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

if you know ofa local service that the LE has missed then list it! part of local is about sharing local recommendations with each other. it's a massive task for LEs and they're not getting paid to do it.

I think we all need to put in to make something of local, it's not going to get up and running overnight but if people post, list, enter comps and click on ads it will have an effect. new people will join, advertisers will come which brings in new offers for you and pays the LE for her time which means she can bring more in.

Confuddled I would rather not tbh, it's not that hard to find most of the things that are missing from our local (and come on, "creches" is completely empty). I was turned down for LE here so I don't feel that I should have to go in and add lots of stuff when there are no advantages for doing it.

There are some amazing competitions and loads of LEs needing reviewers for shows- free tickets. Yet nobody bothers to come forward. Or many do not. Some LE's have found reviewers and as a result, a lot of parents get to see expensive shows and go on jollies to other attractions for not one penny other than the cost of getting there.

I imagine that not getting an LE post would make you disinclined to list but try to imagine how you'd feel if you were the LE and somebody felt that way- just found fault but didn't feel inclined to participate or do anything to improve interactivity. The whole of Mn would die a death if everybody failed to engage.

it's not meant for it to be the LEs job to do all the listings and there aren't benefits to listing, it's tedious and businesses don't appreciate it. Would you sit all day copying off Yell? you've chosen that area as a adv easy one but maybe she's taken a different area as a priority, someone else will claim she missed their priority. if you want people to know it's a good creche tell them! that's one thing an LE can't do. a lot of LEs won't list people they have no experience of anyway especially after one included a business on her newsletter that was run by a child abuser. listings are supposed to be about sharing information, LEs are doing a lot of other stuff too.

it's not your LEs fault she beat you to it. I'd love to run my local area, I've done similar work and know where to go but I missed out. I try to use my site though and won stuff through it.

It's not that I'm not doing it because I didn't get it, it's that there should be far more for this entire side of the city and there is just so much to put in there.

And tbh, deciding that one side (the posh expensive side at that) is more of a priority would put me off as well. What's the point if it's west end focused? Defeats the point of it being a "Glasgow" board, there is stuff on this side but yet again, it's mostly Bishopbriggs etc, the posh bit of this side and everything costs a fortune.

I'll take another look and will add stuff, if there isn't much else posted for this side of the city though, I don't think I will change my mind about local.

Shamelessly plugging
Theres a competition on Cambridgeshire that has received no entries after a week.
Its worth heading to your local site to see what on offer, the more people that interact the better the local deals we'll be able to wrangle.

I'm always trying to get people to list 'hidden gems' or new businesses that need a little push. You wouldn't believe how much Facebook, Twitter, Google+ & Pinterest action is going on.

In case your interested answer the question below & write your answer on the thread for a chance to win

To celebrate Mother's Day this year, Frosts Garden Centre at Brampton is helping children plant a special flower for their mum.
Children will be provided with a brightly coloured terracotta pot, a beautiful Campanula flower (which is an impressive 10.5cm tall), compost, a bow to present it beautifully and a card to decorate.
The activity is taking place between 10am and 4pm on Saturday 29th March
Children can spend as long as they like making their gift. Tickets include refreshments.

Plants turn carbon dioxide into oxygen using energy from sunlight, what is the name of this process?

A) Photosynthesis
B) Sunnysynthesis
C) Lightsynthesis

Highlands and Islands still deathly quiet, such a shame as I would of thought this could be a really useful site in such a rural area. There is lots of stuff going on especially in village halls. It looks like nothing happens up here!

Can we have a local page for Aviemore? I now have time to be a LE.

What about reading? Or indeed berkshire in general?

The list above is for those areas that need LE's. Looks like Reading and Berkshire are covered:

local.mumsnet.com/reading

local.mumsnet.com/berkshire

There are many many spaces to fill on listings and as was said ^^ this is a huge job for the local editors and companies are just not interested in the DIY approach. You have to be a MN member to list and this probably puts organisations off as they may wonder what they are signing up to.

Without listings full and useful the local sites are of no use to anyone.

If we all just added one listing for our local area, our favourite family day out, restaurant, hairdresser or whatever it would really help out. Maybe HQ could pick a day and push it on the site. We are all members anyway so we don't have to register... I have done a few for my local site and it is a five minute faff to get the fields right and find pictures. Times it by 20 and it is a full days work for an Editor.

I am sure Local Eds wouldn't mind adding the pictures if the listing was there.. Also I think if everyone who wants more from their local site saw what work goes in you might all be a bit more understanding of why things aren't perfect just yet, especially for the new areas and sites that cover whole counties.

Yes, A new Hackney Editor has just started so for those of you reading this thread and believing Hackney Local to be unattended, keep an eye on the site as I am sure it'll soon be busy.

Give the newbies a chance and I totally agree with Kichenfairy - if everybody added just one listing or review, even the sites with no Editor would look better.

I can definitely understand the frustration with some of the local sites. When I moved to Barking, one of the first things I did was have a look at the local site and see that nothing was going on there, so I didn't go back.

But we've had a huge influx of new Local Eds recently (including me waves at everyone in B&D), and I know all of us are keen to get our local sites up and running, so if yours has been a bit disappointing, please take another look.

That said, I agree about the talk boards being sparse. It is a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy though - they look empty, so they stay empty.
The quiet boards are a def a source of frustration for the LEs because while we can add listings to our hearts content, it's not as easy to get activity on the boards. We can't do it on our own.

Just so you know, if you've got a newbie LE and quiet boards, and you post on them, your LE will probably do a happy dance, and throw at you... (at least I will )

I can't see how to change my Local username? Like an idiot I created one which is a bit too identifying. My local MN pages are underused, probably because my neck of the woods is well covered by other hyperlocal websites.

A meet up was arranged at a cafe in my local area. Said cafe was a kebab shopof a totally different name and the downstairs seating srea had no buggy access.

erm Southend is not available

juniper send an email to [email protected] & they will sort it

I've just spent 5 minutes doing a write up for a babygroup in our area, got to end and 'access denied'.

It's easier (and quicker) to just post/read local info on Netmums then bother with mn local and i guess many people feel the same way?

You have to join Local first and have another username. NM is only easier because it started off through local membership as opposed to MN which had national membership first.

I'm a member of my local with a different username.

Maybe a new approach is needed in areas (like mine) where it's a ghost town? We have a few really decent 'mum' groups that started life on meetup, facebook and twitter so headhunting their leaders?