2012 Annual Report/Wiki version/Opening
Shaping, Sharing, Growing — 2011–2012 by the Numbers — The year in Fundraising — When Wikipedia went dark for a day — Our key Media Stories — Wikimedia gets GLAM — Building a Legacy: Our work in Education — Monmouthpedia: A case study in innovation — Evaluation Summary from Ting Chen, Chair, Wikimedia Foundation
Shaping, Sharing, Growing
- Wikimedia UK Annual Report 2011-12
A message from Roger Bamkin, 2011-12 Chair
| “ | I have had the honour to serve an amazing charity and to work with some wonderful people. | ” |
—Roger Bamkin | ||
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 £1 million 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 volunteers and 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 am 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.
A message from Jon Davies, Chief Executive
| “ | Most credit must be given to the trustees and volunteers who made so much happen so quickly! | ” |
—Jon Davies | ||
This has been an amazing 12 months for Wikimedia UK and I am so pleased to have played a 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.