New website takes the online community into the local neighbourhood
Added: (Fri Nov 10 2006)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New website takes the online community into the local neighbourhood
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November 8 2006: A new UK-based community web site with a difference has launched. Called My Neighbourhoods, it aims to take the online community into the local neighbourhood. The site was developed out of frustration at not being able to find a good quality local builder and, having lived in North London for 3 years, knowing only a handful of people in the area.
Members can get to know their local neighbourhood and the people in it. Driven by postcode, users can search for businesses, find out about crime and education in their area (or an area they are looking to move to), get recommendations for local services from other members, join forums, organise and find out about local events, and get to know like-minded people who don't live the other side of the world. They can also buy and sell products and services locally or nationally in the Market Place.
Online communities have been growing in popularity over the last couple of years. Sharing images, ideas, music, videos and opinions with virtual strangers, many of who don't live in the same country. At the same time, local communities are suffering, especially in larger cities. My Neighbourhoods aims to harness the success of social networking to create closer relationships in communities all over the UK.
Bringing people in local neighbourhoods together and allowing them to contact each other online could also help with local community problems such as crime, bored and misbehaving youth and the environment. Closer communities have lower crime rates, events and out of school activities can be arranged by those with children, and child supervision can be shared. Neighbourhood clean up programmes have also shown to be successful when neighbours work together. All this can be facilitated through My Neighbourhoods.
How My Neighbourhoods develops over time will be dictated by the members and what they need and want out of the site. The local information available will also grow naturally through members sharing their knowledge of the neighbourhood and posting recommendations. However, the ability to find information on the local area isn't dependent on there being members registered in a particular postcode.
A beta launch has already supplied some positive feedback:
"Really easy to register."
"It's a great idea, especially to get local service recommendations."
"The site looks great."
"Imagine a combination of UpMyStreet.com + Fish4 + Friends Reunited." (Sam Sethi, Tech Crunch UK)
Full details are available on the website at http://www.myneighbourhoods.co.uk or by calling Danny Bull on 07904 861 543.
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
For further information please contact Danny Bull on 07904 861 543 or email danny.bull@digi-nut.co.uk
More information on Danny Bull can be found at http://www.digi-nut.co.uk
Screenshots, logos and other downloads are available from the press page:
http://www.myneighbourhoods.co.uk/press