Harringay Online is in the papers again!

Community website online for award
By Charlotte Gray
Haringey Independent

A community website that has led campaigns against betting shops and parking problems has just been shortlisted for an award.

Harringay Online is the first website of its kind that has worked in bringing local residents together who live in and around the Harringay Ladder.

In recognition for its efforts the wesbite has been shortlisted for two awards - the Revolutionary Award and the People's Choice Award - by this year's UK Catalyst Awards, a recognition of everyday heroes who use technology to make a positive impact on the world around them.
advertisement

Creator of Harringay Online, Hugh Flouch, was brought before a panel of "Dragon's Den" judges on Wednesday to explain this how he has done just this.

He said: "I wanted to build a far stronger sense of community in Harringay. A lot of people who live here feel a sense of powerlessness in infuencing what happens in the area they live in and they are really frustrated about it."

The idea to create a community website as a force to empower residents really took off. The website now has 770 members and gets 200 hits a day.

The website spearheaded the campaign against betting shops, organised a 600-stong traffic petition and surveyed residents' priorities.
Cabinet member for safer communities and enforcement, Councillor Nilgun Canver, spoke out in support of the site. She said: "It's very innovative what has been thought up and obviously people are not used to coming together around a website.

"It has also been instrumental in bringing together views on consultations, so I believe intiatives like this create a sense of community spirit. Congratulations."

Mr Flouch said: "Politically the Council can't keep on ignoring hundreds of people and hopefully next year it will be thousands. We don't want Haringey paying lip service to consultation - I want to work in partnership with them.

"There's something very unsual that's happened with this website, we've found something to really make it work and it's the first of it's kind that I know of to do that.

"It would be really nice to win but it's already a fantastic achievement."
Catalyst Awards judge Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden project, said: "This is just the beginning. In order to create maximum social impact, the ideas and projects that we've unearthed here must be scaled up and replicated.

"We must also inspire a new generation to keep pushing the boundaries and finding even more innovative ways of making a difference through the technology they encounter every day."

To vote for Harringay Online in the Catalyst Awards, go to ukcatalystawards.com or visit harringayonline.com.

The winner will be announced at a ceremony on July 24.

They also put a link to vote as well. I also noticed that the Finsbury Blog was urging its readers to vote. All this support is great...have you voted yet?