2025 Annual General Meeting/Candidate Statements

Douglas Scott

I am a long time Wikipedia editor (since 2006) and have been very involved in both online and offline community events in a volunteer capacity since 2011. In that role I have been a director of Wikimedia South Africa for 12 years and was the chapter’s president for 5 of those years. A period that saw the hiring of the chapter's first employee and the establishment of long term partnerships with national entities in higher education to support the growth of multiple African language Wikipedias.

In my role as a volunteer organiser I was lead organiser of Wikimania 2018 and a contributing organiser of multiple regional Wiki conferences (Wiki Indaba). I have been the volunteer project lead for over 20 events ranging from multiple Wiki Loves Monuments (and other photographic events), to edit-a-thons and other outreach initiatives. I have also led the chapter's initiative to advocate for Wikipedia friendly copyright legal reform in South Africa since 2014. I now organise a regular Wiki meetup in Edinburgh.

In my professional life I am the research manager at Campaign Lab. Before that I was a criminologist at the Safety Lab, a South African non-profit organisation focused on innovation to reduce crime and social violence, where I was the Chief research and technology officer. To me it is deeply important that my professional life does not cross over into my volunteering activities within the free knowledge community so as to avoid conflict of interests; for this reason (as an example) I no longer edit any Wikipedia articles on contemporary British politics.

Ian Watt

I am standing for election to the Board of Wikimedia UK because I believe passionately in the power of open knowledge to enrich lives and strengthen communities. As a long-time advocate for free access to information and data, I want to contribute my skills and experience to help shape the charity’s future.

I have almost 30 years of experience in technology and data, with a background in public service and charity governance. I have been active on Wikipedia and associated platforms since 2008, with a global edit count of over 143,000. For the past six years, I have been an active trainer for Wikimedia UK, working with community groups across Scotland and beyond to build confidence in editing and ensure that local history and culture are represented online. I have also delivered workshops on Wikidata for open data professionals and universities, helping to demonstrate the value of structured, linked knowledge within the wider ecosystem. In addition, I run our local Wiki Meetup.

My connection to Wikimedia UK has developed through collaborations on training programmes, GLAM partnerships, and open knowledge advocacy. Beyond Wikimedia, I am involved in the Open Data Scotland network and have worked with government, cultural, and educational institutions to support digital access and inclusion.

If elected to the Board, I would bring:

* Governance experience as a trustee of charitable organisations, with expertise in strategy, education, and financial oversight.

* Community understanding from direct engagement with editors, volunteers, and learners of all levels.

* Partnership networks across cultural heritage, academia, government, and civic technology.

* Commitment to equity and inclusion, ensuring diverse voices and perspectives are reflected in our shared knowledge.

Wikimedia UK plays a vital role in supporting communities, shaping policy, and embedding open knowledge within cultural and educational sectors. I would be honoured to serve as a trustee, working collaboratively to ensure that Wikimedia UK continues to thrive and make a lasting impact.

Abhik Sen

Wikimedia UK’s mission to make knowledge and trustworthy information accessible to all has never been more vital or necessary. It is also an organisation that embodies the values I cherish deeply. Therefore, it is my great honour to submit for your consideration my credentials to serve as its trustee on behalf of all those who admire its work and care about its future.

In my capacity as a policy adviser to governments and as a senior official with the United Nations and the Commonwealth Secretariat over the last many years, I have been championing the development of community-centred, open and inclusive digital ecosystems that empower and enlighten one and all with credible data, information and knowledge. To ensure the development of healthy digital and knowledge societies, I have also advocated for the inclusion of civil society and grassroot movements as equal partners in all the policymaking processes that I have been privileged to facilitate or participate in.

As a former journalist and editor I know all too well the importance of widespread access to facts and accurate information as a bulwark against those who feed on disinformation and misinformation. That is why, should I have the honour to continue to serve as a trustee, I will do everything possible to support and guide Wikimedia UK in order to ensure it is able to continue building on its many impressive achievements, and is also able to weather the many storms that will no doubt come its way, with clarity of purpose and the collective wisdom of its well wishers.  

To fulfil my responsibilities effectively, I will also be able to draw upon the insights gained and lessons learned from my previous experience as a long-serving trustee of two other outstanding UK charities.