2022 AGM/Minutes
Wikimedia UK's (WMUK) 2022 AGM and community day took place on Saturday 9th July. It was held online over Zoom, with eventbrite ticket-holders having received a meeting link prior to the event. The Zoom meeting opened from 9.45am with formal proceedings starting at 10am.
10.00am - Welcome and introduction to the AGM (Monisha Shah, Chair)
MS opened the AGM and introduced herself as Chair of the WMUK Board. She highlighted where attendees could ask for technical assistance.
Approval of 2021 AGM minutes
There were no comments on the 2021 AGM minutes. The membership approved the minutes.
Board report
MS expressed excitement for her first AGM, and thanked the other trustees and staff for their support. MS thanked Lorna Campbell as Vice Chair for all her support, and thanked her predecessor as Chair of the Board, Nick Poole, who retired from his trustee role in July 2021.
MS commended the staff for their response to the evolving pandemic, which had continued to present challenges during the previous financial year. She noted that the last couple of years had also been very challenging for the culture and education sectors. As a newcomer, MS was impressed by the huge contribution that volunteers make to the work of the charity, and looked forward to meeting more of them and finding out how we can support their work.
10.15am - Finance report (Marnie Woodward, Treasurer)
MW reported that WMUK had continued their positive results finance wise for the end of the financial year, which came to a close in January 2022. 2021 was the second year of the pandemic, but we were in the fortunate position to expand our staff team and start new projects. We strengthened our Development and Communications team and had a successful bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund to launch a new programme, Connected Heritage. We worked with new partners and were able to support existing partners. MW gave special thanks to the Wikimedia Foundation, not only for increasing our annual grant, but also for supporting our new ventures. MW thanked all members and donors who helped our unrestricted income stay at a healthy position.
Every year, MW likes to acknowledge gifts in kind to the charity, which are a way of recognising the financial contributions of organisations that host Wikimedians in Residence (WiR). We have WiRs across England, Scotland and Wales.
Much of the increased turnover for 2021/22 is due to restricted funds, but we have also grown our unrestricted funds, and our reserve funds have grown to the highest amount thus far. We have a formal reserves policy and target, and our current level of reserves is within the target range. We’ve been very busy across a range of projects and are budgeting for a very small deficit at the end of 2021/22. Members can find many more details in the Annual Accounts, available online.
10.20pm - Activity report (Lucy Crompton-Reid, Chief Executive)
LCR thanked all members present, and noted particular thanks for those who were attending to support the charity, rather than in an official capacity. Our ways of working were affected by the pandemic, and LCR reported that she didn’t envision WMUK returning to a programme that’s entirely in person, but rather a hybrid model. The WMUK staff team had a flexible hybrid model for working from the office or home. The overall story of WMUK’s work over the last year was a good one, facilitated by the staff team, partners, and volunteers. LCR encouraged everyone to read the 2021-22 Strategic Report.
For WiRs, we successfully formalised and extended a number of partnerships. The WiR model is continuing to grow in recognition across the UK. We were delighted to launch a residency at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Our Connected Heritage programme began in August 2021, with the appointment of two new staff (in a job share) as Digital Wikimedians and Richard Nevell as the Project Lead (two days a week). recruited two new staff part-time and sequestered Richard Nevell for a couple of days a week. We are very grateful to receive funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for this project. We also received a smaller grant from the Big Lottery Fund to support our continued information literacy work in schools in Wales.
Our partnership project with London College of Communications on decolonisation was expanded to reach other colleges with the University of the Arts, London. This was led by Lucy Panesar, who was seconded to Wikimedia UK for one day a week for the 2021/22 academic year. Four new Wikipedia in the classroom courses started in autumn 2021. We participated in the Wiki Loves Earth competition for the first time in Wales in the summer of 2021, and Wales competed again in 2022, this time joined by Northern Ireland. Wikimedia UK also supported a wide range of volunteer activities including training, events and project grants.
As a result of Wikimedia UK’s work in 2021-22 there were 843,440 content pages created or improved across all Wikimedia. This was only possible thanks to the 7,040 participants in our programme activities, to whom we’re very grateful. With the network of WiRs, partners and volunteers Wikimedia UK had a really significant impact on the projects. Please read the strategic report for more details.
10.30am - Resolutions and Elections: Explanation of process (Katie Crampton, Teller)
KC gave an explanation of the voting process, for which members were voting to support or oppose trustee candidates and resolutions.
10.35am - Trustee candidate statements and questions (MS, Chair)
Adrian Beidas (AB) introduced himself as a candidate for the board of trustees: My candidate statement can be expanded upon by my passion for the projects. I am keen to stand for the role because from a personal perspective I have a huge respect for the Wikimedia projects, and believe Wikipedia is one of the most important inventions in the last 20 years. The society that has been created is really amazing. Many years ago, I interacted with one of the Wikimedia team and as much as we try to evangelise, it’s a hard slog to build those relationships. I have huge respect for the work done by the team. I have been on the Audit and Risk Committee (ARC) for the last year and would like to build our contacts beyond WMUK, offering connections to my network.
Sangeet Bhullar (SB) introduced herself as a candidate for the board of trustees: I am invested in digital resilience and the wellbeing of young people. I’ve seen and assisted with that work in WMUK and the broader movement. Amongst teachers and industry staff, even at undergraduate level, Wikipedia is seen as untrustworthy, and there’s a big gap in these groups which I would like to help bridge. I would like to see more mainstream projects across the UK replicating the work that’s happening with Wikipedia in Welsh schools. If we can get the work of WMUK out at a young age, we can ensure the sustainability of the movement both in the UK and internationally. I am originally from Singapore, Malaysia. COVID has scuppered some of the work in schools, and they are on the backfoot. So with everything that’s going on at the moment, it’s important to get timing right.
Vivian Wineman (VW) introduced himself as a candidate for the board of trustees: I am excited by the whole phenomenon of Wikipedia, and the work that the Wikimedia movement puts into the projects. I was a commercial lawyer for most of my career, and I then went into community work which was largely for charity. So I know the problems charities can face. I recently stepped down from the board of an interfaith network, so I still have connections there. I got an MA in 2019 and am now reading for a PHD, which I feel is essential for academic work. On SB’s point, it’s so helpful giving the knowledge Wikipedia provides a context as it’s a wonderful tool for ordinary life. I have prized my connection with Wikipedia for as long as it’s been around.
MS noted that it’s wonderful to see people who are so active stepping forward to support the charity, and thanked the three candidates for standing for election. She invited the members present to come forward with questions or comments for candidates.
MW repeated her question from the wiki for the benefit of those who hadn’t seen it, and asked whether the candidates would have the time to commit to board meetings and subcommittees?
AB - I do have a full time job, and do act as a trustee for another charity, but I will step down from that charity board if elected so this commitment would fill that time.
SB - this is a priority so I would make the time, and use my background with schools and education up to FE level, and encourage more of the community to get behind this movement.
VW - my major commitment in charitable terms will disappear in a couple of months and I don’t have a full time job. I do run a charity but not full time, and my reading for PHD is not a huge call on time. This will be my main trustee role.
Kelly Foster said she’s interested to hear any opinions or observations on what the charity could be doing better with communities around the country, and as the charity is involved in the wider global movement, thoughts on WMUK’s potential role in the global movement?
AB - I think there needs to be continued focus and activity for underrepresented communities, but I have an open mind to the issue because my ARC remit has not given me insight into the details of the projects. There does appear to be a weighting towards education, and there does appear to be weighting towards higher end universities. It’s clearly very important to reach outside that group. There’s less time available and there’s less interest in high quality sourcing, so the earlier you start the better. The opportunity in schools and sixth forms could frankly help in students’ own academic careers. On the global movement, we’re very lucky to be in one of the culturally richest countries in the world, it gives us an obligation to drive engagement with the rest of the world.
SB - one of the immediate points is around children and young people. We need to raise our profile in community hubs e.g. CILIP. We need to promote the work of Wikimedia in libraries, but also groups that aren’t represented. It requires resources, which is a challenge, but I love WMUK’s awareness of the underrepresented groups and ability to adapt to their needs. WMUK has an excellent track record of working with GLAMs. And while culturally we represent the English speaking world, our contribution is about redressing the balance. We can be a force for change, we can highlight the representation on a global level, that’s stuff we can lead on.
VW - there’s an emphasis on higher education in WMUK’s programmes, and I think we also need an emphasis on schools to give us a chance to reach out at an early age. We’re aware of what can be gained, we just need to act on it. WMUK punches well above our weight globally and delivers, gaining respect from wiki founders and other chapters.
Lorna Campbell asked candidates how they would support knowledge equity and what that means to them?
SB - it’s such an important point, and one of my concerns is the disruption in learning because of COVID. It’s essential that people have knowledge and access in a place everyone knows about, aka on the Wikimedia projects. I would like us to continue to redress the balance so that minorities and marginalised communities can be represented, and invite them to think about ways to contribute rather than speaking for them.
VW - Wikipedia is a great tool for universalising knowledge, whereas in the old days you had to get to a library, whereas now anyone with internet access can get to Wikipedia.
AB - there isn’t a better tool for knowledge equity than Wikipedia, the blockers to that is people respecting and understanding it. Respecting for what it’s for, and once over that hill understanding that you shouldn't blindly trust any source. It teaches people how to use their own sources, how to read and parse the more technical things, to try to understand their own education or their own work, but helping people get what they need out of individual articles, and then teaching more people how to edit themselves.
10.50am - VOTING OPENS
BREAK
11.15am - VOTING CLOSES
11.15am - Questions on AGM Reports (Chair/Treasurer/CEO)
MS, MW, and LCR invited questions on the reports they presented. No questions were raised, and an offer was made to email WMUK with any questions after the AGM.
11.30am - Honorary Member Awards
Honorary members were announced. The following people were awarded honorary membership at the 2023 AGM:
Josie Fraser
Melissa Highton
Magnus Mankse
Nick Poole
11.45pm - Announcement of results of elections and resolutions (Teller)
KC confirmed that we are quorate and thanked members for their proxy votes or for attending in person. KC announced that all the candidates and resolutions were supported by a majority of voting members.
11.50am - Thanks and closing remarks (Chair)
MS thanked Andrea and Lorna as outgoing trustees and congratulated the new trustees on their roles.
12 noon - End of AGM
12 noon - Informal networking with staff and trustees
12.30pm - Event closes