Dear all
Wikimedia UK is recruiting new members for our Community Development
Committee. Please see below for more information. The closing date for
expressions of interest is 5th December.
It would be great to be able to appoint two new members from outside of our
trustee body, so please consider standing for this if you want to have a
voice in how Wikimedia UK works with and supports volunteers
and communities.
Best wishes
Lucy
*Background*
The Community Development Committee, known as ComDev for short, was set up
as a subcommittee of the Wikimedia UK board in late 2022, with the first
meeting taking place in January 2023. Caroline Ball, Kelly Foster and Rod
Ward were appointed to the Committee from the Board of Trustees, with
Caroline becoming Chair of ComDev as of June. Kelly stepped down from the
full Board in July, but was thereafter appointed as a non trustee member of
the Committee.
Committee Charter
The Committee is governed by a Charter
<https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1ZGk3s7DFXPuauAuIVRjLN651s8RGe_wWMEp…>
which sets out the remit, composition and powers of the Committee. The
Committee's purpose is to advise the board on community and volunteer
issues generally, and to consider any community-related matters that may be
delegated to the Committee by the board.
Recruitment
ComDev is now seeking to appoint up to two additional members from outwith
the Board of Trustees, and invites expressions of interest from all
interested parties. The Committee is keen to hear from people who meet at
least one of the following criteria:
-
An active member of Wikimedia UK’s volunteer community. This could be as
a contributor, community organiser or trainer, or in another capacity;
-
Experience in community organising and/or volunteer management;
-
Experience of engaging with the Wikimedia projects as a member of any
community which is underrepresented on those projects.
Responsibilities and Requirements
ComDev meets quarterly, usually online. Members are encouraged to attend
Wikimedia UK’s Annual General Meeting plus other relevant events, for
example Community Days.
All Committee members are expected to sign and adhere to Wikimedia
UK’s Committee
Member Code of Conduct
<https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/Committee_Member_Code_of_Conduct>.
Membership of the Committee is unremunerated but expenses are reimbursed,
for example travel and accommodation costs for an in person meeting, or
childcare costs/data packages if this would otherwise present a barrier to
participation.
Process and Timeline
If you are interested in joining the Community Development Committee,
please email c.ogbonna(a)wikimedia.org.uk with a short statement (no more
than around 300 words) outlining your interest and background by Monday 5th
December.
--
Lucy Crompton-Reid
Chief Executive
Hi All,
Just a heads up to all in Scotland and those with an interest in Wikidata that the annual Scottish Open Data Unconference (SODU) is back for it’s fourth annual gathering on 18-19 November 2023.
With just over two weeks to go there is still time to book tickets.
Thanks to sponsorship from Scottish Government and DAMA UK we have managed to keep costs down to a reasonable £30 for the weekend or £15 for single day tickets. Student discounts are available too. And if price is a barrier, let us know and we’ll sort you out with a complimentary ticket, no questions asked.
We’re looking forward to a busy weekend of attendee-driven activity. With representatives from Government, Academia, Civic Society, and Industry the sessions will be many and varied.
Oh, and did I mention that excellent catering from local social enterprise, The Breadmaker?
BOOK NOW https://ti.to/code-the-city/sodu-2023
We hope to see you there.
Ian

Ian Watt
ianwatt(a)gmail.com
Hello all,
Hope you're having a good autumn so far!
Just wanted to send folks a wee message to let you know that bookings are
now open for the *Wikimedia UK 2023 Community Meeting*, taking place Sunday
26th November, 12-2pm, online.
The event will be a celebration of what's been happening over the last year
with a series of lightning talks by community members, a recognition of the
work of the community with the UK Wikimedian of the Year Awards, and an
invitation to get involved with new and existing activities with an
opportunities fair.
There's more information and a link to book your place through Eventbrite
on our blog:
https://wikimedia.org.uk/2023/10/wikimedia-uk-2023-community-meeting/
Hope to see you there!
All the very best,
Sara
--
Dr Sara Thomas
Programme Manager, Wikimedia UK
https://wikimedia.org.uk/home/scotland/
<https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/Wikimedia_in_Scotland>
<https://donate.wikimedia.org.uk/>
*I work part time, my usual days are Monday - Thursday.*
*Wikimedia UK* <https://wikimedia.org.uk/> is the national chapter for the
global Wikimedia open knowledge movement.
Follow us on Twitter <https://twitter.com/wikimediauk>, Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/WikimediaUK>, LinkedIn
<https://www.linkedin.com/company/496119>, and Instagram
<https://www.instagram.com/wikimediauk/>.
Wikimedia UK is a Registered Charity No.1144513 (England & Wales) SC048644
(Scotland). Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and
Scotland, Registered No. 6741827.
Registered Office Ground Floor, Europoint, 5 - 11 Lavington Street, London
SE1 0NZ
<https://maps.google.com/?q=5+-+11+Lavington+Street,+London+SE1+0NZ&entry=gm…>
.
Wikimedia UK is the UK chapter of a global Wikimedia movement. The
Wikimedia projects are run by the Wikimedia Foundation (who operate
Wikipedia, amongst other projects).
*Wikimedia UK is an independent non-profit charity with no legal control
over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.*
Hello everyone,
The annual UK Wikimedian of the Year Awards
<https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/UK_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_2023> recognise
the efforts of the community that supports Wikimedia UK and helps us in our
work.
There are three categories: Wikimedian of the Year, Partnership of the
Year, and Up and Coming Wikimedian of the Year. Details of each category
are on our website:
https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/UK_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_2023
We are seeking nominations, and the form is linked to from our website. So
if there is someone whose work you’d like to recognise, or a particular
partnership, please nominate them. You can nominate in one category or all
of them. It is helpful to make the nominating statements at least a few
sentences long.
We will announce the winners at the online community day that we have
planned for late November.
Kind regards,
Richard
--
Dr Richard Nevell (he/him)
Programme Manager and Connected Heritage Project Lead
<https://donate.wikimedia.org.uk/>
Wikimedia UK <https://wikimedia.org.uk/> is the national chapter for the
global Wikimedia open knowledge movement.
Follow us on Twitter <https://twitter.com/wikimediauk>, Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/WikimediaUK>, LinkedIn
<https://www.linkedin.com/company/496119>, and Instagram
<https://www.instagram.com/wikimediauk/>.
Wikimedia UK is a registered charity in England and Wales No.1144513
and Scotland
No. SC048644. Company Limited by Guarantee, Registration No. 6741827.
Registered Office Ground Floor, Europoint, 5-11 Lavington Street, London
SE1 0NZ
<https://maps.google.com/?q=5+-+11+Lavington+Street,+London+SE1+0NZ&entry=gm…>
.
Train the Trainer (TtT) 2023 - Call for participants…
Would you like to share your passion for Wiki editing by running Wikipedia
editing events to train new editors and communities? If so, our next Train
the Trainer course is taking place November to December 2023 and will equip
you with the skills and resources needed to deliver editing events. We
would love to hear from you if you would like to take part.
TtT trains volunteers who are keen to deliver Wikipedia editing events.
Volunteer trainers play a key role in the delivery of Wikimedia UK
programmes. They extend our work to under-represented communities and
support them to be part of Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia free knowledge
projects. They train new and existing editors across the country,
in-person, online or in hybrid sessions. Demand for training often
outstrips staff capacity to fulfil, and we’re conscious that our existing
networks do not always allow us to reach all the communities with whom we’d
like to work.
This training will equip candidate trainers with the skills, experience and
resources to deliver a standard ‘Introduction to Wikipedia’ edit-a-thon.In
advance of the hybrid sessions in December, participants will complete a
four week WikiLearn course <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiLearn>,
starting 9th November, with a commitment of approx 1-2 hours per week. We
will be training volunteers on delivering online and in-person editing
events and this year we will also be delivering training specifically on
how to deliver hybrid events.
The session ‘Running Hybrid Events’ will be focused on equipping you with
skills needed to run an event with participants online and in-person. This
session is also open to applications from accredited trainers as well. It
will also be an opportunity for new and accredited trainers to get to know
each other.
Expressions of interest are welcomed from all. However, given the current
demographic mix of our training network, we are particularly interested in
hearing from Black, Asian and minority groups; women; and members of LGBT+
community.
The in-person training will take place in London. So please do indicate if
you would like to participate in-person or online. We have a budget to
cover travel and accommodation costs, and will provide lunch and
refreshments.
Course content and key dates
-
9th November onwards - Four week WikiLearn self led course
-
Thursday 7th November 2023 /18:00-20:30/online: Introductory Session
-
Saturday 9th December 2023 /10:00-16:00/in-person and online: Train the
Trainer Day 1 - new trainers
-
Sunday 10th December 2023 /10:00-16:00/in-person: Running Hybrid Events
- open to new and existing WMUK trainers. This session will be run by Bhav
Patel.
What you can expect from us
-
Full training and support to deliver a standard ‘Introduction to
Wikipedia’ edit-a-thon and similar events
-
Access to event materials
-
Ongoing support
-
Volunteer expenses where appropriate
-
Job references upon request
What we would expect from you
-
Familiarity with, or desire to increase your knowledge of the Wikimedia
Projects, particularly Wikipedia.
-
Full attendance at the training course
-
To complete the online self led course (1-2 hours per week)
-
To lead training for a minimum of 2 events per year. This would be a
mixture of third party events which we would field to you, and those you
would organise yourself. Please note that we do receive requests for
training to be delivered within office hours
-
To be responsive to communication from Wikimedia UK staff and fellow
volunteers and Event Organisers, including in advance of the event.
-
To complete basic reporting, including returning sign up information
-
To represent Wikimedia UK well during the time in which you are
volunteering
-
To adhere to our Safe Spaces policy, and the Code of Conduct
<https://wikimedia.org.uk/trust-and-safety/#:~:text=The%20purpose%20of%20the….>
How to apply
Places are limited to make sure that each participant gets individual
attention and feedback, so please apply via the following forms to express
your interest. Call for interest will close on the 26th of October. You
will hear from us by the 2nd of November to confirm your place.
Candidate Trainers Application Form
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/181AKD09ScAZnjAYJqELes66GuWN7UNeOVQa3072u8h…>
(for new trainers)
Accredited Trainers Application Form
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1vQ14Hvf3DPoyCCTJFrfRWhUtKWFdPODHe3f3Wt8BcK…>
(for existing trainers)
Further informationThe Wikimedia UK Volunteer Trainer Role description
<https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/Training_the_Trainers/Volunteer_role:_Wikimed…>
.
--
Rupal Karia
Outreach and Community Coordinator
Working hours - Mondays and Thursdays 9-5pm
Wikimedia UK <https://wikimedia.org.uk/> is the national chapter for the
global Wikimedia open knowledge movement.
Follow us on Twitter <https://twitter.com/wikimediauk>, Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/WikimediaUK>, LinkedIn
<https://www.linkedin.com/company/496119>, and Instagram
<https://www.instagram.com/wikimediauk/>.
Wikimedia UK is a registered charity in England and Wales No.1144513
and Scotland
No. SC048644. Company Limited by Guarantee, Registration No. 6741827.
Registered Office Ground Floor, Europoint, 5-11 Lavington Street, London
SE1 0NZ
<https://maps.google.com/?q=5+-+11+Lavington+Street,+London+SE1+0NZ&entry=gm…>
.