How Community Websites Support Big Society in Neighbourhoods

This event will combine first-hand experience of working with citizen-led neighbourhood websites, with hot-off-the-press research findings.

Liz Dart, Head of Community and Neighbourhood Development, and Helen Hilton, Online Engagement Officer, LB of Lewisham, together with Hugh Flouch and Kevin Harris from Networked Neighbourhoods will share first hand experiences of how online neighbourhood communities are supporting neighbourhood working and strengthening local communities. The session will also consider how local online networks provide an effective tool to maintain levels of service delivery in times of cost constraint by helping to activate co-production and deliver more services online.

Networked Neighbourhoods have been carrying out a groundbreaking study of the impact of London neighbourhood sites and the implications for local authorities in the context of Big Society, alongside the preparation of a guide for councils and councillors. These will be published on 30 November. South London in general, and Lewisham in particular, are recognised as pioneering areas with a rich variety of local websites. Whilst their journey in relating to these resources hasn’t always been straightforward, they are now finding significant benefits from developing constructive relationships with them.