Sound Ideas

Text taken from News Post Leader newspaper, March 20th 2003, Story by Leanne English

A VILLAGE website set up by a former teacher has been nominated for a top national award.

The site, http://www.newbiggin
bythesea.co.uk/ which last year won the UK Village Website gold award, has been shortlisted along with 11 others for Website of the Year 2003.
It was established three years ago by Jason Thompson who was concerned at the negative image Newbiggin was being given on the Internet.
"I'd lived in Newbiggin all my life and thought the information available on the Internet was cynical, negative and above all unfair," he said.
Through his multimedia business, Sound Ideas, he decided to do something to promote the village in a positive light which would help to bring tourists back to the once popular seaside destination.
The 34-year-old, who used to teach music at Ashington high and Newbiggin middle schools, applied for grants to help get the site going. However, he decided it would slow things down and went ahead using his own finances.
"I joined forces with Newbiggin resident Paul Hooper to gather information and he helped develop the well-visited Newbiggin lifeboat section of the site. He also did most of the initial research for the business directory."
The site features information on local history, has an interactive map, virtual tour of the village using state-of-the-art 360 degree panoramic photographs, news and events diary and a database of community groups, schools and churches.
Over 16,000 people from all over the world have visited the site in the last 12 months with it receiving as many as 300 hits per day during the summer months.
Jason added: "I have had so many emails from people around the world who lived in Newbiggin or have some connection with it and they all have said how great it is.
"It is the only website in the region to be nominated for Website of the Year 2003 and the winner is expected to be announced in April."
Sound Ideas has worked with many local businesses including Earth Balance, Northumberland County Council and Craster Kippers.
Jason said: "I am delighted the site has been nominated. It's about time Newbiggin got the credit it deserves because it's a great place to live and work."
If you want to influence whether Newbiggin wins the Website of the Year 2003 award, you can vote via www.rural.co.uk/awards/poll

24/03/2003