A social media surgery is a gathering at which volunteer "surgeons" with expertise in using web tools, chiefly

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

, offer free advice in using such tools, to representatives ("patients") of

non-profit organisation A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

charities A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a cha ...

, community groups and activists, with "no boring speeches or jargon". The idea was conceived by Pete Ashton, with Nick Booth of Podnosh Ltd, who ran the first such surgery in Birmingham, England, on 15 October 2008. In July 2009, a spin-off surgery (dubbed the "Social media mob") started in

Mosman Mosman is a suburb on the Lower North Shore region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mosman is located 8 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local governm ...

, Australia, and in January 2010, the first spin-off surgery in Africa was held. On 16 February 2012, it was announced that the Social Media Surgery movement had won "the Prime Minister’s

Big Society Award The Big Society Award is a British award set up by prime minister David Cameron in November 2010 as part of the Big Society initiative. The awards recognise community work done in the UK that demonstrates the Big Society. Over fifty awards had b ...

". Prime Minister

David Cameron David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...

said: The scheme also won the 2013

Adult Learners' Week Adult Learners' Week is an international festival of adult learning. It is a UNESCO initiative that was first celebrated in the United States in the late ’80s, where there was a move to create a broad celebration of adult learning by the Americ ...

"BBC Learning Through Technology Award".

References

History of Birmingham, West Midlands Computer-related introductions in 2008 Social media David Cameron {{internet-stub