I added a Community page to this website today.
I have lived in Sydenham since 1985 and worked here since 1993. In the early days we built some commercial community sites covering the wealthier areas of Surrey. We sold those off profitably in the good old boom days of the net. However, it was obvious to me that Sydenham’s different demographic would not support a commercial website. Other people did try and failed.
We did set up a website for the Forest Hill & Sydenham Rotary Club and when that folded we devoted the domain sydenham.org.uk as the foundation for pro bono community site. That’s now been going for fifteen years and nearly ten years ago spawned a Forum. This has now become the centrepiece. its also a test. I probably disagree with most of the stuff posted there but freedom of speech (or at least as much of it as we can get under present legislation) is more important. And whilst there are now many other Sydenham websites – few allow any sort of feedback. They are there to push their own, and only their own view of life. I hope Sydenham Town Forum does and will continue to provide a place where information can be exchanged, dissected and fought over. Where anyone with net access can answer back.
We have also been instrumental in getting good people online with free hosting and website creation free of charge. I have to watch that does not damage the revenue generating part of the company but it does give us pleasure to help.