardati, which aims to “make knowledge production inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible to all people, regardless of their background, location, or culture”.
Kirsty’s insight into public engagement is invaluable, and she brings fantastic ideas about how to engage people with Wikimedia. Her work shows a deep determination to widen opportunities to contribute to open knowledge, helping ensure that the shared knowledge represented through Wikimedia projects is more reflective of society as a whole.
She also works generously to recognise and champion those around her and those working alongside her.
Lucy Moore
Since joining the Wikimedia movement in 2019, Dr Lucy Moore has become a hugely valued part of the community. She is active in initiatives including Women in Red and has written a Wikipedia article for a woman from every country in the world.
Lucy is innovative and creative as an editor, trainer and colleague. With her deep knowledge of Wikimedia and the GLAM sector, she is able to identify gaps and ways of working that bring real benefit to communities and institutions.
Her activism and attention to marginalised experiences and voices make many Wikimedia projects richer and more equitable. Whether she is investigating ontologies of smell, celebrating queer and trans lives, or getting stuck into talk pages to address systemic bias, Lucy brings care, rigour and imagination to her work.
She also contributes a considerable amount of volunteer time to movement-wide Wikimedia bodies, including the Global Resource Distribution Committee.
Martin Poulter
With a depth of knowledge built through involvement in the movement since 2005, Dr Martin Poulter has been connected with Wikimedia UK from its early days and was part of the push to have it recognised as a charity.
Alongside his role in governance, Martin has been a highly active trainer, supporting Wikimedia UK’s Train the Trainer programme and helping people learn about Wikimedia. He is an excellent communicator, able to help institutions see the value of sharing information openly.
His work as a Wikimedian in Residence across a range of settings, including the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries, has led the way on important Wikidata work and inspired other volunteers to share collections data. His ongoing work with the Khalili Foundation has supported the release of many unique items onto Wikimedia platforms and helped the movement reflect on its coverage of non-Western topics.
Martin is a generous advocate for open knowledge across many different communities. He is kind, thoughtful and has been a huge help to many people over the past two decades.
Gift Knowledge, Your Way
As we mark these landmark anniversaries, we are also inviting everyone to be part of Wikimedia UK’s Gift Knowledge Your Way birthday campaign. Not everyone wants to edit Wikipedia, and that’s completely okay. There are many ways to support open knowledge, and one of the most powerful is by making a donation. Your support helps Wikimedia UK continue its work with volunteers, educators, cultural institutions and communities across the UK to make reliable information more open, accessible and representative. Please consider making a gift today and helping us build the next chapter of open knowledge.
Thank you
Many thanks to everyone who joined us, contributed to the milestone celebrations and continues to make open knowledge possible. Particular thanks go to our Chief Executive, Lucy Crompton-Reid, our Chair, Lucy Yu, and our Vice Chair and Treasurer, Alex Ashby, for helping make the occasion so special.
Here’s to the next chapter: more knowledge, more participation and more people empowered to make informed decisions about the world around them.
