We're delighted and proud to say that the Spondon Online website is celebrating 15 years online this month!
It was launched back in November 2000 and, along with its more recent Facebook and Twitter pages, continues to keep Spondonians up-to-date with the latest news and events from around the area, as well as sharing photos of the village, past and present and being a source of information about the local area.
The website now regularly attracts more than 5,000 visits a month and has more than 3,400 'Likes' on its Facebook page. As well as visitors from the local area, the website also gets many visits from around the world, including from Spondonians who have moved away from the village but still feel a close connection to the area and like to keep in touch or enjoy a trip down memory lane.
The website is managed by local Spondon resident, Steve Allen, who has lived in the village for 18 years. Explaining how the website originally came about, Steve said: "Back in 2000, I was planning a change of career and looking to get work in the web design industry. Having dabbled with hobby sites, I wanted to produce a website that would be both a showcase of my work and also of genuine use and interest to people.
"I'd lived in Spondon for 3 years at that point and loved the place, so I decided to do a website about the local area and Spondon Online was born."
Steve runs the website with help from his wife, Angela, and spends numerous hours per month managing and updating the site and its social media pages.
"It's grown to be quite a task over the years" said Steve, "but I love Spondon and the fantastic community spirit that it has and it's great to be a part of it and feel like I'm giving a little something back in this way."
"It's a powerful tool for spreading the word far and wide on local events or for assisting people with their appeals for help. Over the past couple of years, we've helped to reunite Spondonians with everything from old friends and family to missing pets and lost items such as purses, mobile phones and even wedding rings!"
The website is a popular resource for the Spondon area and is seen as an invaluable source of information for local residents. Spondon Councillor Nicola Roulstone said: "Spondon Online is a fantastic online resource which I can't recommend enough to the residents of Spondon. I personally use the site frequently and think, like many residents, that this is an excellent Spondon asset used by a massive percentage of residents.
"Few people realise the site is entirely maintained by one amazing individual, Steve Allen, on a voluntary basis and his work helps bring our community together and makes Spondon so special."
Fellow Spondon Councillor, Evonne Williams, echoed her support for the website: "Spondon Online is an amazing community resource. Steve runs the site without prejudiced or pay and is one of Spondon's secret treasures.
"Everyone I know uses the site and I have even got relatives in New Zealand who keep up to date with Spondon via the website. It is a vital community resource and we are very lucky and privileged to have it."
Chairman of the Spondon Traders Association, Mark Davis, also added his support and thanks for the website: "Spondon Online has evolved over the years to become an absolutely invaluable resource for the community of Spondon. The Spondon Traders' Association knows that it is a safe, reliable and easy place for us to communicate with Spondon and the rest of the world. We are delighted and proud to wish Spondon Online well on its 15th anniversary and look forward to the next 15 years."
As for future plans, Steve is keen to launch a new version of the Spondon Online website when time allows. "I've been trying to make time to work on a new version of the website for quite a while now, but work and family life always take priority in terms of time!" explains Steve.
"Hopefully though, I'll be able to launch a new version of the website in the early part of 2016, primarily with the aim of making the site more viewable on mobile devices and also tying the website in more closely with our Facebook and Twitter pages too."
Steve concluded: "It's been great to play a small part in the Spondon community for the past 15 years and I hope I can continue to do so in the years to come."
