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Working together to make it aDoddle For Everyone to: Find Help, Give Help or Connect Locally
aDoddle.org started after we saw the huge need for people in crisis to be able to find amazing charities, community projects and organisations, like yours, that are often hidden within our communities. We call them our ‘Hidden Emergency Service’, as until now nowhere has bought them together in one place so they can be found easily based on location and need.
After lots of research we realised that the same information would help people from any sector of the community, whether someone:
Across the UK there are over 150k charities and even more community groups & projects that provide critical support & opportunities to connect with others.
Yet, believe it or not, too often it’s easier to find a restaurant on Google Maps, as there is no central hub that brings this information together.
aDoddle.org: Building a UK wide network of linked area-based community maps which brings charities & community organisations together in one place.
Free for organisations to create a profile, giving people easy access to information and tools to connect with vital support & resources at a National, Regional and Local level.
Source:
*1 – Eden Project Communities https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/the-cost-of-disconnected-communities
*2 – Joseph Rowntree Foundation https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/counting-cost-uk-poverty
Each person’s needs or solutions are unique to them, what works for one may not be right for another. Bringing charities, community groups, resources and opportunities together in one place – you support everyone, no matter what their need.
For People & Communities:
Making it ‘aDoddle’ to find local support, opportunities and resources. So whether you are seeking help, somewhere to volunteer or a place to connect locally – it really is ‘aDoddle’.
For Charities & Communities:
Making it ‘aDoddle’ for charities, community groups and organisations, of all sizes, to raise their visibility – helping them to be found by those who need them or those who want to support them.
For Businesses & Communities:
Making it ‘aDoddle’ for businesses and their communities to be more connected. Many local businesses express a desire to support local organisations, yet struggle to find them – Now it’s ‘aDoddle’.
Over 10+ Years, 1000’s of Conversations, Plus Reports and Research
1 5 Key Things that people want to know about any charity, community group, organisation, opportunity or resource:
2 Standard Format:
Every website is different, from its layout, where the contact button is, where to find key information like opening times or even what support is available and how to access it. Feedback from people seeking information has shown clearly that this can actually increase anxiety, lead to people giving up looking and impact mood. At aDoddle each profile is unique to each organisation, however the layout of the profile pages is exactly the same. Making it easier for people to locate the information they are seeking.
3 Filters Are Not Always Helpful:
Many community directories have been developed to ‘support’ people with their search by asking key questions to filter the results that are provided.
During our research we heard story after story from people who had failed to find resources and opportunities that existed within their community because the ‘filter’ had ‘chosen’ what it deemed to be relevant. This is a missed opportunity that reduces social impact and value. Yes filters have their place and can be valuable – yet a system ‘insisting’ people can only see results by going through pre-determined filters potentially removes the one thing that could have been the ‘answer’ for that person.
4 Traffic Light System – Show How Recently Updated:
Frustration with out of date information was probably the thing we heard, and still hear, the most.
Whether it was the person in the community seeking support for themselves, a friend, relative or colleague, or a professional working with some of the most vulnerable people within our communities the response and frustration was the same.
Imagine being in crisis and finding potential help, only to discover a few minutes later that the opportunity ended 2 years ago. Again we heard story after story of where people thought they had found ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, only to discover it was no longer available. The person often explained to us that it left them more ‘at a loss’, ‘deflated’, ‘feeling helpless’ and at times we heard tales where it had pushed people to the edge where they had tried (and luckily not succeeded) to take their own life. Some of the stories still haunt me.
So aDoddle uses a unique ‘Traffic Light’ system that instantly and easily shows people how long it is since the information was last updated.
5 Keep System Lean:
One of our key areas of research focused on why other mapping and directory systems had failed. We really listened and heard that they were often resource heavy. They would often get funding for 12 to 36 months, employ a small team to check and add data (which within 6 months was often out of date), they would then lose their funding and everything that they had done was then out of date and no longer of use.
At aDoddle we chose to come at mapping from a leaner perspective to give it the potential to be a ‘Legacy’ system. We don’t add profiles and information. We focus on the tech to enable mapping and for it to evolve as we discover areas of need for both people in communities and key services like the NHS, Police, Councils, etc that need up-to-date Asset Based Community data. This system may take a little longer to set up within a community – however the longer term benefits are wide and varied.
Communities are Stronger When They Work Together To:
Connect People & Communities
– One Click at a Time –
Last Updated: 12th June 2023
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We are committed to making everything we do as accessible as possible, to as many people as possible. Our team always listens to feedback and if it is something that we can do, we will. Sometimes we are able to make changes immediately, at other times it may be a 'bigger' piece of Tech development, or we may need to do a piece of research first and it may take a little longer, and then there will be times when it is something that we can't do and for that we apologise.
Please Note Regarding Grammar & Accessibility:
Feedback from those with different abilities suggests that the use of punctuation can help them with reading and understanding. Therefore, our content and layout may not always be grammatically correct, we are doing this purposefully - working towards making it accessible for all.
Our team always listens and appreciates your feedback.
If you have feedback or suggestions as to how we can improve this guide, or the aDoddle Community Maps then please do get in touch. We genuinely do listen and all respectful feedback is appreciated.
We would also love to hear from you if there are things that you like or love about the maps or guides - it is wonderful for our team, who are mostly volunteers, to hear the good things as well and for them to know that their hard work is making a difference.
Thank you in advance for getting in touch.