WikiConference UK 2012/Elections/Statements

WikiConference UK 2012 AGM: Elections (Candidate statements · Candidate questions) — Resolutions — Minutes Miscellaneous: 2012 Annual Report — UK Wikimedian of the Year 2012 — Community reflections

This page contains the statements of the candidates for the board of Wikimedia UK. Please submit questions for the candidates on the WikiConference UK 2012/Elections/Questions.

Statements

Each candidate's date of birth, occupation, former names and UK company directorships in the last five years is kept on file and will be made public only if they are elected.

Alison Fayers-Kerr

My agnatic grandmother was Ellen Murgatroyd Fayers-Kerr. A surname salvaged from obscurity the first time my father disowned me for non-conformity in the marriage game; passed on to my daughters in scenes worthy of Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia!.....In this Diamond Jubilee year they'll be scrabbling to open their laptops in search of cognatic or agnatic, if I have my way, especially if a Royal Heir is expected any time soon.

Wikipedia is not without flaws but is so inexorably unique and vital that I am definitely up for grabs in promoting the organisation which underpins the financial stability and future of its independent growth: Wikimedia UK.

The people and institutions in Britain should yearn to contribute and donate as we all gain and would all lose equally if any part of Wiki were undermined. It's the best we've got and the directors piloting Wikimedia and reaching out to enable the public to preserve this fountain of knowledge, have a mission worth fighting for.

Universal Pictures just off Hyde Park is where I first worked and where I lured in a penniless Mark Knopfler to make his first soundtrack; my boss turned him down, how dire and how foolish! My chance to go barefoot around the world, so off I went. I've been on the board since, opposite Brown's Hotel: dealing, with Sudan, Libya and Saudia Arabia (although they wouldn't let me in) exporting heavy plant, generators and high pressure steam valves. Not a likely beginning for a second-rate Hispanic scholar...which reminds me, I whopped the current President of Columbia, Juan Manuel Santos, at chess in Half Moon Street, and did likewise to Osama Daoud but in Khartoum. Nowadays I teach, I farm and hobnob with fusion physicists in Oxford! Heavens to Murgatroyd!

Ashley van Haeften

My 2011 top priority: become a charity. We did it! Now, a *sample* of everything else and the coming year...

My experience in governance and management has helped our organizational development. I interviewed 3 of our new permanent staff and led on governance from implications of our charity application to board functions and handling declarations of interest. I pressed for PQASSO (quality standard) and this has defined a path for improvement.

I had the privilege of negotiating the founding of our Association with 25 other chapters. With the Funds Dissemination Committee, this will be a means of establishing best practice and accountability while staying movement-driven, not Foundation-led. I would like Wikimedia UK to stay in the heart of these changes to help in establishing good governance globally regardless of national boundaries.

I helped the British Library to create a Wikimedia in Residence position, they also committed to hosting the global GLAMwiki2012 conference. Establishing the UK GLAM network has delivered a range of events, from the British Museum's Ice Age behind the scenes to The National Archive releasing new photographs of (sometimes shocking) British propaganda artworks from the Second World War. GLAMwiki2012 will be the culmination of several projects and in the position of trustee I would continue the style of collaborative "soft" leadership that is most effective for our diverse and creative community.

We can do more to engage with diverse groups. Steve and Martin have progressed with GirlGeeks and I have pushed for a black history month event and jointly founded the LGBT Outreach Project, that we hope to make part of Wikimania. As a mixed race and gay member of the board, I naturally bring alternative perspectives into our discussions.

Other stuff! GLAMsterdam, GLAM upload tool, trustee training, Parliament, the V&A and India, Scotland!; see more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Fae/events

Christopher Allen

Let me first introduce myself. My name is Christopher Allen, 51, accountant for the last 25 years or so dealing with corporate accountancy & taxation, company formation, Companies House matters and a little offshore company and charity accounts work/filing at the Charities Commission, all as a one man band.

I was very impressed by the ability to obtain charity status and the resultant significant increase in income for the chapter and feel that this must be carefully managed to best advantage of the aims of these ideals which I believe are very close to those present at the birth of the internet. I would be honoured to be a part of this. I believe that the mechanisms that have given rise to this increase in funds should be sought with great endeavour as this “federation” of interconnected chapters may well be the basis for our future world, with the existing money driven one struggling.

Unfortunately, I cannot say that I have contributed any articles or served the chapter previously in any capacity but I do believe in getting things done that make a real difference so hope you can forgive me and provide me with the opportunity to serve.

I notice that there has not been many/any ladies on the board and feel we need to correct this to obtain balance, but will not expound further upon this. Equally, we need to persuade China to come into the fold as it is significant by its absence.

Those 300 words come up fast!

Vote for me and I will not let you down but cherish the responsibility.

Christopher Keating

It's been an immense task, and an immense privilege, to be on the Board over the past year. Wikimedia UK has achieved a huge amount, but there is much more to be done, and I woudl love to continue as a Trustee.

When I stood for election last year, I said my main role as a director would be to make sure Wikimedia UK connects with its members and the community, and that every voluntary organisation depends on its ability to inspire people to take part. I've done my best to push this forward this year (and looking at the blog and the mailing list archives I think made progress). But doing this becomes even more important as we professionalise and recruit more staff.

I've spent my career to date working in organisations that depend on volunteers taking action, and over the last year I've been surprised by the number of times I've seen situations I've experienced from those organisations recur in the Wikimedia movement, particularly in the discussions we've had with the Wikimedia Foundation and other chapters.

Professionally, I am a fundraiser, and am very proud of my role in raising £1 million in the 2011 Wikimedia fundraiser. I'm keen to help shape our fundraising strategy for the future, and hope to continue my role as fundraising advocate on the Board.

On Wikipedia, I'm User:The Land - I've written or contributed substantially to four featured articles, and have been an adminsitrator since 2006. Nonetheless, I hope that this year members will elect some people to the Board who share our vision and bring useful skills and perspectives, even if they don't edit that much - it would be great to have a broader range of skills and experience on the Board.

Doug Taylor

I am Doug Taylor, and I've been an editor for over four years. I've written featured content (both article and list) and have an interest in accessibility where I've collaborated in making technical improvements to Wikipedia.

I taught in 11-18 schools for 25 years, before starting an IT career 15 years ago, where I have taught FE and HE as well as adults. I have been a member of examining boards for 30 years, including 6 years as Chair of The West Midlands Examination Board, a registered charity. I am currently Vice-Chair of the OCR committee that deals with malpractice. For the last 10 years I have been Chair of the board of Job Change, a registered charity dedicated to helping unemployed back into work.

As a hobby, I am a scuba diver, and have been a National Instructor for the last 20 years, with a particular interest in training scuba instructors.

Over the years, I've served on many committees in different roles. Examples include: Secretary of a local teacher's trades union; Treasurer of my local constituency party; Regional Organiser and member of National Executive for the Socialist Educational Association; Chair of Governors of both primary and secondary schools.

Since my wife died seven years ago, I have given up many of these activities to bring up my children, but now that they are grown and I am close to retirement, I would be willing to devote some of my time and skills to helping Wikimedia UK in whatever way I can. In the last year, I've been able to participate in outreach events in Liverpool, Manchester, Monmouth, Coventry and London and would like to help Martin develop a team to expand outreach in the future.

Gary Hayes

Dear Members,

As an early adopter of the internet 1976 and believer in the freedom of the internet with protection for the vulnerable. I value the freedoms it has brought both to our minds and to our awareness of the needs and situations of others is a marker for our future survivial.

Wikipedia is a universal, accessible, free education unequalled in the world today and the contribution from everyone who reads and uses it and those who give to improve the content and the value are indispensible.

Answers that appear on Wikipedia which are necessary for the general learning of a population(and teachers, professors...)which promotes responsibility, growth of wisdom and learning over exploitation, crime and greed.

Who wouldn't prefer intelligent proactive, learning and conversation in a safe environment?

John Byrne

I'm User:Johnbod with 100,000 edits on English Wikipedia since 2006, and 18,000 on Commons, writing mostly on art history (see my user page). I have ten FAs and 189 DYKs, & have presented to various groups and parties, and organized GLAM events and training sessions.

Last year the Board gave Steve Virgin and I the job of finding new lawyers and progressing the application for Registered Charity status, the top priority of the membership at the last AGM. We did this in four months, despite the summer holidays. I am now assisting with the Treasurer role.

Outside Wikipedia I am a qualified (ICSA) Company Secretary, who has worked mostly in reference publishing; I was Company Secretary of the Marshall Cavendish Group, and a Trustee of its Pension Fund. I've set up new subsidiaries which experienced the kind of explosive growth in activity that Wikimedia UK now faces, and have experience of a broad range of management issues. I am married with four children and live just outside London.

WMUK still faces a period of change and growth, putting the funds that are now available to good use. The function of the Board is still changing to a much more supervisory one than at present.

I am mainly a content writer, very conscious of the urgency of expanding our base of editors. I believe this should be our main focus for WMUK activities, moving beyond GLAM to reach other kinds of organizations and groups in new ways. We also need to expand chapter membership and involvement, while accepting that many very active UK Wikipedians prefer only to engage online. I know all the current board and several of the other candidates and I believe I can work well as a member of the new board.

Junior Campbell

No statement received.