Newsletters
Genie produces two newsletters, each with a specific purpose:
1. Village Matters This is the main, twice-monthly green-topped newsletter containing a wide range of topical news items of general interest.
It is published in the middle (16th) and at the end (30th) of each month. Deadlines for submitting material are published at the top of each issue and also on the Genie calendar.
Each edition reports on between 6-10 stories and at the foot of each edition there are two regular features which are updated every issue. these are:
- Current local Planning Applications. A list of all new local planning applications in Goring, Streatley and South Stoke showing address/location, proposal, a direct link to the application file on the respective local authority’s planning portal and the consultation deadline. This unique service has been welcomed by readers and the two local authority planning departments and enables residents to easily check every application submitted in their villages giving them an opportunity to comment before the consultation deadlines expire.
- Council Meetings & Minutes. Links to the parish council websites of Goring, Streatley and South Stoke with their forthcoming meeting dates and the minutes of previous meetings.
2. Public Information These red-topped newsletters are published on an ad hoc basis, only as and when important or emergency information needs to be conveyed quickly.
These are often single topic publications. At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 significant amounts of detailed information was published in these newsletters and this is the main communication method used by the Covid Emergency Communication Group.
Genie online Calendar and Event Planner This is always available on the website and therefore available for anyone to use.
It provides a single place for all local events and important activities to be recorded so anyone can see what’s going on at any time. The calendar is hosted on the Genie website but is available for everyone to use. (You don’t need to be a newsletter subscriber to use it or add your events). Around 1,500 people per month visit the website and calendar regularly so it’s good for local clubs and societies to advertise their meetings or special events. Event organisers can add their events themselves using the online form, or if they prefer, email the calendar manager with all the details on calendar@genienews.org who will add them for you. (NB: Whilst the entries listed appears as a narrow strip, when the square image on the left is clicked it opens to a page where any amount of information you provide can be displayed, including your website, meeting dates, photos etc.)
It is also an Event Planner as it is a perpetual calendar with no end. This is a handy tool for event organisers to ‘save the date’ in people’s diaries for anything they are planning well into the future. This also enables other event organisers or members of the public to check the calendar before fixing a special occasion, thus avoiding a clash of dates, especially if it may compete for the same audience. For frequent uses of the calendar, or simply for convenience of not having to go to the website each time, you can add the Genie calendar to your smart phone and/or computer diary. (You have the option to merge the Genie calendar entries in your own personal calendar or keep it separate - or to toggle it on/off). To use this facility, open the Genie calendar and at the bottom right of the calendar list, click on the ‘Subscribe’ button and choose from the options.
Social Media Most articles on Genie’s newsletters are posted on its Facebook and Twitter channels soon after publication to extend the reach of the news and share it with other local online community groups.
The two channels are also used to post new items of news considered important to publish before the next scheduled Village Matters newsletter.