On Monday the talk about local team went to Stanhope Hall in Highgate for a second session.  William talked to the group about how a website can help with local campaigning and getting their message across.  We then worked with the Stanhope Women's Group on developing the site they created during the fist session. 

The Stanhope Women's Group plan to use their Wordpress blog to cover all the activity within the Stanhope Hall centre, which is a real focal point for the community.  So much goes on there that  is well worth bringing to a wider audience, such as their garden, which grows some of the food that's eaten in their community lunches and the herbs for the womens' group's holistic medicine course.

We helped a member of the Highgate Neighbourhood Forum create a Wordpress blog to keep track of reporting issues to the council and making sure these are resolved.

We also spoke to the person behind Abacus Flats (Bradford Street, Digbeth) about how she can safely use her Wordpress blog to discuss reoccuring problems within the three apartment blocks, hold the property management company to account and create a sense of community amongst the residents. 

It was a great follow-up session that let us delve a bit deeper into the potential of the community websites created once we had gotten past the initial set-up stages.  We'll be keeping in touch with the people we met at Stanhope Hall, giving them ongoing support and poping by every so often to enjoy one of their delicious community lunches!

On 19th October we kicked off some talk about local activity in Highgate, Birmingham with a preliminary social media surgery style session in Stanhope Hall, Ketley Croft, Highgate, Birmingham B12 (map here). 

Things got off to a great start - about 12 people came along, including the local police and we created a site for the Stanhope Womens' Group  that meet regularly in the community centre.

We're going back there at 11.00am this Monday 9th November to work with the group on developing this site and talk to anyone else who is interested in creating or contributing to a community website.  The session is open and completely free, so if you're nearby and would like to learn how to create a website, or perhaps need help with a site you already have, please come along and talk to us.

The talk about local team are busy getting well underway with the West Midlands pilot of the project, and as part of that we're holding a couple of social media surgery style sessions over the next couple of weeks, to help people from local communities and groups set up and develop effective community websites.

The first is this Wednesday 14th October in Burton-upon-Trent at Trent & Dove Housing's offices, 10.00am-1.00pm.  The session has been arranged via Community Action & Support - East Staffordshire (CASES). 

The second is a lot closer to home at Stanhope Hall, Ketley Croft, Highgate, Birmingham B12 (map here) next Monday 19th October at 10.00am-12.00pm.  With talk about local land being just ten minutes away in Digbeth, we were keen to do something in Highgate and Sandra and Lee at Friction Arts were kind enough to put us in touch with the community centre's womens' group, who are enthusiastic about creating an online voice for the area.  They are open to others' input so come along if you'd like to contribute! 

Both sessions are open and completely free, so if you're nearby and would like to learn how to set up a community website, or perhaps need help with a site you already have, please come along and meet the talk about local team.