Appointment launches new community app project for Alford and Donside
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The team behind a new community hub website and app for Alford and Donside have appointed local girl Jenny Morley as content coordinator for the project.
She will be helped in the role by Vivien Rae of Evoke Marketing, Macduff, who has experience of building the content for the similar, recently launched community hubs for Huntly and Banff and Macduff.
The project was the brainchild of Nicola Sedgwick, immediate past chair of Donside Community Council, which is fully supporting the new communications hub that will enable all the community organisations, businesses and charities in the area to promote themselves to residents and prospective visitors to Alford and Donside.
Funding is being provided from a number of sources including the Aberdeenshire Council’s Phoenix Fund for post-lockdown business recovery, an award from The National Lottery Community Fund, Aberdeenshire Council’s Area Committee budget and Aberdeenshire Charity Trust.
This support will enable everyone to benefit from the new website and mobile device friendly app free of charge for the first three years.
Nicola, who remains a member of Donside Community Council, first saw an opportunity when Aberdeenshire Council made their Phoenix Fund available to help local town centres to recover from the effects of Covid-19 after lockdown was eased.
“The Community Council applied on behalf of Alford town centre and was successful,"she said.
"The businesses were consulted on the best way to help them to recover and ultimately the need for an excellent online communication hub for the whole area was identified.
"On exploring the possibilities Nick Mardall of Aberdeenshire Council introduced us to www.ourcommunityhub.com who have already provided excellent community hubs in the NE to Stonehaven, Huntly, and Banff and Macduff .
"To achieve our ambition of something similar for Alford and Donside we then applied for the further funding needed to create our own hub and we are very grateful to have received this support.”
The project is being led by a small working group representing the many local business and organisations who have already expressed their interest.
Kevin McCormick, a locally based retired marketing professional and well known for his association with the Transport Museum in Alford, is very enthusiastic about the project: “We live in a wonderful area so we have named our on-line community hub www.enjoyalfordanddonside.com.
"There is an amazing range of local organisations and businesses all of whom will have the opportunity to showcase themselves when the new website and app are fully up and running.
“We advertised across the area for a content coordinator for the project and were delighted with the high standard of applicants.
"Jenny, from Craigievar, has now joined us and with help from Vivien will soon be contacting every business and organisation on Donside for who we have details, in order to arrange their free listing.
"I am sure there are also groups of whom we have no current knowledge and would encourage them to contact us as soon as possible at info@enjoyalfordanddonside.com “
Jenny’s most urgent initial need is for good photographs of the area as she explained: " “We need photos which capture all aspects of life on Donside including fields of the iconic Aberdeen Angus cattle, landscapes, riverside views, the streets and the people, local events, visitor attractions and the businesses of the area.
"Whether you have one good photo or many please get in touch, we’ll be delighted to hear from you.”
The target for the new app and website is to initially launch before Christmas with completion in Spring 2022.
