Jill Sanders writes about a very successful voluntary sector ICT project, that is providing local community based online information at no cost to the public purse
Community Links feature amenity groups, voluntary organisations, charities, churches, MPs, government at all levels, train times, weather, online media, search engines, police liaison groups, and lots more. The underlying idea is that this is your local internet, with everything anyone living in Richmond upon Thames might need online.
What residents get is rapid local news and information, a local online
environment for their organisations, issues and campaigns, updates on crime, education and health, plus access to full information about controversial planning proposals and developments - for a start. There is also a Vox Pop - a lively forum where users debate local issues hotly and hourly.
What local members get is their own councillor community Ward Pages, open to each one of them 24/7 to blog, inform, debate, whatever they want, and engaging directly with their online communities. At every election - local and national - there are projects to encourage voter participation and inform the electorate about their candidates. There have been two "Online Hustings" for the 2001 and the 2005 general elections, a May Poll for the local May 2002 elections and special coverage at several ward by-elections.
What everyone can enjoy about the websites are the photo-features. Photography is an important element, and it is something that makes the network attractive and entertaining. Special features include local architectural gems, some of which are only rarely open to the public.
It is the local communities themselves and the local people using the websites who have shaped the direction and development of Online Communities - that and the technology as it advances and makes more possible. Nowhere has this made a greater difference than in the 14 online Journals which focus on both the very local news and deal with borough-wide issues.
With greater interactivity becoming increasingly possible, users can now feed in news, debate and put up topical news links. Many organisations and campaigns maintain their own news and events on their websites, usually created for them by Online Communities, with a simple and user-friendly content management system - designed for the complete beginner. There is also a service available for other local websites to feature an Oncom NewsBox - a feed that updates along with the latest publishing of the online Journals.
Founded by local resident John Inglis, as a voluntary contribution to his own Hampton community, the Oncom network has received no formal funding. This enormous body of work - a social experiment - has grown organically over the nine years it been going and is sustained by people in the community. It is probably unique, but it should not be - every community needs one, and these can be replicated. But without recognition of the grass-roots knowledge and experience of those who have gone out and done it, or funding streams for these solely community-led projects, there are unlikely to be very many examples of the internet for ordinary people doing what Oncom can do.
www.oncom.org.uk It may take you some time!
