WordCamp London 2019 is focused on content and sustainability, and nothing speaks to this more than our charity sponsor WP&UP.
WP&UP is a UK registered charity which supports the positive mental health and long term sustainability of the WordPress community itself. WP&UP is a charity sponsor: we’ve provided them – free of charge – with a sponsorship slot at WordCamp London.
We hope this helps them more effectively carry out their mission. If you’re reading this, that’s a good start! Keep reading for more from WP&UP’s Giles Hales-Tooke on what the charity does.
The WP&UP team consists of many people, several of whom run or work within WordPress focused businesses. This enables us, as a team, to understand the challenges, the highs and the lows faced by fellow employees and business owners. As developers, marketeers, product owners, designers, communication and accessibility consultants, and many more, we can empathise and relate to the real world challenges our community face.
Solo working has the potential for increased risk of isolation, loneliness, anxiety and depression. WP&UP tackles these issues through our four Health Hubs: Business Health, Skills Health, Physical Health and Mental Health, hosting events, training, mentorship, coaching, support services and more. Together, we are working to reduce social isolation and bring down barriers relating to mental health and well-being.
WP&UP is formed of members from both inside and outside the WordPress community, offering professional perspective with a desire to support others. We’re working to reduce social isolation and promote a wholistic business, physical and mental well-being.
We asked Giles how we can make the most of the opportunity of getting in front of WordCamp London attendees. The answer is getting responses to its recently launched WordPress Community Mental Health & Well-being Survey. Here’s Giles again:
All of this has given us a deep insight into the issues of those we have interacted with. Now with an initial round of funding behind us, we want to take a wider look at the state of well-being and mental health within the WordPress community in general. Questions like:
- are the kind of skills issues facing an employee the same as for a contractor/freelancer?
- do those working from a regular desk, in an office environment have the same kind of health issues as somebody working from home?
- what percentage of office-based workers get offered support resources, and what percentage take them and find them helpful?
- are well-being issues facing independent and corporate business owners the same or in what way do they differ?
The WordPress Community Mental Health & Well-being Survey 2019 is the means by which we can understand where to invest our resources to deliver the greatest benefit to you and other community members.
The survey is anonymous and will take 3 to 4 minutes to complete. With WP&UP embracing the principles of open source and transparency; the anonymous data collected via the survey will be open sourced, enabling us to help deliver an overview of the current state of mental health and well-being within our community.
You can fill in the survey here! Please do and share it with fellow WordPress community members.
Thank you Giles and thank you WP&UP! We’re delighted to have you join us on for WordCamp London, and to play our small role in the charity’s journey.
Eagle-eyed readers might note WordCamp London’s Co-Lead Organiser Dan is also the CEO of WP&UP: to avoid a conflict of interest Dan sat out any discussion of this, we held discussions in public Slack channels, and listed charity sponsorships on our Call for Sponsors page.