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Hyperlocal in the UK

#TAL Unawards

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Whilst things are gearing up for the talk about local Unconference this  Saturday don’t forget the social event of the year that directly follows it. I am of course referring to the glittering talk about local Unawards ceremony this Saturday 17th April from 6pm onwards in Chilli White, Leeds.

This grand occasion will see the best hyperlocal talent in the UK getting recognition for their efforts in the shape of a round of a applause, a raising of glasses and a beautiful badge to adorn their website.

The talk about local team have carefully considered your suggestions for categories, and have whittled them down to the list below. If deserving winners for these titles spring to mind, please comment your suggestions with reasons why. This Friday a panel of esteemed judges (us lot) will hide away in a locked room, consider your comments along with our own personal preferences, and decide upon the winners arbitrarily. Who said democracy was dead?

All hyperlocal community websites in the UK are eligible for one of the following Unawards, so speak now or until next year hold our peace:

The cream of the hyperlocal crop:

  • Overall winner
  • Best Hyperlocal Twitter stream
  • Best Hyperlocal Story/Post
  • Most Inspirational site
  • Best local special interest website
  • Best campaign
  • Best investigation/investigative reporting
  • Best community engagement
  • Best council coverage
  • The UnTourist Board Award for a site that attracts visitors to a place
  • Most innovative use of data
  • Best use of video
  • Best use of audio
  • Best use of photography
  • Best use of a map
  • The Hyperlocal Extreme Award for thrilling, breathtaking or dangerous hyperlocal reporting
  • LOL Award for making us laugh

With thanks to those that support us….

  • Best support to hyperlocal bloggers
  • UK Hyperlocal Favourite Tool
  • Best public sector backing of hyperlocals

And those that don’t….

  • Best attack by traditional media

nickygetgood

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  2. I think I’m going to have to trust the TAL team on this a lot, as I only really pay attention to the stuff local to me…

    here goes…

    * Overall winner
    * Best Hyperlocal Twitter stream – @MyJQ comprehensive
    * Most Inspirational site – Pits and Pots, top stuff
    * Best local special interest website – http://goosemoor-lane.com/ it’s not pretty, but it takes hyperlocal to the hyperest localest (going for at least 6-7 years to my knowledge too)

    * The UnTourist Board Award for a site that attracts visitors to a place
    * Most innovative use of data
    * Best use of video
    * Best use of audio – does RhubarbRadio count? Michael Grimes’ special show with Marc Reeves was brilliant radio done with a depth and a style that ‘real’ radio can’t match.

    * LOL Award for making us laugh – Lolitics, obviously 😉 or Glum Councillors.

  5. Overall winner
    Best Hyperlocal Twitter stream
    – this has to go to Pits n Pots, and local Stokies EDF coverage. I was rivetted.

    Most Inspirational site
    – My Tunstall, but I’m biased

    Best campaign
    Making Reginald Mitchell Way Safer – basically the roundabout where I live was fast, dangerous and a disaster waiting to happen. So using the MyTunstall (called Bankeyfields at the time) to raise awareness locally, and build a valid case, gain local councillor and police support the members of the site managed to change Stoke-on-Trent councils mind and also make the change after 9 months of campaigning.

    http://www.campaigncentral.org.uk/make-reginald-mitchell-way-safer
    http://mytunstall.co.uk/forum/roads/reginald-mitchell-way-response-letter-sent-joan-walley-our-behalf_09-04.html
    http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Danger-roundabout-safety-work-demand/article-753117-detail/article.html
    http://mytunstall.co.uk/survey/reginald-mitchell-way-survey
    http://mytunstall.co.uk/forum/reginald-mitchell-way/reginald-mitchell-way-roundabouts-reponse-council_09-01.html
    http://mytunstall.co.uk/forum/bankeyfields-neighbourhood-watch/sentinel-reports-dangers-focus-roundabout_09-03.html

    Best council coverage
    – Pits n POts

    Best use of a map
    – My Tunstalls Local directory
    http://mytunstall.co.uk/directorymap/all

  6. From the night shift, these are the ones I’ve thought of so far… (I’m sure you’ll make a ruling on whether we can nominate the work of colleagues!)

    Best Hyperlocal Twitter stream
    http://twitter.com/stoketraffic
    #edlsot – reporting by pitsnpots and others on the EDL Marchin Hanley, unfortunately no longer live

    Best Hyperlocal Story/Post
    http://meanwhileinstoke.blogspot.com/2009/09/computer.html
    http://meanwhileinstoke.blogspot.com/2008/11/close-encounters-of-first-kind.html

    Most Inspirational site
    http://pitsnpots.co.uk/
    http://blurbonline.ning.com/
    http://www.thepotteries.org/

    Best local special interest website
    http://bizfizzburslem.wordpress.com/ (businesses)
    http://thegroundhog.wordpress.com/ (football stadiums)
    http://stokesounds.blogspot.com/ (music)
    http://www.midlandsheritage.co.uk/ (history)
    http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=107123375486 (dialect)
    http://www.grannybuttons.com/granny_buttons/ (canals)

    Best campaign
    http://savethepaintedhouse.blogspot.com/
    http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=31270808101

    Best community engagement
    http://sacredhearthanley.ning.com/

    Best council coverage
    http://pitsnpots.co.uk/
    http://www.readmyday.co.uk/pkb
    http://openlylocal.com/

    The UnTourist Board Award for a site that attracts visitors to a place
    http://digbeth.org/
    http://goodfoodshops.blogspot.com/
    http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2474585052&ref=ts (Burslem)

    Most innovative use of data
    http://traintimes.org.uk/map/?bhm
    http://openlylocal.com/

    Best use of video

    Best use of a map
    http://traintimes.org.uk/map/?bhm

    UK Hyperlocal Favourite Tool
    Wordpress
    Blogspot
    Youtube
    Ning
    Google Maps
    Delicious
    Flickr
    http://helpmeinvestigate.com/

    Best public sector backing of hyperlocals
    Cabinet Office / Digital Engagement office (even if they’re not in Stoke, yet)

  10. Best Twitter Stream and Best Community Engagement – @whampstead without a doubt.

    Twitter stream: all-day updates, excellent use of tailored hyperlocal hashtags (e.g. tube updates are tagged with #whamptravel), excellent retweeter putting local tweeters in touch and excellent knowledge of the area from leisure to politics. Just many excellents altogether – astonishing for a one-man band.

    Community Engagement: I iterate the point about engaging with local politicians (particularly on Twitter), tweeting about local hustings and finally he organises #whampgather to allow local peeps to meet. I went to the last one and it had an excellent turnout, plus had the nice idea of a raffle which gave away prizes from local businesses.

  11. I see so much good hyperlocal stuff that this is actually REALLY hard, it would take me hours to judge carefully.

    However an easy category first from a personal perspective:

    # Best support to hyperlocal bloggers

    For this one I would like to nominate three people –

    Adam Westbrook http://adamwestbrook.wordpress.com/ Whilst not a hyperlocal blogger himself he has inspired me to be a better blogger, hyperlocal ‘reporter’ and all round better online person.

    Philip John – probably lots of information about moneymaking now available but his post http://philipjohn.co.uk/getting-serious-about-hyperlocal-part-3-money-money-money/ just convinced me that perhaps, just perhaps, I don’t have to be a Hyperdole forever!

    And finally – no bribery needed – @TalkAboutLocal who via Will Perrin at #TALo9 convinced me to go out and ‘give it a go’ and introduced me to the solidarity of other Hyperlocal folk

  12. @nicky, you have a point there… haven’t had the chance to trasel through for the further afield ones… 🙂

    Here’s one more I meant to put forward though: http://ventnorblog.com/ (most inspirational)

  13. In Birmingham, Digital Birmingham should be given some respect for the support it has given to hyperlocal bloggers (therefore in ‘public sector support’ catergory). It does a lot of work championing this cause at quite a high level in the council.

    For me, The Stirrer leads the way in effective local journalism on the web. It’s probably the only hyperlocal that people in power in the City actually read. ‘Most inspirational site’.

    Best use of a map? There were a few of us did stuff around gritting maps (I think it was Northwood Local who started it off).

    Best Community Engagement? Life in Lozells has pulled off the trick of managing to appear above the bad news stories when you google Lozells. It’s changing the whole perspective on that neighbourhood one blog post at a time.

  14. How about us getting some recognition? three years of local video reporting on the unsung heroes of the voluntary community as welk as some of the unusual businesses on the Isle of Wight?

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