Expanding Your Hood

When you drop off your initial letter, you'll get a number of responses, but not everyone will sign up to the website immediately, or come along to events regularly. Although neighbours will continue to contact you in dribs and drabs over the following months, it can take a while to expand your hood. This is completely normal, so don't worry – just be patient.

Here are some tips to get the word out:

- Run regular social events such as BBQs, picnics or swaps. The more often you run events, the more people will talk with one another about what you're doing.

- When you organise an event, make a flyer and attach it to the event posting on the website. Ask members of the hood to tell their neighbours and drop the flyer in the letterboxes near them.

- Find a public spot in your area, such as the window of a local shop, to put up a poster or noticeboard promoting your sharehood with updates on upcoming activities.

- Leave some information about your hood at your closest library, or community/neighbourhood house (if there is one).

- Get an article in the local newspaper, or do an interview on your local radio station. More info on this here.

- Take a friend and go door-knocking in your hood. We've gotten feedback that plenty of people who receive the letter think its a great idea and plan to write back or join but just leave the letter on the fridge instead.

- When you meet a neighbour for the first time, let them know about what you and your Sharehood are up to.

- If there's a housing co-op, or a transition town group, or any other kind of similar organisation in your area, approach them to promote your Sharehood directly to their members.

- Print a listing of shareables available through your Sharehood community (without names or contact details), and advertise it on your noticeboard or in another letterdrop.