Legal Trustee role description
Recruitment of a Trustee with legal expertise (and how to apply)
Many thanks for your interest in Wikimedia UK. A small charity with a big impact, we demystify and drive engagement with open knowledge as the national chapter for Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects.
Wikimedia UK has a highly skilled, committed and diverse board of trustees, seven of whom are elected by the charity membership while a further three are co-opted. We wish to recruit a trustee with legal skills and experience to further enhance our board effectiveness. The ideal candidate would be a qualified lawyer with expertise in either charity law, copyright or a related area. You don’t have to bring experience of being a charity trustee, but you do need to share the vision and values of Wikimedia UK. The role is unremunerated but qualifying expenses will be reimbursed.
To express your interest in this role, please send a CV and a short statement outlining your interest and relevant experience and qualifications to katie.crampton@wikimedia.org.uk by Sunday 6th February. Online interviews are expected to take place in late February.
About Wikimedia UK
Wikimedia UK is the national platform for open knowledge, bringing together practical and policy expertise about Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects. Our work focuses on breaking down the barriers that prevent people and organisations from accessing and contributing to free knowledge. The charity also has a strategic focus on the development of information literacy skills and the creation of a legislative framework that supports open access. We receive core funding from the Wikimedia Foundation, with additional grants from bodies such as National Lottery Heritage Fund and Big Lottery Fund as well as individual donations. We work with an extensive network of partner organisations across the UK, with a number of institutions hosting and funding Wikimedians in Residence - including the British Library, Science Museum, National Institute for Health Research, National Library of Wales, Khalili Collections, University of Edinburgh, University of the Arts London (UAL) and Wellcome Collection.
In 2021, there were over 1.4 billion views of Wikipedia articles featuring content released with support from Wikimedia UK. We facilitated the addition or improvement of over 760,000 items on the Wikimedia projects, delivered over 250 events, and trained more than 700 new editors. For more information about our work, please see our Strategic Report for 2020/21. Our Annual Report is also available online, as is our Constitution.
About the Board of Trustees
Wikimedia UK's Board of Trustees provides strategic guidance, direction and oversight for the charity as a whole while recognising and respecting the domain of staff responsibility. In particular, the board:
- sets and maintains our direction, vision, mission and values, and helps develop strategy for effective charitable impact
- sets and maintains policies, practices, budgets and other processes necessary to deliver the strategy
- selects and supports the CEO who has oversight of operations, staff and employment procedures
- maintains fiscal oversight and accountability, including risk management and ensuring that the charity operates in a prudent and solvent manner
- ensures that the law and our Articles of Association are complied with
- promotes and champions the charity
- maintains its own effectiveness as a board
We have a board of up to 11 trustees who are appointed for three-year terms. Most trustees are elected however we can have up to four co-opted trustees at any one time. Trustees of Wikimedia UK are expected to sign the Code of Conduct and to declare any actual or potential conflicts and personal interests.
Board Meetings in 2022
Full board meetings are held quarterly, as are meetings of the two formal sub-committees (Audit and Risk, and Governance). The meeting schedule for 2022 is as follows:
Friday 25th March - online late afternoon board meeting 4 - 6.30pm
Friday 24th June - in person morning meeting and lunch at a partner venue
Saturday 9th July - online AGM in the morning
Friday 16th September - online late afternoon board meeting 4 - 6.30pm
Wednesday 7th December - board meeting 4 - 6.30pm followed by xmas drinks