Harringay Online

Harringay Online is a hyperlocal social network based in the neighbourhood of Harringay, north London.

History

Started on 1 July 2007, Harringay Online was one of the first neighbourhood websites to be set up using social media technology.^[1] It was established with the stated aim of strengthening the community in the neighbourhood of Harringay in the north London Borough of Haringey. The site aims to achieve a blend of web-based and real world neighbourhood interactions.^[2]

Harringay Online explains its aims as achieving four main outcomes:^[2][3]

• Building a sense of place in a neighbourhood – an understanding and appreciation of the neighbourhood to encourage a feeling of belonging and regarding a place as home.
• Building social capital in the neighbourhood – building networks, norms and trust that enable people to act together more effectively to pursue shared objectives – simply put building community spirit or neighbourliness.
• Empowering local people to take action to shape their neighbourhood – working to improve local people's ability to influence local decisions and affect local circumstances.
• Engaging people in local democratic processes.

The site's main structure is:^[2]

• Main Page - summarising and linking to all content.
• Forum - for discussions on local and sometimes non-local issues.
• Gallery - pictures & videos including an extensive series of film footage and photos on Harringay's history.
• Local Information - a wide range of local links and information including weekly updates.
• Events - calendar of local events.
• Local History - a well-established local history resources including thoroughly researched articles in the History Group, an extensive gallery of images and posts on history in the forum
• Special Interest groups, including Gardening and a very authoritative

The site is a well used local site and receives between 1500 and 3000 unique users per day.^[2] An email update is circulated weekly to all members.^[1]

Harringay Online is regularly referenced around the world as an exemplary, community-led, hyperlocal website, being referred to recently by Urban Initiatives as "the gold standard for community websites".^[4] It has been recognised by two national awards and was awarded a Judge's Special Commendation by the Prime Minister in the UK's 2008 Catalyst Awards.^[4] In June 2009 it was highly commended in the National eWell-Being Awards.^[4]

In 2010 it was a focus for the UK-based study on local websites, the Online Neighbourhood Networks Study

With a stated target population of 22,500, by 2018, it had signed over 12,500 members.

References & notes

General

• Referenced in Joining the Conversation: a guide to neighbourhood media, a paper jointly published by the Young Foundation, IDeA and the Local Government Association.
• Section on Harringay Online in Promising Practices In Online Engagement by Public Agenda.
• Referenced in Making The Connection report from the Carnegie Trust
• In Local by Social publication by IDeA
• Harringay Online in the Online Neighbourhood Networks Study
• Harringay Online on BBC London News
• Harringay Online on BBC Technology
• In The Guardian Social media can help riot-hit communities recover
• Referenced in the Sydney Morning Herald Blueprint for future needs to address loneliness, says report
• Referenced in The Connected Community:Local Governments as Partners in Citizen Engagement and Community Building, Arizona State University (pp 80-85
• Harringay Online on the European Union's best practice website
• Harringay Online used by Smithsonian as an archive resource
• Harringay Online used as a reference source by the Library of Congress
• Referenced in NESTA's report on UK Hyperlocal media Here and Now

External links

• Harringay Online
• Harringay Online at National Council of Archives
• Harringay Online on Facebook