2012 Annual Report/SORP
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AGM: Elections (Candidate statements · Candidate questions) — Resolutions — Minutes |
2011-12 Annual report (SORP)
Wiki UK Limited
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
Annual Report and Financial Statements
For the period ended 31 January 2012
Wiki UK Limited
Financial Statements for the period to 31 January 2012
Contents
| Trustees' annual report | Page |
| Independent Auditor's report | Page |
| Statement of Financial activities | Page |
| Balance sheet | Page |
| Notes to the accounts | Page |
Legal and administrative information
| Full name | Wiki UK Limited |
| Registered company number | 06741827 |
| Registered charity number | 1144513 |
| Trustees | Roger Bamkin Christopher Keating |
| Company Secretary | Michael Peel |
| Principal Address | 4th Floor, Development House |
| Bankers | The Co-operative Bank Stockport Business Direct |
| Reporting Accountants | UHY Hacker Young Chartered Accountants |
Message from the Chair and Chief Executive
As Brandon says on one of our fundraising banners, "This is the first line of my obituary". Eighteen months ago I decided to "come out" and attend a Wikipedian event at the British Museum organised by the board and Liam Wyatt. This was the first time I met many people who were to become leading members of the movement and my friends. Last April I was the UK's second Wikipedian in residence, we had launched QRpedia and I'd been elected chair of Wikimedia UK. All we had to do was become a registered charity, convince a sceptical movement that we could run a £1million fundraiser, find staff and an office and continue to create new and exciting events. What chance was there that we would achieve all that?
Here you will find an annual report that fifty employees who had battled all year could be proud of. I'm thrilled to see the comments from Ting and Liam that underline the success we as volunteers have had. However the effort is unsustainable without professional support and we now have four employees who can help us take our mission further.
Wikimedia has enabled me to meet some wonderful people and QRpedia has put me into contact with enthusiasts around the world. I remember telling you that "we had a billion pound product and we are going places". I think we still have that product and we have moved down the road towards our goal. I'm particularly pleased that Monmouthpedia shows that we can still innovate and have Wikimedia-led projects. I have had the honour to serve an amazing charity and to work with some wonderful people. Thank you.
Roger Bamkin, Chair Wikimedia UK 2011-12
This has been an amazing 12 months for Wikimedia UK and I am so pleased to have played a small part in it. To become your Chief Executive was quite an experience in itself. Although I had been editing pages in a modest way I really didn't have a sense of how much went on behind the pages but after five interviews, including a sort of 'X-Factor' visit to the London Wikimeet, all had become clear.
We now have a UK base with staff, coffee and, most crucially, space for visitors and volunteers. Our building is accessible 24/7 and we have already held several great volunteer events. We have a core staff of four – Richard Symonds, Daria Cybulska, Stevie Benton and myself. Each of us are there to help the community and deliver our very ambitious programme of events and activities. I hope all of us will be familiar faces soon and that we can take some of the administrative burden off the shoulders of the volunteers who have done such an amazing job.
This annual report looks back at the achievements of the past twelve months but also forward to what we hope to achieve. Most credit must be given to the trustees and volunteers who made so much happen so quickly!
2012 will be a year for volunteers, trustees and staff together. I can't wait to write next year's report.
Jon Davies, Chief Executive Wikimedia UK.
Structure, Governance and Management
Wiki UK Limited, which operates under the name Wikimedia UK, is a charitable company limited by guarantee and therefore has no share capital. It was incorporated on 5 November 2008 as a company number 06741827. It was granted charitable status by the Charity Commission on 3 November 2011.
The company is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association incorporated on 5 November 2008. These have been amended subsequently by Special Resolutions passed at General Meetings of members and various rules have been adopted by the board.
The organisation has signed a 'Chapter Agreement' with the Wikimedia Foundation, a Florida-registered non-profit that operates Wikipedia and its sister websites and owns the Wikimedia trademark. Each party agrees to support the work of the other and agrees not to engage in activities that negatively impact on the work or image of the other.
The company has also signed a 'Chapter Fundraising Agreement' with the Wikimedia Foundation which establishes the basis upon which the company participates in the annual fundraiser that takes place via Wikipedia and its sister websites.
The company encourages all people who support their objectives and have links to the UK to join.
Membership increased during the year from 165 to 330. Members are invited to an Annual General Meeting where they elect the Board of Trustees and Directors which runs the company. The Board of Trustees elects Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.
The Board that served until the AGM on 16 April 2011 consisted of:
Andrew Turvey (Chair)
Michael Peel (Secretary)
Thomas Dalton (Treasurer)
Stephen Virgin
Joseph Seddon Resigned 23 February 2011
At the AGM the following were elected:
Roger Bamkin (Chair)
Michael Peel (Secretary)
Andrew Turvey (Treasurer)
Christopher Keating
Martin Poulter
Ashley Van Haeften
Stephen Virgin
Objectives and activities
The trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty under Section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to the general guidance of the Charity Commission on public benefit.
The principal object of the charity is to aid and encourage people to collect, develop and effectively disseminate knowledge and other educational, cultural and historic content by various means.
The primary means of achieving this is through support for Wikipedia the freely-licensed online encyclopedia and its sister projects.
Achievements and performance
2011-12 was an extraordinary year for Wikimedia UK. Becoming established as a Charity and opening an office with professional staff have given us the foundation to build upon our years of volunteer-led activities. A full description of our activities is available through our website http://uk.wikimedia.org
Financial review
Finds are raised principally through the annual Wikimedia fundraiser, when an appeal is advertised on Wikipedia and sister websites. This is subject to a fundraising agreement with the Wikimedia Foundation.
Other sources of income include membership fees, donations from individuals throughout the year and grants for individual projects. We also receive significant donations in-kind by way of pro-bono professional assistance and provision of facilities such as room hire and refreshments.
Plans for the future
We have agreed a wide range of activities for 2012-13 which we look forward to delivering and with the support of our community are developing a five year plan.
Reserves policy
Our reserves policy is regularly reviewed as part of our financial protocols. We aim to maintain reserves equal to 12 months' administrative expenses in order to protect our programme of activities.
Risk Management
A new set of financial protocols was established in January to protect the charity using best practice as recommended by the Charity Commission and our auditors.
By encouraging the use of Direct Debits we have succeeded in spreading our income throughout the year offering a more steady cash flow and income stream.
We work closely with the Wikimedia Foundation to ensure that our financial systems offer protection to the donors and the charity.
Responsibilities of trustees
The trustees (who are also directors of Wiki UK Limited for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees' reports and the financial statement in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In accordance with company law the trustees have prepared financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure of the charitable company for that period.
In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
- Prepare the financial statement on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Small Company Provision
The above report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of section 419(2) of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Signed on behalf of the trustees:
Michael Peel Company Secretary
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