Constitution

Constitution Articles of Association — Vision, Mission and Values — Staff — Board of Trustees — Chapter Agreement — Membership Rules — Election Rules

Overview

Wikimedia UK is a charitable company incorporated in England and Wales that is authorised by The Wikimedia Foundation. Inc as the local Wikimedia chapter for the United Kingdom. The company was founded in November 2008, was approved as a Wikimedia chapter in January 2009, and was granted charitable status by the Charity Commission in November 2011.

Wikimedia UK is a separate organization from the Wikimedia Foundation, and has no control over the contents of Wikipedia or any other projects run by the Foundation. The Charitable Objects of Wikimedia UK are, for the benefit of the public, to promote and support the widest possible public access to, use of and contribution to Open Content of an encyclopaedic or educational nature or of similar utility to the general public, in particular the Open Content supported and provided by the Wikimedia Foundation.

Wikimedia UK is a charity registered in England and Wales, no. 1144513, and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, no. 6741827.

The company is run from day to day by a Chief Executive who heads a small team of staff. It is governed by a Board of Directors who are regarded as trustees for the purposes of charity law.

Constitution

The constitution of Wikimedia UK comprises:

(a) The overriding legislative framework set down in UK Charity and Company law, including the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Acts 1993 and 2006

(b) The charity's Articles of Association

(c) The Chapter Agreement, a contract which regulates the relationship between the charity and the Wikimedia Foundation.

(d) The Membership Rules

(e) A resolution that was passed at the 2010 AGM creating a new class of membership for organisations, each member organisation being entitled to one vote.

(f) Certain 'entrenched' rules that require a resolution of the charity's membership in general meeting to change:

• the Election Rules
• a resolution that was passed at the 2009 AGM to the effect that the directors may not, except with approval of the membership by special resolution, terminate the Chapter Agreement or amend it in any way such that the charity loses the right to the trademark Wikimedia UK.

(g) Our policies:

The following policies are set and agreed by the board of trustees, with a policy update schedule agreed at the June 2016 board meeting:

• the Acceptable Use Policy
• the Bullying and Harassment Policy
• the Confidentiality Policy
• the Conflicts of interest policy
• the Copyright Policy
• the Disciplinary Policy and Procedure
• the Diversity and Equalities Policy
• the Donation and grant acceptance policy
• the Finance & Fundraising Policy
• the Grievance Policy and Procedure
• the Home-Working Policy
• the Honorary membership policy
• the IT Security (and Sub-Procedure)
• the Maternity Leave & Pay Policy
• the Privacy Policy
• the Recruitment Policy & Procedure
• the Remuneration & Pension Policy
• the Safeguarding Policy
• the Safe Space Policy
• the Sickness management Policy
• the Staff Leave Policy
• the Staff Training & Development Policy
• the Volunteer & Intern Agreement
• the Volunteer Policy
• the Whistle blowing Policy

Procedures that are essentially operational in nature are within the remit of the Chief Executive.