Message from the
Chief Executive at Wikimedia UK

I hope you enjoy reading this report about Wikimedia UK’s work during 2022-23, with details of our many activities and achievements during the year, as well as our financial statements.

The year has not been without challenges for the charity. As a diverse organisation that is part of an international movement, the staff team were all deeply concerned by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the ongoing conflict. I was very grateful to be able to arrange accommodation for several Ukrainian families with members of Wikimedia UK, who kindly opened up their homes in response to the crisis. As an open knowledge movement, Wikimedia has grappled with the challenge of disinformation throughout the invasion, as well as working to protect the safety and security of volunteer contributors.

Closer to home, the political uncertainty of 2022 - with three different Prime Ministers at the helm - and the deepening cost of living crisis, has also affected our fundraising, partnerships and advocacy activities, as well as staff wellbeing. I’m hugely proud of everything the charity has achieved during the year in spite of these external challenges. I was also very pleased that our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion was recognised by the wider Wikimedia movement, with Wikimedia UK being awarded the first Affiliate Spotlight award - for diversity in governance - at the 2022 Wikimedian of the Year Awards.

There have been a number of staff changes during the year. In May, we appointed a part time Volunteer Coordinator on an initial one year contract, to support the development and diversification of our volunteer community. I’m very pleased to report that, thanks to additional funding from the Wikimedia Foundation, we have now been able to confirm this post within the permanent staff structure. Following the departure of two part time staff within our Finance and Operations team, we also appointed a new, full time Finance and Operations Coordinator in June. In October, we were delighted to appoint the organisation’s first ever Wikimedian in Residence for Climate, based at the University of Exeter’s Global Systems Institute.

At the end of the year, our longstanding Director of Finance and Operations, Davina Johnson, retired. Our very grateful thanks to Davina for all her work over the past nine years, and a warm welcome to her replacement, Sharon Mitcheson. During 2023 we also restructured the growing Programmes Team, creating two Programme Manager posts. Congratulations to our longstanding staff members Dr Sara Thomas and Dr Richard Nevell for their promotion into these roles.

Wikimedia UK is a small charity with a big impact and, as ever, it’s impossible to summarise our delivery and achievements over the course of a year in this short introduction. I encourage you to read the report in its entirety to get a better sense of our work. I would also encourage you, if you are not already, to get involved - whether that’s as a volunteer, a donor, a member, or a partner. It’s only if we work together that we can achieve our vision of a more informed, democratic and equitable society through open knowledge.

Lucy Crompton-Reid, Chief Executive at Wikimedia UK