Win £200 of John Lewis vouchers
By Charley Brinton | August 9, 2009
We’re doing our bit to help in the recession and are giving away £200 worth of John Lewis vouchers. All you need to do is recommend My Neighbourhoods to up to 5 friends and for each friend you recommend you’ll be entered into the prize draw. And then of course if they sign up, they can also recommend a friend or five and be in with a chance. So if you fancy treating yourself to a new digital camera, or simply need some new bedsheets, click here.
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
The Big Lunch
By Charley Brinton | April 7, 2009
We at My Neighbourhoods, believe, and often preach, that being neighbourly, getting involved with your local community and meeting new people within it, can help to improve society as a whole, and our own individual lives. And we’re not the only ones.
Last summer we encouraged you to hunt down your local street parties and fairs, or even start your own. This year we want to tell you about an extra big street party type event taking place on 19th July around the country. It’s called The Big Lunch and is the brainchild of Tim Smit (of the Eden Project in Cornwall) and Paul Twivy. The idea is to encourage people to grow, make, create and share with their neighbours, in the form of a big street lunch, in the street, around tower blocks, on any inch of common ground. They have coined a phrase “Human Warming” - a feeling that envelopes us when we connect in a positive way with the people around us.
The Big Lunch also has an environmental element, encouraging us to grow and make with our own hands the food, entertainment, decorations etc for the event. All good stuff and exactly what My Neighbourhoods like to promote, plus we’re a perfect tool to help arrange your own Big Lunch in your area. To find out more about The Big Lunch, visit www.thebiglunch.com.
Topics: Neighbours, Neighbourhoods, News, Community, Local community | 7 Comments »
10 neighbourly ideas to beat the recession
By Charley Brinton | January 27, 2009
Recent words/expressions being bandied around the media in the last year, such as “credit crunch”, “Economic downturn” and “recession” have probably got most of us thinking about saving money, how to cut back on our outgoings, and if the worst happens and we lose our jobs, how to live on much less. We at My Neighbourhoods have come up with a few ideas for saving the pennies (and maybe even making some!) in your local community - all they need from you is a bit of friendly neighbourly behaviour.
1. Garage/front garden/car boot sale
The most obvious one - many local schools already run car boot sales - but if not, why not organise one yourself? Or perhaps go a bit American and have a garage sale, or if you don’t have a garage a front garden (or doorstep even!) sale. Get the whole street involved. Turn it into a winter street party!
2. Shared childcare/babysitting - obviously just with people you trust with your little treasures.
This can work in two ways; the first, you babysit for your friend/neighbour one night, and they return the favour another night. Particularly great for going out for local dinners or cinema and will knock at least £20 off your evenings budget. The other way is if you want to go out with your local friends, to hire one babysitter to sit all your children (within reason) at one home and share the cost. (NB this only works if the babysitter doesn’t mind looking after more than one child and won’t charge extra).
3. Jobs for the kids
It’s been a while since I received pocket money and I’m a little while off giving any so I have no idea how much kids get these days, but you could save yourself and others a few pence with this idea. Instead of pocket money, perhaps your kids could earn the money by say, valeting the car (in turn saving you the £15 on paying someone else to do it), or mowing the lawn or get rid of your cleaner and they can do certain cleaning duties instead? Radical I know but radical times call for radical measures. And they could even earn money doing odd jobs for the neighbours. Alternatively - if you don’t have kids, pay someone else’s to do jobs that you might pay other people, more money, to do.
4. Skills swap
Recently we’ve got to know a neighbour who’s a solicitor. In exchange for web/IT advice from us, he’s given us legal advice where otherwise we may have had to pay for it. Perhaps you’re a gardener and your neighbour is a builder. There’s all sorts you could be doing for each other. When you start talking it’s amazing what help you can find out there - or equally give - for free.
5. Borrow/swap/recycle things
Don’t go out and buy a chainsaw, or even rent one, for that spring time pruning - ask your neighbours if they have one you can borrow. Maybe in exchange for using your power water spray. And have you discovered www.freecyle.org yet? Not only can you give your unwanted items loving homes instead of a nasty end at the local dump, but you can also find other peoples unwanted items that actually could be quite useful to you. All for free. That’s what we like.
6. Local events
Travelling anywhere can cost money so perhaps organise some fun local events. Old film viewings in a local church hall; mum coffee mornings/afternoons in a local bar that wouldn’t usually have any customers at that time of day (and negotiate a special rate for the coffee/tea); winter sports tournaments for the kids in the local park; see idea (1) - hold a street sale to sell unwanted items and homemade goods.
7. Get fit cheaply
Drop that monthly gym membership and start a local running/swimming/aerobics/yoga group.
8. Share and Grow
Not many people in towns and cities are lucky enough to have big gardens that can be used for growing your own produce and apparently allotments are becoming harder to come by as more people demand “growing space”. Well one celebrity chef, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, in partnership with Channel4, has started a scheme called Landshare. The idea is that people who have spare land/garden that could be cultivated, can rent this out to people who don’t have land of their own and would like to, well, cultivate. Check out the website www.landshare.net for more details.
9. Rent a bed
Do you have a spare bedroom that is rarely used? Let your neighbours know, particularly the ones who don’t have a spare bedroom, and you could make a little extra cash being a type of B&B for friends and family of your neighbours. (You could go further afield and advertise on sites such as gumtree.com - but then you don’t really know who you’re getting… local is safer).
10. Work local
So the worst has happened and you’ve lost your job. Whilst you’re looking for a new one (and there will be one - don’t give up the hope!) perhaps there’s a particular skill you have that could be in demand locally. Perhaps you speak another language and could do language lessons for people? Or you have office skills and could offer typing/computer work to local business people? You know what they say, when one door closes, another opens…
We’d love to hear if you have any other money saving ideas, and don’t forget, you can organise or look for local events or groups on the My Neighbourhoods message boards.
Topics: Neighbours, Neighbourhoods, My Neighbourhoods, Community, Local community, Home | 1 Comment »
Streets with funny names
By Danny Bull | January 15, 2009
Just like humans, streets can have funny names too. And there can’t be any funnier than the collection in the article, Where the streets have bad names. The UK features heavily with Sluts Hole Lane in Norfolk, Grope Lane in Shrewsbury and Butts Wynd in St. Andrews (Scotland). Who said the English have a stiff upper lip.
If you know of any more feel free add them to the comments.
Topics: Housing, Location, Population, Local information | 1 Comment »
Interview on BBC Three Counties Radio
By Danny Bull | November 26, 2008
Today I was once again interviewed on the BBC Three Counties Radio Drivetime program with Roberto Perrone. The show discussed the issues of community responsibility when it comes to reporting serious crime and abuse in our neighbourhoods. The discussion centered around how we only know a handful of our neighbours by name and how closer community ties, through sites like My Neighbourhoods, could improve how we help our neighbours.
Topics: Neighbours, Neighbourhoods, My Neighbourhoods, Community, Local community, Crime | No Comments »
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
By Charley Brinton | August 20, 2008
It happens only every 4 years, but it’s amazing what a bit of competitiveness and good sportsmanship can do for global solidarity. Was that really France, Germany and GB hugging each other on the podium last week? The Australians may be a bit put out that GB are ahead of them in the medals tables, but they’re secretly impressed. And it’s not just between countries - with Scotland, N.Ireland, Wales and England all working together, Team GB have produced the biggest haul of gold medals for a century. So it got me thinking; If a large sporting event can bring the world together, perhaps a much smaller sporting event could bring local communities together. And a local mini Olympics could maybe even lead to bigger and better things for some - and a gold medal or two (the next Rebecca Adlington could be living right next door to you).
Maybe your community already holds a local sports day or tournament, but if not, why not get the ball rolling. The My Neighbourhoods community message boards are great places to organise and advertise local events to other people in your area and those outside it too.
Topics: News, My Neighbourhoods, Community, Local community | No Comments »
Local business search launches on My Neighbourhoods
By Charley Brinton | July 2, 2008
A very handy new feature has just launched on My Neighbourhoods. You can now search for local (or not so local) businesses. Perhaps it’s your anniversary and you’re going out to dinner, and you want to get your hair done for it. But then a pipe bursts and you need an emergency plumber. No problem, you can now find local restaurants, hairdressers and plumbers on the My Neighbourhoods local business search. And that’s not all - if you had a great dinner, and the plumber was reliable you can leave a rating and review for other users to see.
So go to the My Neighbourhoods local business search for all your local needs.
Topics: Neighbourhoods, News, My Neighbourhoods, Local community, Local information, Local business | 1 Comment »
Free local business advertising
By Charley Brinton | June 13, 2008
It’s a competitive world, and an expensive one - especially for smaller local businesses up against the giants of the high-streets. So what better than being able to advertise your business locally, absolutely FREE. Not only can you target your local customers directly, but also you can give as much or as little detail as you like on My Neighbourhoods. No limiting yourself to 50 characters or less! We love local businesses, they’re what holds communities together and we believe they need as much support as possible. Free local business advertising is just one of our ways of helping to keep local businesses running.
Topics: News, My Neighbourhoods, Local community, Local information, Local business | 2 Comments »
It’s summer, let’s have a street party
By Charley Brinton | June 11, 2008
I went back to the area I grew up in last weekend, and enjoyed one of the annual highlights, the local summer fair. Held in and around a square, it hasn’t changed in the 25 years that I can reach back in my memory. The little stage where the local kids perform various dances and songs is still the same, with perhaps a slightly better sound system, the Punch and Judy still sits in the far right corner, the bbq still has the longest queue and the kids are still getting giddy on the mini teacup round-about. I may even have recognised a few pieces on the bric-a-brac stall. It was old fashioned and undeniably “local” and very comforting.
In two weeks I’ll be returning to my old street for a private street party. This is in it’s 10th year, and where it was only attended by 3 of the 14 or so properties on the street, this year they’re expecting almost everybody to attend. There’s been lot of movement in the street in the last year, many people have left and many people have moved in and this is possibly the reason for the large turnout - it’s about getting to know your neighbours whilst enjoying a [hopefully] warm and dry summer evening, some wine and a burger from the communal bbq.
I’d like to see more summer fairs and street parties - it pulls communities together, and leaves a general “feel good” atmosphere. Isn’t that what we all would like in the place where we live?
Topics: Neighbours, Neighbourhoods, Community, Local community | 1 Comment »
Looking after our local children…
By Charley Brinton | May 26, 2008
Last September I wrote a post entitled “A child is a whole village’s responsibility”. This has come to light even more in recent weeks with the tragic death of Khyra Ishaq, the seven year old girl who died, possibly of starvation and neglect, a few weeks ago in Birmingham. It’s thought her brother and sisters are in a similar state of neglect. What some people would like to know is what about the neighbours? Did no-one notice the children? Or if anything disturbing was happening next door to them, or on their street. Perhaps they did and decided it wasn’t their business? They didn’t want to be accused of being busy bodies. But where do you draw the line. If I suspected that any child was being abused or neglected, or indeed and adult was in trouble in a house in my community I’d like to think I would notify the authorities. It’s so sad to think that this death, and many other tragic domestic occurrences, could have been prevented if people weren’t so adverse to getting to know those who live in close proximity to them.
Topics: Neighbours, Neighbourhoods, News, Community, Local community | No Comments »