The Community Room

Start by reading how tags work and checking the permitted tags for this group in the section below. Then introduce yourself so people know who you are. 

WhatsApp chat

This is the base layer. It’s where people get a sense of who you are over time and where the day-to-day community forms. Share local questions and recommendations, small updates from your week, something you noticed on your street, a new café you tried, a quick win, a stressful day, a photo of your cat, or a useful tip that might help someone nearby. The goal is familiarity. Familiarity comes from small repeated moments, and over time that turns strangers into familiar faces and friends.

Member-led events

Events are how online familiarity becomes real-world connection. They can be in-person or a WhatsApp call, and they should stay relaxed and low-pressure. In-person meetups might be as simple as a walk, coffee, a picnic, a local market, or a casual dinner. WhatsApp call events might be a catch-up call, a local Q&A, a quick game night, or a “who’s around” hangout for people staying in.

Before creating an event, members should float the idea in the chat to gauge interest. If there’s interest, create the event using WhatsApp’s Events feature so it stays organised. Keep events considerate and avoid dumping lots of invites back-to-back.

Community exchange

This group supports light, neighbourly exchange, offering, requesting, lending, and swapping items or small help. Use the tag system to keep exchanges easy to scan, then move to DMs for addresses, timings, and coordination. Once it’s sorted, reply to the original message to clearly mark it as closed so others don’t keep responding.

All exchanges must stay free and non-transactional. The point is not to create a marketplace, it’s to make local life easier through small acts of mutual support.

Any required links and key info for this room will always be kept in the group description. 

All tags must be in ALL CAPS and start with a hashtag. Anything in brackets is optional context to include so others can better understand. 

🏷️#NEW [name, info] 

Introduce yourself as a new joiner.

🏷️ #EVENT [date, time, location]

Float an idea and gauge interest before creating a WhatsApp event. Works for in-person meetups or WhatsApp call events.

🏷️ #FYI [location]

Share a useful local update, roadworks, closures, new openings, deals, changes in the area, anything helpful and time-sensitive.

🏷️ #INFO [question]
Request local info or recommendations, tradespeople, services, venues, local rules, area tips, anything like that.

🏷️ #STORY [topic or location]
Share a local story, memory, or bit of neighbourhood lore, keep it short and readable.

🏷️ #MEET [location, time]
Spontaneous invite. Say where you are right now and roughly how long you’ll be around, others can join if nearby.

🏷️ #OFFER [item/service, location]
Offer something for free. Item or service, plus where it can be collected or where the help is available.

🏷️ #REQUEST [item/service, location]
Ask for something for free. Be specific, include location, then move to DMs with anyone who responds.

🏷️ #LEND [item, location]
Borrow or lend an item. State what it is, where you are, and any time constraints.

🏷️ #SWAP [offering, requesting, location]
Swap one item for another. Write what you’re offering, what you want in return, and your location.

🏷️ #CLAIMED
Reply to the original item or service request or offer with this tag to confirm it’s resolved, so others do not keep responding.

🏷️ #INV [@member]

Request a private chat with another member. No obligation to respond in the group. If they’re open, they DM you. 

In addition to the overall community expectations, this group has a few extra rules to keep the space organised, respectful, and genuinely outcome driven. 

✅ Neighbourliness and friendship first

This room is for building local community and real friendships, familiar faces, friendly conversation, practical support, and low-pressure connection. Keep posts aligned with that purpose and the group’s culture.

✅ Strictly no financial transactions

No payments, pricing, promotions, or paid services. This includes “mates rates,” “DM for price,” referrals where someone is clearly selling, and repeated advertising. Offers and requests must be free, peer-to-peer, and genuinely community-based.

This keeps the room neighbourly rather than transactional, and encourages people to rely a bit more on each other for the small everyday things, not just services.

✅ Use tags for item and service exchanges

When offering, requesting, lending, or swapping, use the relevant tag so the chat stays organised and easy to scan. Keep it to one post per exchange, then move to DMs to arrange details.

✅ Close exchanges clearly 

Once an exchange is resolved, reply to the original post to mark it as closed with the relevant tag. This prevents confusion, stops people responding to something that’s already sorted, and keeps the group clean.

✅ Keep logistics out of the main chat 

Use DMs for addresses, timings, and coordination. The main chat should stay readable and welcoming, for friendly conversation, local updates and recommendations, and organising meetups and events.

✅ Events are member-led and owned

Member-led events are permitted in this group, both in-person and WhatsApp call events. Use the relevant tag to gauge interest before creating an event via the WhatsApp event feature.

✅ Keep events considerate

Events are welcome, but avoid posting lots of event plans back-to-back. Gauge interest first, then create an event only if there’s clear interest, so the group doesn’t become an event feed.

✅ Safety in meetups 

Meet in public places. Do not share personal info, addresses, or phone numbers in the main chat, move to DMs.

✅ No spam or dumping

Don’t flood the chat with multiple offers, requests, links, or reposts and keep posts concise so the room stays readable and welcoming.

✅ Respect DMs and boundaries

Private chat request should be initiated in the group using the relevant tag, not via a cold DM. If the other person is open, they DM first. If they don’t respond, treat that as a no and move on. Only one private invite per person, no chasing, no follow-ups, no repeated messages.

Breach of this rule will not be tolerated to ensure the space remains safe for everyone.

The points below clarify what this group is not, so you can decide whether it’s the right space for you. 

🚫 A marketplace

This isn’t a buy and sell group. No pricing, payments, promotions, or paid services, even “DM for price” or mates rates.

🚫 A business advertising channel

This isn’t a place to promote your company, spam links, or repeatedly post the same service. Local recommendations are fine when genuinely asked for, not as marketing.

🚫 A replacement for emergency services

If something is urgent or unsafe, this group isn’t the right channel. Use the proper services first, then share relevant local info if helpful.

🚫 A place for constant requests without giving back

If someone only posts when they need something and never contributes, it drains the culture. This works best when people also offer, respond, and show up.

🚫 A cold-DM or networking space

This isn’t a place to collect contacts or message people out of the blue. Connection should start in the group, then move to DMs if welcomed.

🚫 An event feed or invite dump

This isn’t a nonstop stream of event promos. Events should be occasional, community-minded, and shared after gauging interest.

🚫 A negativity or rant outlet

This isn’t a space for ongoing arguments, callouts, or dumping frustration. Keep it neighbourly, constructive, and welcoming.