Newsletter/January2009
Summary: We lead with the exciting news that we are now recognised as Wikimedia UK by the Wikimedia Foundation. This means that we can shortly open a bank account and approve membership applications. Planning is also underway for a new website and for the upcoming Annual General Meeting. Meanwhile, we continue to support Wikipedia Loves Art, which will launch on 1st February and the bid to hold Wikimania 2010 in Oxford, and bring news of recent and upcoming meet-ups.
In this month's newsletter:
- WMF approval and chapter formation process
- New website
- Annual General Meeting
- Wikipedia Loves Art
- Oxford Wikimania bid
- Meet-ups
WMF approval and chapter formation process
The chapter has been officially approved by the WMF, and the chapter agreement is currently being signed by us and the WMF. As soon as this is signed, we will be able to proceed with opening the bank account, after which we'll start accepting members.
Want to be one of our first members? Now's your chance.
New website
Thus far the chapter has had a web presence on the WMF's Meta website, with the now defunct former Wikimedia UK having a website at wikimedia.org.uk. Now that we're officially a chapter, it's time to start up our own, independent website. We have requested a new wiki from the WMF, and hope to have this up and running soon as our new website. Part of this will be permanently protected, as it will represent the chapter, but other parts will be editable by all - of course, this includes all of the talk pages. We hope that you'll all join in with populating the website.
Annual General Meeting
We're getting ever closer to being able to set the date of our first AGM, but we're not quite there yet. The location has however been decided as Birmingham, and an agenda is currently being sketched out.
Wikipedia Loves Art
We are pleased to announce the prizes for the competition, running throughout February at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Up for grabs will be:
- 2 tickets to a V&A exhibition of your choice
- 4 packs from Moo.com, where each pack comprises 50 Classic Stock Business Cards (with your own art) and 20 Postcards (again with your own art)
- a 16" x 20" giclee print of one of your photos on a Soft Textured fine art paper, care of Robbie's Photographics
Moo.com are also providing 20% off the first order of any attendees. Sign up to the Facebook event here, or come along to the launch on 1 February, in order to get the code.
Oxford Wikimania bid
The Oxford Wikimania bid is progressing, with both User:Seddon and User:Cfp investigating accommodation. A new idea is offering cheaper accommodation in Oxford's youth hostel for those who cannot afford to pay Oxford college rates. The sponsors we have obtained for Wikipedia Loves Art are also good news for our bid, since (small) successful partnerships now will increase the likelihood of larger sponsorship later on. Why not sign up to support the bid and get involved?
Meet-ups
The 17th London Wikimeet happened on the 11th January, with the topics of conversation including the WikipediaWeekly podcast, Wikimedia project predictions for 2009, Wikipedia:Wikipedia Loves Art#London V&A|Wikipedia Loves Art, and all that's wrong with the UK's education system.
The 18th London Wikimeet will be taking place on the 8 February at the Victoria and Albert Museum, as part of Wikipedia Loves Art. Meetups are also being planned in Manchester on the 14 March, and in Birmingham at a date yet to be decided.