14 September 2016, London – Streetlife, Britain’s largest and fastest growing local social network, is on a mission to build and rebuild local communities across the country as it reaches record numbers of members. With more than 1.2 million people already using the platform to connect and interact with their neighbours, 85 per cent of members say they feel that the platform has had a positive impact within their local community*; Streetlife is not just about connecting people online it is also about real world meetings. To accelerate its next stage of growth, the leading local social networking platform has also appointed mobile technology guru Limvirak Chea as its new CEO.
Chea explains, “People don’t communicate like they used to and social networks don’t necessarily bring people together physically. Streetlife really is different because it unites neighbours in the real world, not just virtually. Our members visit the site to discuss local news and exchange recommendations. Conversations started online often facilitate face to face meetings, whether that’s through starting a social group, volunteering for a local cause, or sharing skills and belongings with neighbours. Think of Streetlife as the place you go to find out and join in with what’s going on locally – this used to happen via conversations at the local café or corner shop, but times have changed.”
In 2011, a YouGov survey* commissioned by Streetlife found that 51 per cent of people describe the sense of community in their area as weak or non-existent. Streetlife’s goal is to use the power of social networking to change that. Four years on, a 2015 user survey** found that 60 per cent report feeling a greater sense of community spirit since joining Streetlife.
Chea, (ex-Eventbrite and Google) is set to steer the company through its next stage of growth and firmly believes that unlike many other social networks, Streetlife is about real world meetings.
Alongside its offering for residents across the nation, Streetlife provides a highly relevant platform for thousands of local businesses and community groups to connect with a targeted audience of locally-minded individuals; the site also hosts the official voices of councils and police forces.
As new CEO, Chea has been working closely with Streetlife founder Matthew Boyes during his transition to the role and on his strategic plans to prepare the company for international expansion. Boyes remains an integral part of the business, focused on driving product development.
Chea continued, “My biggest challenge in taking the business to the next stage will be to ensure that we retain our start up culture, British roots and ‘home-grown’ ethos, which are central to who we are as a brand. It’s not often that you come across such a large, engaged and collaborative community. The local focus naturally encourages transactional exchanges – we’re a ‘market network’, with people offering goods and skills, sharing recommendations, and local businesses promoting their services and joining the conversation.”
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