Mumsnet local needs you!

[RebeccaMumsnet]

Mumsnet Local is abuzz with activity these days, with new listings being added constantly, and fabulous newsletters being produced by around 80 sites (with more going out all the time). If you haven't already, please do pop over and set your local site as your homepage to receive offers relevant to you right into your inbox - and while you're there, why not consider whether you might like to become one of our Local Editors yourself?

As a Local Editor (LE), you'll look after your Local site and keep it up to date, as well as writing newsletters, looking after social media and arranging meet-ups. As well as looking great on your CV if you're taking a break between jobs, you can also make money by contacting businesses local to you and asking them to advertise on your site: as a Local Editor, you keep all of the revenue from any adverts or offers that you book.

Local's still in its infancy but it's growing all the time: in the last year, Local Editors who've been working hard to build contacts and communities are really starting to see dividends, with several seeing monthly earnings topping £1,000. It's slow and steady but the potential is great.

We have 122 sites with LEs but we still need more , so if you live in any of the areas listed below and are looking for a new challenge, mail us on [email protected] and with Interested in becoming a local editor for name in the subject line, and tell us a bit about yourself.


Areas where we're looking for LEs

Anglesey
Belfast
Blackburn
Blaenau Gwent & Torfaen
Bradford
Carmarthenshire
Ceredigion
Channel Islands
Cheltenham & Gloucester
Cheshire (specifically, West Cheshire ? sharing with existing Editor)
Conwy & Denbighshire
County Londonderry/Derry
County Antrim
County Armagh
County Fermanagh
County Tyrone
Coventry
Derby
Dumfries & Galloway
East Sussex
Leicestershire
Luton
London: Brent
London: Hillingdon
Moray
Munster
Neath Port Talbot & Bridgend
Northampton
Nottinghamshire
Oldham & Rochdale
Perth & Kinross
Powys
Rotherham
Slough
Southend
South Yorkshire
Stirling & Clackmannanshire
Teeside
Wakefield


We'll get back to you as quickly as possible - but bear with us, as it can take a little while to process all of the applications.

If you've any questions, please post on the thread or mail [email protected] and we'll be happy to answer them.

We look forward to hearing from you

MNHQ

[SacreBlue]

NI won't work the way it is currently set up. You need to reduce the areas - perhaps to four - North, West, South & East but even better to just have one LE for the whole lot.

Localised meet ups could be arranged under that easily and an LE would have much more luck selling advertising to businesses if the whole of the province was included.

Having all the meet-up sections currently just for Belfast alone is nuts!

Take a bit of local knowledge from, err, a local. The current set up for NI doesn't work and imo is neither feasible for, nor attractive to, anyone wanting a bit of extra works as an LE.

I, and maybe others, might be interested if the format was more suited to NI's set up.

[enormouse]

I agree with sacre blue.
I'm ni based (co antrim) and it doesn't seem to work. I'd be interested but the format for ni needs changing. (Less in Belfast and a bit more focusing on the counties possibly).

[mistlethrush]

(Not a NI comment) My area clearly has had some attention since I looked at it a month ago and saw 'events' that were last year - but the 5 forthcoming car boot / table opportunities are all the same thing posted 5 times and, really, there is very little on the site. The chat is unsurprisingly sparse too.

[RebeccaMumsnet]

Hi all,

To address the comments on NI, we will happily look at breaking it down a little. It would be great to have a couple of folks interested and with a knowledge of the area.

Please do mail and we can have a look.

@mistlethrush

(Not a NI comment) My area clearly has had some attention since I looked at it a month ago and saw 'events' that were last year - but the 5 forthcoming car boot / table opportunities are all the same thing posted 5 times and, really, there is very little on the site. The chat is unsurprisingly sparse too.

Hey mistlethrush,

Please do report these to us and we will look. It is a slow and steady thing that can take a while to get right, but any feedback or help is gratefully received and we will pass over to the relevant LE.

[WorraLiberty]

I've just looked at my DC's Primary school listing on MN local

I have no idea how whoever listed it, got it so very wrong.

The Head teacher's name is wrong

The phone number is wrong

The email address is wrong

It says the school holds 419 pupils but it actually holds 920

[BaileyWhite]

Sometimes listings are duplicated onto different areas either because the system malfunctions or because they can fall under different categories.

[BaileyWhite]

The school data is bought in by HQ. LE's are not responsible for this and should not be blamed.

[WorraLiberty]

I'm not blaming anyone?

It looks like someone at HQ has Googled the school and come up with a mix of both old and new information.

[BaileyWhite]

I didn't mean that to sound as sharp as it sounded, sorry Worra.

The data is bought in and loaded en masse and quickly becomes outdated. It is not ideal and I know some LE's get annoyed about it.

[WorraLiberty]

You didn't sound sharp Bailey

I was just confused because the data is a mix of the school 5+ years ago and the school today.

I might send HQ a link to the school website so they can put the correct information on there.

[BaileyWhite]

Glad about that Worra- sometimes posts sound off when they aren't meant that way. to you too.

[SacreBlue]

@ not an NI comment! I think maybe mouse & I have the day off so we were first on board with comments.

Thanks Rebecca, maybe NI folks could start a chat on local talk about our ideas of what work & who might be interested and we could could get back to MNHQ with a few ideas?

To keep discussion in one place (and sorry to be B centric) but shall we do that in Belfast talk? Then we can have the NI convo in one place but covering the whole of NI discussions.

[MimsyBorogroves]

I'd love to do this in my area. Information is very, very sparse on my local site even though it's not on the list as needing a LE. Also, due to postcodes and other geography stuff, what is there isn't very local anyway. My postcode pulls up 3 suggestions and non of them are very relevant...

I emailed about becoming a LE when you first mentioned the opportunity but never heard back - does that mean I'm not suitable? am a bit too common for my Local Area anyway...

[mummytofour]

my local is the same. Such a shame as I would love to do it!

[RebeccaMumsnet]

@MimsyBorogroves

I'd love to do this in my area. Information is very, very sparse on my local site even though it's not on the list as needing a LE. Also, due to postcodes and other geography stuff, what is there isn't very local anyway. My postcode pulls up 3 suggestions and non of them are very relevant...

I emailed about becoming a LE when you first mentioned the opportunity but never heard back - does that mean I'm not suitable? am a bit too common for my Local Area anyway...

Please do mail us anyway and we can take a look.

We do have fairly wide areas depending on where you live and population, but we are always happy to look and re-jig areas if there isn't relevant info where you are.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

Rebecca - I have lost my MN local ambassador card - would it be ok to ask for a replacement?

Sorry.

[Kudzugirl]

I've just looked at Haringey- there are 299 listings in classes alone along with nearly 80 toddler groups and 129 things to do- that doesn't strike me as sad and lonesome. It seems like the LE has spent a lot of effort on listing and getting locals to list with them. It is sad that a false impression has been given.

The local talk boards are but one small aspect of the Local sites IMO. Many people use them to locate events, businesses and attractions.

[Kudzugirl]

I think that is part of the problem - that Local is often defined by the same parameters of success as the main site which would be its talk boards.

Local operates across the whole gamut of social media- Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and each feeds into the other. Separate them out and it looks less than the sum of its parts.

I do know that a lot of new Editors have just stared and they will obviously need a little time to populate their sites. Where others can help is by adding listings of places they use, attractions they like and also review them too. Local is interactive much like the main site and passive 'consumption' of it will not busy it up. Local needs our reviews and our support.

[SchroSawMargeryDaw]

Glasgow's isn't catching my eye tbh. I went on just to try and search for nurseries, the only ones there are for the West End. There is some things in other topics for different areas but not much that is relevant and then it's mostly South Side! :(

There are no creches listed, my DS1 has been to 2 different ones this week in seperate parts of Glasgow, so there definitely is more that needs to be added.

[mydaftlass]

I work at a venue in my area. I've tried to list us several times as a gallery, attraction and events but they disappear. It seems to be a lot of work to keep it up to date?

[BigArea]

I am suddenly a lady of leisure so if a Bristol vacancy arises, let me know!

[mistlethrush]

Mine's still showing the multiple events on the same day all exactly the same - I tried to report the post but it simply froze on me and I messaged that in and have heard nothing back...