Leeds Forum - New Online Voice for Leeds

With street crime on a steady increase, and ASBO’s being handed out like sweets, the local community in the UK is suffering.

The Internet is fast replacing local communities, providing a safer environment for people to chat and become part of a community where they can feel safe and gain a sense of belonging.

“Street crime makes our communities feel unsafe.” – HomeOffice.gov.uk

People used to be able to say ‘Good Morning’ to passers by and chat to their neighbours over the garden fence, but today more and more people fear abuse, violence and crime, and find themselves scared to leave their own houses.

This negative effect on the local community means people do not talk any more, how many of us actually know the names of all our neighbours?

As of April 2006 an estimated 57 per cent of households(13.9 million)* in the UK now have Internet access and with a steady rate of growth, the UK population is finding the Internet an ever more alluring place to spend time (and money).

Online communities are fast becoming a replacement to chatting to your neighbours, the environment is safer, and people can be not only themselves, but also whoever they want to be. Multiple personas are commonplace, and the usually timid can become an online social maniac.

“People are able to be who they want to be, without feeling social pressure to conform, it’s the easiest way to find like minded people,make friendships and feel like your part of a community.” – Andy Walker – Webmaster, TalkLeeds.co.uk

The people of Leeds now have such a place to interact and become part of a local community; www.TalkLeeds.co.uk provides a free online source of information, local chat forum and user-submitted articles for anyone that wants to take part.

The Talk Leeds site aims to build a stronger community for the people of Leeds, anyone can take part and contribute, not only in the forums, but also in providing valuable information about the places, history and future of Leeds.

*National Statistics - www.statistics.gov.uk

Article Source: http://www.theukarticledirectory.co.uk