free websites offered
A free website is just a few clicks away for New Zealand’s community groups who want an online presence, say the developers of a new on-line web development service.
TrustLine newsletter, June 2009
The People’s Times Editor, Rebekah Brumwell, says the www.peoplestimes.org.nz website is designed for not-for-profit groups who are working with limited budgets. A commercial website developer might charge anything from $500 to $5,000 for the service The People’s Times is able to offer for free.
“Whether you’re a sports club, support group, residents’ association, cultural society, hobby group, community organisation or any other kind of group - and whether you have five members or 50 - you’re welcome to join us,” Rebekah says.
Members get an ad-free homepage within the main website, with their own URL (web address). There they can add a description of their group, add a logo and contact details.
The package also includes tools like discussion forums, blogs and photo galleries already built in, plus secure file storage for paperwork such as contact lists and meeting minutes.
“Through your homepage, your members can keep in touch, share news and views and organise the group’s activities. You can view and add content to your page anytime, from anywhere, as little or as often as you like,” she says.
Members can be automatically told, by email, when something new is posted to a site. Group members can also post news articles and notices.
The People’s Times can be offered free to community groups because it was set up with support from the Community Partnership Fund. It’s a joint project of the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand and e-learning specialists Flexible Learning Network.
“You don’t have to design or build a homepage yourself – you just need to enter a few details about your group and we do the rest,” Rebekah says.
“You don’t need any special software or know-how and you don’t need to download anything. We are happy to give you one-on-one support if you need it – just email or call us.”
The developers have plans for more features and have recently launched People’s Times News. This is New Zealand’s first ‘citizen journalism’ platform, where members provide and share the news.
“Our priority is promoting content produced by and for all of our people – hence the ‘People’s Times’. This part of the site aims to give Kiwis a space to read and write about themselves and their communities, and to foster discussion and debate on the issues that matter to them,” Rebekah says.
“We have plenty of exciting ideas for the future development of the People’s Times, and hope more group will be able to join us in this unique ‘community of communities’.”