[Wikimedia Announcements] Wikimedia UK catch-up chapter report

[Michael Peel]

Hi all,

It's been a while since our last chapters report. We've just re-lauched our newsletter, which you can find at:
http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/Open_Access/2011/January

Below is a really quick summary of everything we've been up to from August 2009 until December 2010. There's a lot, so it might take you a while to catch up if you haven't been following our blog!

== Programmes ==

November 2010: Our main event in the last year was GLAM-WIKI: a conference held at the British Museum in November 2010, bringing together the cultural sector and Wikimedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2010-12-06/GLAM-WIKI_London
http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/GLAM-WIKI
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2010/11/announcing-the-%E2%80%9Cglam-wikiuk%E2%80%9D-conference/

August 2010: we launched our Microgrants scheme, offering grants between £5 and £100 to UK wikimedians:
http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/Microgrants
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2010/08/wikimedia-microgrants-now-available-in-the-uk/

June 2010: Liam Wyatt was the first Wikipedian in Residence, at the British Museum. He organised various events, including a Backstage Pass and the Hoxne Challenge. The British Museum also offered prizes for new Featured Articles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:GLAM/BM

June 2010: we put out a press release on the Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year 2009 competition:
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2010/06/wikimedia-commons-picture-of-the-year-2009/

June 2010: we put out a press release about the Pending Changes trial on the English Wikipedia:
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2010/06/pending-changes-trial-on-the-english-wikipedia/

April 2010: we helped the Open Knowledge Foundation organise the Open Knowledge Conference, which included our AGM as well as a Wikimedia track:
http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/Meetings/2010_AGM
http://okfn.org/okcon/2010/

February 2010: we ran Britain Loves Wikipedia - a photo competition taking photos in 20 museums across the UK:
http://www.britainloveswikipedia.org/
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2010/06/britain-loves-wikipedia-pictures-on-commons/

February 2010: we put out an appeal for new initiatives. We are still welcoming any new suggestions:
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2010/02/call-for-proposals-for-wikimedia-uk-initiatives/
http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/Initiatives/Proposals

February 2010: we put out a press release about reaching the 6 million files milestone on Wikimedia Commons:
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2010/02/wikimedia-commons-reaches-6-million-files-with-the-upload-of-250000-geograph-images/

January 2010: we announced a content partnership with the Mary Rose Trust, which saw the release of 50 previously unseen images of the Mary Rose and its artifacts:
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2010/01/mary-rose-trust-releases-photographs-onto-wikipedia/

December 2009: we put out a press release about Public Domain Day 2010:
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2009/12/wikipedia-celebrates-public-domain-day-on-1st-january/

November 2009: the photos from Wikipedia Loves Art at the V&A were made available on Wikimedia Commons, after the prizes were announced in August 2009:
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2009/11/wikipedia-loves-art-at-the-va-photos-on-commons/
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2009/08/wikipedia-loves-art-prizes/

September 2009: we put out a press release about Wikimedia Commons reaching the 5 million file milestone:
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2009/09/wikimedia-commons-5-million/

August 2009: we put out a press release about the content partnership with Regionarkivet, Sweden:
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2009/08/regionarkivet/


== Fundraiser ==

November 2010: The Annual Fundraiser 2010-11 started on 15 November. Our announcement, and target, is at:
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2010/11/wikipedia-launches-annual-global-fundraising-appeal-%E2%80%93-uk-affiliate-sets-out-local-goals/

May 2010: we hosted the very first Wikimedia Fundraising Summit in Bristol:
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2010/05/wikimedia-fundraising-summit-bristol-may-14/

November 2009: we participated in the Annual Fundraiser 2009-2010. This raised ~£95,000 to support Wikimedia's activities both in the UK and internationally:
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2009/11/support-wikimedia-uk-donate-now/


== Administration ==

December 2010: the first of a new series of Wikimedia UK community IRC meeting happened on 7 December:
http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/Community_IRC_meetings

November 2010: Gemma Griffiths is now our Head of Public Relations, volunteering pro bono for us one day a week:
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2010/11/wikimedia-uk-welcome-new-head-of-public-relations/

September 2010: We hired our first (part time) employee! Charles Matthews is our new Office Manager:
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2010/09/charles-matthews-appointed-office-manager/

May 2010: we participated in the selection process for the chapter selected board members of the Wikimedia Foundation. We helped select Phoebe Ayers and Arne:
http://blog.wikimedia.org/blog/2010/07/08/wikimedia-announces-new-board-appointments/
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2010/05/wikimedia-foundation-board-member-candidates-wanted/

Thanks,
Mike Peel
on behalf of Wikimedia UK