This public service has been running for several years now, and for the benefit of anyone who doesn’t know what it’s all about, here is a recap:

Every so often I send out an email to a list of about 200 people in the locality with news, or reports, for sales, and lost pets. Anyone can elect to be added to my list of recipients at any time, and similarly may ask to be removed from the list – this I do immediately without question. All the emails are sent out as blind carbon copies, so your email address is not distributed to all and sundry.

See below the sort of subject matter I have dealt with over the past few months. 

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BUT PLEASE NOTE:

To save any misunderstanding, please make very clear if you are sending an email just to me personally, or for posting on the E-notice board to a couple of hundred local people.

Firstly, one or two people have accidentally ‘unsubscribed’ themselves; probably by clicking where they shouldn’t be clicking. Unfortunately I cannot re-subscribe them as the ‘Mail chimp’ organisation abides by the Data Protection Act, and when someone says ‘no more!’ I cannot send any more to them. So watch that clicker-finger!

Secondly, I don’t want to use the system to sell unwanted goods: giving stuff away is fine (vis, my jam jars, astrantia plants and dog cage – all of which found new homes); also asking if anyone has a spare … whatever … is not a problem; but I don’t think the majority of recipients will want to be plagued daily by offers of second hand items, however lovely. But I am happy to send out notices about sales and car-boot events along with quizzes, fetes, and coffee mornings and new regular events at the Village Hall .

Thirdly, second-hand emails will no longer be sent out: by this I mean I can’t send out an email that is forwarded to me from someone else; it must come direct from the individual involved and they must specifically ask me to send it out.

Fourthly, it is important that you word the email yourself; I am notorious for getting things wrong (especially dates and times), so if you write exactly what you want to say, we can’t go wrong, can we?

And lastly, please be very precise about how much personal information you want to include. If you want to be incognito, please say so – every time. If you just want a phone number shown, include it in your message. As long as I know where the message originates, that’s usually fine. I can filter the replies and forward them to you: I may not have time to include a cheery greeting though.

The sort of subject matter I have dealt with over the past few months.

Events at the Village Hall, including the new yoga classes
Events at all four churches including gigs and concerts at Forncett St Mary Church
Crime surveys sent out by Long Stratton police
Petitions of interest
Warnings about Spam, Spoofs and other cons going round
A lost coat
Two escaped dogs
A lost bunny
A found red parrot
Someone wanting old blankets
Someone else wanting a shed
Someone offering a microwave
Someone else offering grazing for horses
Planning permission applications, where of public interest
Abandoned kittens
Flu jab dates
Road closures
Last post for Christmas dates
Local Wymondham Lions activities and fund raisers
Local walks
W.I. meetings
Bunwell Village Screen Cinema
Sport events
A swimming-at-Ashwellthorpe vacancy 

And probably more that I can't call to mind right now. As you can see, it is for everyone to use and there is no charge. I won’t attach any personal details / phone numbers or names if you want to remain anonymous.

Welcome aboard anyone who isn’t already – and tell your friends.