Talk About Local works with people in communities to help them find a powerful voice online that makes a difference in the real world. Here are just a few examples of websites created as a result of our training and support that have done exactly that.

W14 saves trees from being felled

Working with North Fulham NDC, who wanted to support the creation of an engaging online voice for the local community, Talk About Local trained community activist Annette Albert in July 2009. We worked with her to create and develop W14london.ning.com, giving people in what Annette felt is an often ignored area a voice:

“West Kensington is an area which does not get investment – no votes for the Council and therefore no investment. I know residents love the area but investment goes to Fulham Broadway and Hammersmith.”

Annette is retired and would not have described herself as having strong IT skills. But with talk about local training and help from others the site quickly became a community hub where residents shared news, information and stories about local life. However in September 2009, when Annette discovered that 31 trees backing directly onto Normand Park were under threat of being felled, she used the website to quickly raise awareness amongst local residents and rally their support in campaigning for the trees to be put under a Conservation Order by the local council. By publishing full details about the case along with a draft email calling for a Conservation Order, Annette made it incredibly simple for the community to make their voice heard. As a result of the Save Normand Park Trees campaign, 25 of the 31 trees were saved.

Since the site has gone from strength to strength and now has over 700 members. Various local campaign groups have met one another on W14london and used the website as a tool to raise awareness about issues such as Save Barons Court Library, Save Sands End Community Centre and Library and Save Parsons Green, all using online petitions to make it easy for readers to show their support.

Kington community raise money for town Christmas lights

In August 2009 talk about local helped the Marches Access Point UK online centre create The Kington Blackboard, a space for community discussion for the isolated Herefordshire town. Very quickly local residents looked ahead to the festive season, discussing the issue of Christmas lights on the website. Although an online poll was overwhelmingly in favour of Christmas lights, it seemed the town council did not have the resources for them.

People voiced their support for Christmas lights on The Kington Blackboard, using the comments box under blog posts to discuss and organise a solution. In response to the strength of feeling of feeling shown, The Chamber of Trade came forward with funding and on 5th December 2009, the lights were switched on as part of the lively Kington Christmas Fair.

The Kington Blackboard is now one year old. Since its successful campaign for Christmas lights, it has been used by the community to scrutinise local democracy and as a hub for the town’s news, events and social announcements.

Caldmore Village Festival co-ordinated with the help of a dedicated website

In autumn 2009 talk about local trained the UK online centre trainer Stuart Ashmore at First Base Walsall, who then worked with the volunteer committee of the local Caldmore Village Festival to create the festival website caldmorevillagefestival.wordpress.com. Caldmore Village Festival is an annual arts festival that involves a wide variety of community groups, so the website gave the committee a much-needed quick and simple way of communicating to festival goers and each other.

The festival committee used the website to co-ordinate and build up momentum for the event – posting audition notices, rehearsal schedules, advertising stalls for hire, etc. as well as local community event notices and the festival programme. After the festival, the website published coverage of the event with photos taken by committee members and submitted to the local Flickr group by festival goers.

caldmorevillagefestival.wordpress.com is now being used to plan ahead for the next event.