Retirement

Matt Boyes, Founder & CEO of Streetlife.com tells us the story of this great local social network and resource:

Creating a Community Spirit

We’re constantly being told by the media that community spirit is a thing of days gone by and that nobody speaks to their neighbours anymore. Is this true? On my street in London it certainly used to be. Our recent survey found that just three per cent of people feel that they live in an area with a strong sense of community spirit. However, the research also revealed that many people do want to become more involved in their local area and believe that communities can work together to make a positive difference. The traditional neighbourhood watch is a classic example, but other suggestions included helping the elderly and vulnerable, improving the quality of parks and supporting local businesses.

Where the Idea Came From

We came up with the idea of streetlife.com after my brother-in-law was burgled the day he moved into a new area. Whilst waiting for the police, he realised that there was no quick and easy way for him to warn his neighbours and ask if anyone had seen anything. Being new to the street, he also felt a bit awkward knocking on strangers’ doors. So many things are done online now, from paying bills to making doctors’ appointments, because the internet offers the convenience of access around the clock, from any location. It made sense that neighbourhoods should have an online forum too.

Getting More Local Knowledge

Our aim is to unite communities by providing a place for local people, groups and organisations to connect and share practical information, advice, opinions, skills and resources. Streetlife removes the barriers to making initial contact, lets locals start and join open discussions about their area, and enables people to dip in and out of the conversations they care about. If you can’t make it to a council or neighbourhood police meeting, or you keep different hours from your neighbours, Streetlife offers a way to keep in touch with what’s going on around you.

How It All Began

We launched a pilot of the site in the London Borough of Wandsworth last summer, where over 10,000 neighbours are using Streetlife to talk about planning applications, local events, services and history, and to exchange recommendations for trusted plumbers and dentists. Crucially, we’re finding that online dialogue is facilitating real-world interaction, whether it’s the organisation of a street party, people setting up jogging and book clubs, or meeting to share tools and swap seedlings. The site is already being used to bring about positive change in the area, from a campaign that successfully saved a local library from closure, to groups of volunteers organising regular litter picks on their streets and supporting a community gardening project. 

A Powerful Tool

We’ve seen how bringing together a group of motivated local people can create a powerful source of knowledge and help build safer and stronger neighbourhoods. Now we’ve opened our doors to the nation, and are excited to see projects, discussions and friendships springing up in new areas. Our challenge is to raise awareness so more people join, start conversations, and spread the word.

Streetlife will always be a free service for residents and community groups, so we’d invite everyone to get involved at www.streetlife.com

Matt Boyes