When the the annual Talk About Local unconference opens its doors this Saturday, it will be the culmination of some hard work and planning which couldn’t happen without the generous support of our sponsors.

Ahead of the big day we invite you meet our sponsors. They will all be represented to participate and provide more information about their hyperlocal offerings on Saturday too.

In alphabetical order, here’s what they say:

Media Trust

Media Trust’s newsnet gives people the unique opportunity to connect, share and learn to tell their local story. newsnet is a UK wide community of community reporters and local storytellers, which gives them the tools, skills and connections to get more from their local news.

Through our newsnet beacon projects we will support a cross section of community radio stations, hyperlocal sites and local TV stations to demonstrate the variety and scope of this community. newsnet is open to anyone, but our beacons can access a higher level of support from us, from training opportunities to equipment. newsnet is about supporting, fostering and ensuring an even stronger hyperlocal community so find out how we can help tell your local story at http://newsnet.mediatrust.org/

NESTA

NESTA is a charity that supports innovation in the UK. Through our new innovation program Destination Local we intend to fund 10 proposals that develop and test prototype services for the next generation of hyperlocal media. In particular, we are looking for prototypes that make the most of mobile technologies to deliver geographically-relevant local media.

Our goal in funding the prototypes is to understand what new business models may be required, what types of service work well with audiences and the challenges and opportunities of using mobile technologies. Successful applications will be able to demonstrate how they help to understand these themes. You can hear more about Destination Local at the unconference or apply online – it’s a simple, straightforward form.

n0tice

n0tice.com is a community noticeboard, a platform that simply seeks to answer the question – what’s happening near you?

Released by Guardian Media Group, at its most straightforward, n0tice.com is a new version of a very old idea – a community noticeboard. Users can post reports, offers or events for everyone in their area to see or set up their own noticeboards – become ‘noticeboard owners’ with a complete tool kit for local/hyperlocal publishing. Visit the site at www.n0tice.com, twitter @n0tice, blog www.about.n0tice.com.

South Leeds Life

South Leeds Life does what it says on the tin. A group of people who live and work in South Leeds got together to start the blog. We aim to tell you about events and stories going on in South Leeds – Holbeck, Beeston, Cottingley, Hunslet, Belle Isle & Middleton and encourage local residents to file their own posts. This collaborative blog stands in South Leeds’ long tradition of welcoming people into its communities. We celebrate the diversity of our communities and value the contributions that people have brought to South Leeds from all over the world. Most of the articles on this site come from a large network of local people who send in information.

UCLan MADE

The #uclanMADE (Media and Digital Enterprise) project works to support creative, motivated communicators who want to start or grow digital news enterprises for civic, educational or commercial purposes. Winner of the inaugural International Press Institute’s News Innovation Contest sponsored by Google, we’re currently accepting applications for the first MADE:UK Startup Weekend from 14-17 June and a chance to join the MADE Hothouse. Links: http://uclanmade.blogspot.com Twitter: MADEupdates

* We also received generous donations from a handful of well-wishers we’ve contacted individually and would like to add a big thank you to everyone who has supported #tal12. If you still wish to pledge a donation, there’s still time to do so on the #TAL12  Eventbrite page.

Nicky is the Communications Manager at Talk About Local – recruiting, training and working with IT trainers and active citizens across the UK to help them create and develop simple yet effective community websites and online profiles. Nicky is currently overseeing Talk About Local's Networking for Work project, helping jobseekers to take control of their online profiles and look their best online. Nicky managed the popular Birmingham hyperlocal website Digbeth is Good since it began in May 2008 until moving to Cardiff in December 2011, where she helps organise regular Canton Social Media Surgeries. Nicky is interested in ways of using storytelling, game-playing and events within communities to tell their stories and effect positive change.

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