now croydon

Now Croydon was the essential guide for anyone wanting to know what was happening in and around our town.

Launched in 2018, it quickly became the one-stop shop for news, events, jobs, and volunteering opportunities. Now Croydon automatically gathered event information from hundreds of local websites, community groups and listing services to create a centralised what's on calendar.

Whether it was theatre performances, live music, workshops, film screenings, or local exhibitions, you could always count on Now Croydon to have it covered. From big-ticket events to community clean-ups and garden days, nothing slipped through the cracks.

By the time it closed at the end of 2022, the site had promoted nearly 20,000 events and had over 100,000 weekly users. It amassed an impressive 6 million page views in it's final year.

Now Croydon was more than just a list of things to do. It was a community hub. In addition to events, it gathered local news headlines, bringing together articles from Croydon's various media outlets, blogs, and citizen journalists. It also hosted a jobs board, free to use for businesses and jobseekers alike, which became a valuable resource during its time.

Now Croydon's roots were in Croydon Radio, the community station that I co-founded in 2011. Croydon Radio itself was a much-loved initiative, giving the town a voice, a platform for its people, and a space to celebrate what was great (and occasionally frustrating) about living here. When the station closed, there was a noticeable gap in local news and events coverage, and Now Croydon stepped in, offering a fresh take on that same mission.

What set Now Croydon apart was its independence. It received no grants or external funding. It was ad-supported, with local businesses able to promote themselves, their products and more alongside the free events and job listings that kept the community connected.

The site also helped amplify local causes, voluntary groups, and community initiatives, often with short videos that showcased the work of these organisations. And if you wanted a neat package of what to look out for over the weekend, there was the much-loved Friday newsletter "Because it's the weekend", a curated pick of the upcoming events and the most-clicked news stories from the past week.

Now Croydon's closure left a gap that no other platform has managed to fill. It wasn't just a website; it was a local service that gathered the best of Croydon into one place and gave everyone - residents, organisations, businesses and visitors - a chance to share in it.

Here's a message I received shortly after I closed the site. "Without Now Croydon, our town feels a little more fragmented, a little less connected. Here's hoping something steps in to take its place".

Now Croydon was conceived and developed by Tim Longhurst. I enjoy shining a spotlight on what's going on locally. I love to support and collaborate with others to share what our town has to offer.

Contact me if you'd like to explore working together, particularly if it's something relevant to Croydon.