Neighbourly-a social network that connects community projects with businesses keen to lend a hand!

by Startacus Admin
Throughout our Bristol startup month we have been hearing one statement repeated over and over again… Bristol has a thriving tech startup scene, and through our explorations we have found plenty of evidence in support of that!
The city seems to be a booming hub of techno activity with innovative new companies springing up all over the place! One such startup is neighbourly, a social network that connects community projects/charities with businesses keen to lend a hand!
We had a chat with founder and CEO Nick Davies ahead of their full launch this July. Here’s what he had to say...
Can you tell us a little bit about the history of Neighbourly, where the idea came from and how it has progressed?
The neighbourly idea came from a frustration with ‘globalisation’. As brands get bigger and their actions become increasingly global they start to feel more remote, and that makes them harder to trust. That’s bad for business. We knew that if we could build a platform where communities could ask for help from brands who in-turn could put money and volunteering into projects, the trust would come back, and that would be a win-win!
We began in February with M&S, Carphone Warehouse and some smaller companies and have stayed under the radar whilst we check everything works as it should. Starbucks are joining us soon, and we hope to announce a few more fantastic brand partners when we do our full launch in July. We’re already talking to international markets so expect big things from neighbourly in 2015.
What kinds of projects have people been using neighbourly for and what has the response from local communities been like?
Neighbourly is incredibly easy - one simple form, no red tape, no close-dates, no advertising and it’s free for projects (companies pay to use the site). Unsurprisingly, response has been fantastic. We’ve stayed deliberately quiet so far to manage expectations ahead of our July launch. That said, people have found us from right across the country and the secret’s definitely out around our home towns of Bristol and Bath!
As for types of projects there’s pretty much anything you can think of, ranging from a couple of days volunteering to big projects that need significant capital expenditure. We suggest projects think small whilst companies get used to how neighbourly works. But it’s not really for us to say what will or won’t get backed - if you tell your story and get the whole community behind you, anything could happen!
You guys are currently working from the Engine Shed in Bristol, in your experience what are the benefits of working in a creative hub / co working space for a business like yours?
We’re part of the award-winning ‘SetSquared’ University Incubator programme and that allows us to work out of the Engine Shed in Bristol and the Innovation Centre in Bath. SetSquared have been excellent - Simon, Nick and their teams have a huge amount of experience and they’ve made introductions to funding partners, competitions and investor opportunities that we’d simply have missed if we’d tried to do this on our own. There’s also an energy about a startup co-working space. People work hard but are always ready to share, and their experiences are always invaluable.
So as you know its Bristol Startup month here at Startacus.net can you share a few of your thoughts about the cities startup scene?
Bristol is often referred to as Silicon Gorge and with good reason, given the depth of technical expertise that comes out of our high-tech local industries and the universities. But it’s also a highly individual and creative city and that’s reflected in the huge range of smart startups happening here. Brunel’s Engine Shed is a truly inspirational setting to launch a new business, and with Bristol’s ‘Best place to live in Britain’ accolade in 2014 as well as easy access to London, we’ll not be rushing up the M4 anytime soon…
Thanks for the thoughts Nick and best of luck with the upcoming launch.
If you reckon this is a great idea and are dying to get on board, then pop over to the neighborly website for more info!
Startup Glasgow month is July, click here to see how you can get involved!
If you like what you see here on Startacus, why not become a member of our growing community? It's free! And you'll get all this - exclusive access to our Business Toolkit, discounts and offers galore for your business via our member only business deals, the chance to network and connect with loads of fellow self-starters, and maybe even become our celebrated 'Self-Starter of the Week' and tell the world your startup tale! Join right here for free
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
How to select your best ideas and take them forward - Chris Thomason, Founder of Ingenious Growth shares 5 tips to help you do just that.

Early stage VC fund Anamcara led by Female Solo GP Closes $10.6M Seed Fund to Invest in Founders Building Defining B2B Software Companies

Want to ensure your startup runs smoothly? Hamid Bagherzadeh, Legal expert and Co-Founder of LegaMart shares insights on the legal contracts that will help you do just that.

Koala, the innovative travel insurtech startup, secures investment to fuel its growth in Europe, expand its team and build additional travel protections.

The best early stage tech startups from across the UK revealed in Tech Nation’s final Rising Stars competition.

Over 100 organisations come together via The Micro Business Alliance to help provide a voice for the UK's startups, micro businesses and small businesses.

The lowdown on London-based hearing wellness startup Mumbli and its mission to help businesses provide inclusive spaces for all hearing abilities and preferences.

Tech Nation calls for tangible support to secure capital, talent, growth and exits needed to accelerate the growth of UK tech in decade ahead.

Glasgow-based This is Milk seeks investment for Neve Learning, its cloud-based Ed-Tech platform that has inclusivity and accessibility at its core.

With the UK facing a clear digital skills gap, Amy Caton, Digital Talent and Impact Senior Manager at BT Group shares some insights on what businesses should do to close that divide.
Published on: 19th June 2014
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.







- Anamcara launches $10.6M seed fund to back new wave of business tech 30th Mar 2023 Early stage VC fund Anamcara led by Female Solo GP Closes $10.6M Seed Fund to Invest in Founders Building Defining B2B Software Companies
- Travel insurtech Koala raises €2m to accelerate its growth 29th Mar 2023 Koala, the innovative travel insurtech startup, secures investment to fuel its growth in Europe, expand its team and build additional travel protections.
- Tech Nation announces the 10 winners of its latest Rising Stars competition 29th Mar 2023 The best early stage tech startups from across the UK revealed in Tech Nation’s final Rising Stars competition.
- Micro Business Alliance launches to represent 75% of the UK’s businesses 28th Mar 2023 Over 100 organisations come together via The Micro Business Alliance to help provide a voice for the UK's startups, micro businesses and small businesses.