Tongwynlais.com is two years old this summer. It’s amazing to think that I’ve been writing a blog for that long. Before that, my writing was limited to the weekly shopping list.
My original idea was to create a tourism site. I was just going to add some basic information about the village and post some photos. I quickly realised that I’d need some fresh content to get people to return to the site and that it could be a useful resource for residents. Then I started thinking about creating a community so people could connect with each other.
I wasn’t aware of the term “Community Journalist”, I just wanted to show people what a great village we have and to provide an online community. So I started the site with a modest goal, “To give the residents of Tongwynlais a voice and to promote the village.”
For the first few months I began writing articles about once a week and posting a bit more regularly on social media sites. I was very careful to work on the site at a rate I could maintain. I began contacting local people to find out what was going on and to build relationships.
Castell Coch, a landmark in Tongwynlais village.
During the first year a local primary school pupil asked me to help organise a litter pick in the village. With her family’s help, we arranged to get equipment, promoted the event and were very happy with the amount of people who came out to help. It was only a small event but it made me realise the project was serving its purpose.
At the end of last year, a development was proposed for a piece of land next to the village hall that many residents are opposed to. Over the last few months, I’ve been working with a community group on a survey to gather residents’ views on the issue. I’ve helped the group organise events and publicise the survey results. A planning application has recently been submitted so the group are waiting to see if it gets approved or not. In the meantime, we meet regularly to discuss other community developments.
The best thing about starting the site has been the opportunity to meet people in the village who I may never have met otherwise. I’ve got to know so many people who give up their time for the community and it’s a pleasure to help out where I can by promoting their groups and events.
I’m writing more regularly this year and site traffic is rapidly growing. Several local businesses have sponsored the site and I’ve had enquiries from a few larger companies about advertising and promotions. The site was shortlisted in the “Best Community Blog” category at the recent Wales Blog Awards, which was a great opportunity to meet up with fellow bloggers and to promote Tongwynlais.
It’s an exciting time to be at the coalface of community journalism and I’m looking forward to the next two years.
Images accompanying this article are copyright Tongwynlais.com and Kelly Sikkema.
