Celebrate the beauty of our planet: Wiki Loves Earth 2025 is here!


We’re excited to announce the launch of Wiki Loves Earth 2025, the global photography competition dedicated to showcasing the stunning natural landscapes and protected areas around the world. Since its inception in 2013, Wiki Loves Earth has celebrated the beauty and diversity of our planet, encouraging photographers of all levels to share their most captivating images of national parks, nature reserves, and UNESCO World Heritage sites.


Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or an enthusiastic beginner, this is your chance to contribute to the Wikimedia Commons community and help document the world’s natural wonders. From lush forests and towering mountains to pristine lakes and vibrant wildlife, your photos can inspire awareness and conservation efforts worldwide.

For the first time, England will be participating in this year’s competition alongside Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

By taking part in Wiki Loves Earth, you can help celebrate and showcase the beauty of the United Kingdom’s varied landscapes and wildlife, have your photos seen and recognised at an international level, contribute to open and free knowledge, and provide a visual document of the changes happening in the natural environment in the UK.

Last year, nearly 5000 images were submitted in the UK, many of which have been used to illustrate articles across all language Wikipedias like this one on the German Wikipedia and this one on the English Wikipedia. 

While many of the places you can photograph will be open to the public, please do check if they are accessible before travelling as some areas may be closed and interacting with wildlife may be discouraged at particular times of the year.

You can submit as many images as you want, and as long as you are the photographer and the photos are uploaded in June and July it doesn’t matter when they were taken. There are prizes at both country and international level for the winners. Judges will determine the winners of the contest by taking into consideration the following criteria (in no particular order):

  • Technical quality (sharpness, use of light, perspective etc.);
  • Originality;
  • Usefulness of the image for Wikipedia.
Llyn y Fan Fach Brecon Beacons National Park. Keith Lawson 11, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

If you’re looking for some inspiration or just want to have a visual feast, you can see last year’s winners from Wales here and Scotland here. 

There are prizes available, including £100 for the winning photograph of a place in the UK.

Read more about Wiki Loves Earth 2025 and how to participate in your nation below:

Wikimedia UK and the Royal Society host workshop on information literacy and future health emergencies

As part of Wikimedia UK’s work in the area of information literacy, in late 2023 we partnered with the BBC and the Royal Society to plan, programme and host a two day invitation-only workshop with high level policy makers, broadcasters, academics, practitioners and other stakeholders working in the field of information literacy.

The topic was ‘Building resilience to future emergencies and disinformation through adult media literacy’, and the aim was to develop a set of recommendations for policy makers and organisations working in related fields. Wikimedia UK brought our extensive network within information literacy and worked closely with the Royal Society to shape the agenda, while also acting as hosts and facilitators for the event which our Chief Executive, Lucy Crompton-Reid, chaired alongside the BBC’s Ros Atkins.

We are delighted to share the summary note from the workshop here.

Building adult community resilience to disinformation during health emergencies through information literacyDownload

Trans + History Week Edit-a-thon

By Gemma Coleman | Wikimedia UK Wales Programme Coordinator

On 9th May 2025, Wikimedia UK proudly collaborated with WMLGBT+ and the National Library of Wales on a Trans + History Week Edit-a-thon hosted by Cardiff Central Library. The aim was to celebrate the contributions of Trans people here in Wales by improving the coverage of notable Trans people and events on different Wikipedia projects.

We had a range of editors attend, from those very new to Wikipedia who wanted support building their Wiki skills, to more experienced editors wanting some advice on articles they were currently working on. One attendee, Keira, said:

“This was the first time I’d met other Wikipedia editors, and everyone was so friendly and lovely! I learnt a lot, and it’s got me excited to contribute more!”

Bilingual editing

The editathon was facilitated and attended by both Welsh and English speakers so we were able to work together on articles on both Wicipedia and English Wikipedia and some editors also updated Wikidata too. 

The mix of language abilities mean some less confident Welsh speakers were able to tackle some smaller edits in Welsh that they wouldn’t have felt confident making on their own. Having other Welsh speakers on hand meant they could easily check spelling, grammar and the best way to translate terms, improving their own Welsh skills and ensuring the quality of the language used on Wicipedia.  

Gender and historical figures

Whilst we munched on welshcakes and tea, we talked about our experiences editing Wiki. A contributor shared an article draft about an individual whose gender identity lacks historical consensus, yet this complexity was only briefly addressed.  The editor believed this lack of consensus deserved greater emphasis based on the source material but had found that even small attempts to incorporate this nuance were quickly being undone by other editors. 

We talked about challenges in clearly and fairly recording gender identity of historical figures. We also talked about different ways editors could work well with other wiki editors to create unbiased articles that fairly represent the prominence of opposing points of view as per Wikipedia’s Neutral Point of View policy.

What we achieved

Over the afternoon, 5 brand new articles were created (3 in Welsh and 2 in English) and another 3 articles were improved to ensure the lead images and pronouns used throughout reflected the subject’s most recently expressed self-identification, as per Wikipedia’s Manual of Style:/Biography guidelines. Some attendees also then went on to join a related online editathon run by WMLGBT+ starting that evening.

Want to join in?

If you couldn’t join us but would have loved to, there are lots of ways you can still get involved.

Useful resources

Wikimedia UK Statement: Online Safety Act

Potential legal challenge of the UK Online Safety Act Categorisation Regulations by the Wikimedia Foundation


Wikimedia UK is not a party to this claim as we are not the legal hosts of Wikipedia.

Wikimedia UK is an independent charity based in the UK. As the national chapter for the global Wikimedia movement, we are committed to open knowledge and free access to information. Wikimedia Foundation is a key funder of our work. We also receive project-based funding from other organisations such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Big Lottery Fund and Swire Charitable Trust in the UK, as well as donations from individuals. 

As an independent educational charity, Wikimedia UK has been an active advocate for public interest projects like Wikipedia to be exempt from the UK Online Safety Act. We have participated in a wide number of consultations, debates, discussions with ministers, parliamentarians, civil servants, academics, educationalists, child rights organisations, the regulator and those working to promote free expression to express our concerns about the Online Safety Act and its implications for access to information in the UK. We have clearly articulated our view that Wikipedia should not be subject to the most onerous requirements of the UK’s regulatory framework for online safety, which has been designed principally for profit-making, algorithmically driven social media platforms. 

We share Wikimedia Foundation’s concerns about the recently announced categorisation thresholds for the Online Safety Act, and their implications for Wikipedia.

You can read the Wikimedia Foundation’s blog post on their legal challenge here. Media enquiries can be directed to press@wikimedia.org at the Wikimedia Foundation.

Train the trainer 2025 – Expressions of interest now open

Are you a passionate Wikipedia editor? Would you like to learn how you can share your passion for Wikipedia editing (and contributing to other free open knowledge Wikimedia projects) by running Wikipedia editing events to train new editors and communities? If so, our next Train the Trainer (TtT) course is taking place July to August 2025 and will equip you with the skills and resources needed to deliver successful Wiki editing events to support the UK wiki community. We would love to hear from you if you’re interested in taking part. 

About the TtT course

Our flagship TtT course trains volunteers who are keen to deliver Wikipedia editing events. Volunteer trainers play a key role in the delivery of Wikimedia UK programmes and contribute to Wikimedia projects being free from systemic and systematic bias and recognised as a vital source of reliable knowledge and information.

They support other editors to be part of Wikimedia projects creating a welcoming and supportive environment to facilitate contribution to open knowledge projects. They train new and existing editors and communities across the country, in-person, online or in hybrid sessions. Trainers deliver events fielded to them by Wikimedia UK and build relationships within their own communities to deliver Wiki editing events.

Wikimedia UK Train the Trainer session

The TtT training will equip candidate trainers with the skills, experience and resources to deliver a standard ‘Introduction to Wikipedia’ edit-a-thon and other Wiki editing events. In advance of the in-person sessions in August, participants will complete a four week WikiLearn course, starting 14th July, with a commitment of approx 1-2 hours per week. There will also be the opportunity to have access to the experience and knowledge of accredited trainers who have been delivering Wikimedia editing events. 

Get involved

Expressions of interest are welcomed from all. However, we are actively seeking and would particularly welcome applicants from Black, South Asian and minority groups; women; and members of the LGBT+ community. We are also keen to hear from trainers from Wales and Central England.

The in-person training will take place in Birmingham. We encourage people to participate in-person, however hybrid is also possible. We have a budget to cover travel and accommodation costs, and will provide lunch and refreshments.

Attendance at all events and completion of the Wiki learn course are essential. 

Course content and key dates

  • 14th July onwards – Four week WikiLearn self led course.
  • Thursday 14th August 2025 /18:00-20:30/online: Introductory Session.
  • Saturday 16th August 2025 /10:00-16:00/in-person: Train the Trainer Day 1.
  • Sunday 17th August 2025 /10:00-16:00/in-person: Train the Trainer Day 2 – Practice skills and meeting existing community of trainers.

What you could expect from us

  • Full training and support to deliver a standard ‘Introduction to Wikipedia’ edit-a-thon and similar events.
  • Access to event materials.
  • Ongoing support and mentorship.
  • Volunteer expenses where appropriate.
  • Job references upon request.

What we would expect from you

  • Familiarity with and a desire to increase your knowledge of the Wikimedia Projects, particularly Wikipedia.
  • Full attendance at the training course.
  • To complete the online self led course (1-2 hours per week).
  • To lead training for a minimum of 2 events per year. This would be a mixture of third party events which we would field to you, and those you would organise yourself. Please note that we do receive requests for training to be delivered within office hours.
  • To be responsive to communication from Wikimedia UK staff and fellow volunteers and Event Organisers, including in advance of the event.
  • To complete basic reporting, including returning sign up information.
  • To represent Wikimedia UK well during the time in which you are volunteering.
  • To adhere to our Safe Spaces policy, and the Code of Conduct.

How to apply

Places are limited to make sure that each participant gets individual attention and feedback, so please apply via the following forms to express your interest. Call for interest will close on 19th May. We will be interviewing candidates the week beginning 26th May.

If you would like to see this content in a different format, or need an alternative way to submit your application, contact rupal.karia@wikimedia.org.uk 

Candidate Trainers Application Form

Further information

The Wikimedia UK Volunteer Trainer Role description.

Community Sandbox Sessions

By Dr. Sara Thomas – Programme Manager, Wikimedia UK

Do you have an idea for a Wiki-learning session?  Have you found something that you’d like to share with other Wikimedians, or an idea that you’d like to try out?  And would you like some help from Wikimedia UK in sharing it? 

In response to feedback from the community around having opportunities to improve Wiki-skills, and connecting with other community members, and as part of the overall training package for 2025, we’re excited to introduce a new strand of event programming, called Community Sandbox Sessions.

We’re looking to programme up to 6 virtual events over the next year, which would be open to all members of the UK community, and supported by Wikimedia UK.  We’re asking community members to propose sessions that you’d like to lead.

Session suggestions

The type or format of any event is open; but we’d like to encourage proposals which go beyond the traditional Wikipedia editathon – for example: 

  • Here’s a cool Wikidata tool I’ve found, let’s try it out
  • Wikisource transcribe-a-thon
  • A talk on how to run backstage pass events
  • Here’s how I got this article to Featured Article status
  • Let’s add images from this collection to Wikipedia
  • A mobile meeting where we take pictures of our local area for Wikimedia Commons
  • Minoritised language work – eg: adding Wikidata labels
  • Building a worklist & finding reliable sources for future events

Dates and times

Events can take place throughout the year, and can also be on an evening or weekend.  Suggested duration is an hour, but longer (or shorter!) events could be considered.  We’re suggesting that these events are online in the first instance, to reach the widest possible audience, and all events should of course be run in line with the Wikimedia UK Safe Space policy.  

Support WMUK can offer 

  • Advice on refining your format
  • Setting up of Event Registration 
  • Event promotion through UK listings & mailing lists
  • Hosting on the WMUK Zoom account / Google Meet
  • Friendly space support from a WMUK staff member (or volunteer) during the event 

This is very much an experiment, and we hope that the format will allow community members to share knowledge and skills, and get to know other UK Wikimedians, as well as test out new ideas!  If you’d be interested in running a session, please submit a proposal here.

Deadline

The initial deadline for submitting proposals is Tuesday 20th May. 

If you have any questions, please contact sara.thomas@wikimedia.org.uk.

Join Wikimedia UK – Chair of the Board of Trustees

We are currently seeking a new dynamic and visionary Chair of our Board of Trustees to lead our organisation into its next chapter. We are grateful to our outgoing Chair, Monisha Shah, for her impactful tenure over the past four years. She leaves the charity well-positioned with strong finances, a robust five-year strategic plan, motivated staff and secure core funding.

Ideal candidate

The ideal candidate for this role will bring significant leadership experience within the public or nonprofit sectors, coupled with a strong understanding of charity governance, financial oversight, and strategic planning. Excellent communication skills and a commitment to inclusivity, open knowledge, and the values of Wikimedia UK are essential. Experience in areas such as cultural heritage, education, or climate is desirable.

About the role

The Chair will shape our strategic direction, ensuring effective governance and representing Wikimedia UK externally. Key responsibilities include chairing quarterly board meetings and the AGM and acting as the main liaison with the Chief Executive. 

Time commitment

The expected commitment is at least a day per month, mostly online but with some in-person engagements in London. Reasonable expenses will be reimbursed. The initial appointment will be for two-years, with the possibility of extension by mutual agreement.

How to apply

For more information including how to apply, download the recruitment pack here.

Deadline

The deadline for applications is Sunday 18th May 2025.

This is a unique opportunity to lead a forward-thinking charity. As Chair, you will work alongside a dedicated Board and talented staff to make a meaningful impact in the lives of millions across the U.K. and beyond

Monisha Shah to Step Down as Chair of the Wikimedia UK Board of Trustees

We will soon be honouring Monisha Shah’s impactful tenure as she steps down from her role as Chair of our Board of Trustees at the end of June 2025. We deeply appreciate her support, insight and expertise over the past four years. Monisha’s leadership throughout her time with us has been instrumental in guiding Wikimedia UK through a period of strategic growth, increased community engagement, and strengthened governance.

A message from Monisha Shah

“Wikimedia UK is an outstanding example of how fantastic people – trustees, staff colleagues, volunteers – working together with integrity and commitment can ensure that a small charity has a huge impact. The work that it does is important, now more than ever. It has been my privilege to chair WMUK  and to support its core missions. I will miss working with this talented group of people who stand firmly for knowledge equity and information literacy and this distinguished Board who have the courage and commitment to stand alongside them. I wish Wikimedia UK all the best in its future endeavours”.

A message from Lucy-Crompton-Reid – Wikimedia UK Chief Executive

“It has been a real privilege to work closely with Monisha over the past four years, and to learn from her significant experience in charity governance and organisational leadership. I have greatly valued Monisha’s professional but pragmatic approach, her unswerving commitment to the charity and her personal warmth and humour. I wish her all the very best in her future endeavours”. 

Looking Ahead: Recruitment for a New Chair

We have started the process of recruiting for a new Chair. This is a pivotal leadership role, responsible for guiding our organisation’s strategic direction, ensuring strong governance, and representing Wikimedia UK to our community and stakeholders. We are seeking an inspiring leader with a passion for open knowledge and experience in charity governance.

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply before the deadline on 18 May 2025.

More info and how to apply

Celebrating Monisha’s Tenure 

During her time, Monisha has been a champion of Wikimedia UK’s mission, helping to:

  • Strengthen organisational governance and financial resilience
  • Expand strategic partnerships and community initiatives
  • Increase visibility and impact of Wikimedia projects across the UK
  • Support a diverse and inclusive organisational culture

We sincerely thank Monisha for her dedication, vision, and leadership. Her contributions have laid a strong foundation for Wikimedia UK’s future success. We look forward to welcoming a new Chair to lead our organisation into its next chapter soon.

About Wikimedia UK

Wikimedia UK is a registered charity dedicated to supporting Wikimedia projects and promoting open knowledge and information literacy. Our mission is to enable people in the UK to engage with open knowledge and access reliable information in order to develop their understanding of the world, and make informed decisions about issues that affect them. We work in partnership with organisations from the cultural and education sectors and beyond to unlock content, remove barriers to knowledge, develop new ways of engaging with the public and enable learners to benefit fully from the educational potential of the Wikimedia projects.

Stay Connected

For updates on the board transition or to learn more about our work, please contact us at info@wikimedia.org.uk.

Celebrating International Women’s Day 2025 in Perth, Scotland

By Gill Ryan, Wikimedia editor and trainer, founder of Perth Women on Wikipedia

On International Women’s Day 2025, Perth Women on Wikipedia celebrated by researching and sharing the stories of remarkable women from Perth’s history. The project started as a six week course run in partnership between Culture Perth and Kinross Libraries and Wikimedia UK in 2023. Since then we have run themed editing workshops and given talks about Perth’s women and for IWD25, we did both!

We gave a talk on Perth Women on Wikipedia at an event in Perth Civic Hall, then headed to AK Bell Library for a PWOW workshop. Running the workshop in partnership with the library’s local history team meant participants could learn about the many physical and digital resources they can access in the library as well as Wikipedia editing skills. We had the amazingly knowledgeable staff on hand to tell us about the resources and help point us in the right direction.

Research

We were able to research and improve Wikipedia biographies of notable women using reliable sources from the library. A reliable source must have a named author and a publisher. If no reliable sources can be found on a topic, Wikipedia should not have an article on it. Luckily, the local newspaper catalogue was a trove of articles and obituaries of notable Perth women. Last year, we added nearly 10,000 words to Wikipedia, including 144 new references from sources we found in the library. On IWD we added another 43 references and a fantastic 6000 words!

Jess Smith

One of the articles we improved was that of Jess Smith, a writer and storyteller from a Perthshire Traveller background. Her article was a stub with no photograph, but as it happened Jess was doing a book event in a local bookshop the day before, so I popped in and asked if I could take a photo for her Wikipedia article. She was happy to and it gave me the opportunity to demo uploading images to Wikimedia Commons during the workshop. With this and some additional sources the editors turned up, the article was significantly improved (see below).

The workshop was open to seasoned editors as well as newbies and we had a lovely mix of experience and ages. Everyone had an interest in women’s history and were keen to get stuck into our worklist, which has grown from an initial 37 women to more than 160. Some of them have biographies that need to be improved while others are still waiting for one to be created, despite their many accomplishments. We’re working on it. And we’re happy to share the list, for example with Perth Civic Trust which is aiming to install new heritage plaques in Perth, with at least a third of them being for women.

Wikimedia UK Support

We’re very grateful to Wikimedia UK for providing project funding for the workshop, which enabled us to contribute to venue overheads and provide refreshments for our busy editors as they worked to make Wikipedia less sexist on International Women’s Day. Projects like PWOW have contributed in small and important ways to the growth of women’s biographies on Wikipedia, from 15.5% in 2015 to just over 20% in December 2024.

We have plans this year to provide more regular support for new editors, with a monthly club starting in June. We would also like to engage more with LGBTQ+ and other minoritised communities in Perth and are planning themed workshops later this year.

Images: (Gillaween, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Contact details: 

In grateful honour of Mr Christopher Price Hinton

Wikimedia UK is grateful for the support and contributions of individuals who believe in our mission to enable people in the UK to engage with open knowledge and access reliable information in order to develop their understanding of the world, and make informed decisions about issues that affect them.

Celebrating a legacy of generosity and impact

We are proud to celebrate and honour the legacy of Mr Christopher Price Hinton who left Wikimedia UK a substantial gift in his will. His generous donation will ensure that our important work continues and that we are able to expand our impact.

On behalf of Wikimedia UK, we are thankful for Mr Hinton’s incredible act of kindness and for believing in our work. We also extend our deepest gratitude to his estate for ensuring that his gift reached us. His legacy will live on in the hearts of those who benefit from our programmes and in the continuous efforts of our staff and volunteers who work very hard everyday to advance our mission.

Inspired by Mr Hinton’s generosity? You too can help make a difference! Here’s more information on how you can support Wikimedia UK through a gift in your will.