[WiLT] Would your women's group benefit from being part of a shared internet directory?

[WiL Admin]

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Would your women's group benefit from
being part of a shared internet directory?
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Women in London has been approached by women's groups outside London
interested in having a listing on our website directory.

So in response to this we are taking steps to find out how realistic
this is.

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Step 1: what did existing WiL directory groups think?

In response to the idea existing directory member groups said they
were keen to keep the London focus and identity of WiL, but they were
open to the idea of more women's groups having an internet presence.

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Step 2: just how many groups might actually want this?

If it is only a very few groups it probably wont work, so we really
need to know just how many women's groups would actively like a
listing and the other 'benefits' of membership.  These are:

* Groups only pay an initial one off admin fee (charged on a sliding
scale from as little as £7 up to £31)

* Groups get a directory entry - see
http://www.womeninlondon.org.uk/grp-list.htm

* Groups can have other information listed on the web site by us (for
no further cost) such as forthcoming events, vacancies, training,
press releases and notices, etc..

* New information from groups is highlighted in our e-updates which
now goes to nearly 2,000 women working or volunteering in women's
groups around the country.

* Groups are part of a shared resource by and about women's groups -
for instance in March we had around 107,000 'hits' on around 32,000
pages (In 2007 there were over million hits)

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Step 3: if enough groups are interested:

* We would begin by separately list existing groups as 'London based'
and new groups by the region/country (as we would like to know whether
women's groups in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would want a
listing).

* In late September this year the domain name womeninlondon.org.uk is
due for renewal so we could ask for ideas to register a new name to
reflect an expanded directory or if there were enough groups to
justify it, register an additional name for a separate web site for
groups not based in London.

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Please let us know what you think!

* To register your interest or response to this idea please complete
an easy web based form at http://s-7j9b4-41211.sgizmo.com.

* If you have problems with the web based survey for accessibility
reasons we can send you a copy in word - please email
post at womeninlondon.org.uk

With thanks for the information, interest, support, feedback (good and
bad!) for WiL over the past year/s

Women in London 4th April 2008

(NB! Any London based women's group that would like to be part of the
directory you just need to download and complete the existing form
from the 'How to Join' section on Women in London.)


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Notes:

* We do not accept listings for women's businesses or business
networks because there are already a number of vibrant women's
business networks and feedback has shown that existing members want
WiL to continue to focus on women service providers, charities,
campaigns, support groups, etc..

* Networks that are listed as part of the Mapping Women's Networks
project will remain listed to continue to provide a list of existing
networks that individual women and women's groups can join, but they
do not get the service of listing notices etc., on the WiL web site.

* We will continue to maintain the blog womensphere - see
http://womensphere.wordpress.com which allows us to add information by
and about women's groups that are not part of the WiL directory but in
a more informal way and are thinking that we may use this just for
information about women / women's groups in other parts of the world
and create a second more focused blog on events and information by and
about women / women's groups in the UK similar to the one we set up
for IWD 2008 - see http://iwd2008.wordpress.com
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(word version attached for easier reading - we hope!)
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