We need your help to keep the service going with us working on it full-time. Yes, we could ease off but then content like the event calendar would go and we would have to limit the requests for postings as we would only work on it an hour a day. We have had volunteers but sadly many of their own agendas and have caused friction so we have kept the circle small.

We do earn a little revenue from a few adverts and with the job section but it doesn’t cover half of the costs of running Spotted in Ely. In fact, we estimate it costs us over £3,800 per month run (including any wages lost, which we don’t get).

Last year we initiated something called Patreon, a website dedicated to helping creators of content get some revenue to help them continue to create more and more content. An oh we want to create a whole load content.

Sadly, one or 2 people got upset that we were asking for a small contribution from anyone willing to offer it. If 10% of our followers gave just £2 per month, we would be good to go on making more and more content and possibly be in a position to employ another person.

The SiE project is at a critical point in its life. Nearly 6 years in and we only had one month where we made a little more than we spent and so we gave that away to Ely City FC for a trophy. If we made a profit every month, then lots of groups would benefit because we have never wanted to make a profit from the project.

If you are willing to spare a small amount each month or just a one-off thank to us then please go to https://www.patreon.com/SpottedinEly. We will also add a link to each post for Patreon should you decide now isn’t the right and you lose this link in the future.

Thank in Advance.

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The event is not an official event but he will be raising money for the new Spotted in Ely Community Fund by swimming 1km in the river followed by 25km on a bike, consisting of 5 laps of 5km and finishing with a 5km run, 5 laps of 1km.

Mark, who hasn’t done much fitness training since being in the RAF nearly 30 years ago is working with Aaron McCombie from Atrium Fitness on Newnham Street.

Aaron has been a fitness instructor with the local gym for some time and is giving up his time to train Mark up to the fitness required in the short time span.

Although some fitness and cardio work has taken place in December, the actual stamina or consistency training began today. Mark is only currently about 1/5th of the stamina/distance he needs to complete the challenge.

Spotted in Ely are currently working with an accountancy firm to set up a sponsorship account and money raised in the SiECF (Spotted in Ely Community Fund) will be used to grow local events, support youth and sporting activities and hopefully set up a “The Apprentice” style program to teach our kids business and money. All organisations will be considered for projects being created.

After each training session, 3 or 4 a week to start, SiE will update you on the progress. Mark and Atrium also invite anyone to come along and train with them for a small donation. The Atrium is also offering 50% of peak memberships should you wish to join up long-term.

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An advertorial is a great way for a company to share what they do with their local community and for people to find out what’s available to them on their doorstep.

Spotted in Ely have partnered with Dot to Dot Business Development to help more businesses take advantage of this, with an exclusive offer. Dot to Dot will plan and write advertorials and businesses can take advantage of a special discounted advertising rate when booking a series over a month or even a year.

Dot to Dot Business Development specialises in helping small businesses to grow and are delighted to be working alongside Spotted in Ely. Carly Mason, of Dot to Dot said ‘Advertorials are a great way to join the dots between a business and a consumer. Working with SiE on advertorials means that we can help people to find things locally and to help local businesses thrive and showcase the very best of what they offer.’

But what is an advertorial?

An advertorial is a paid advertisement which is written in the style of an article. Spotted in Ely always make sure an advertorial is clearly marked, so you can decide whether it’s of interest to you
or not.

We’ve got some amazing businesses in Ely who are proud of what they do, and rightly so! An advertorial means they can share more about what they do, giving them a forum to reach the wider community without being limited to a small advert.

You can think of an advertorial a bit like a blog post – a chance for a business to tell the world what they’re up to and where they’re going next.

I run a local business, tell me more!

Mark Cooney, editor of Spotted in Ely says “Advertorials are the way forward. Plain graphics on a piece of paper just does not cut the mustard for advertisers any more and we are inundated with adverts already on our social media platforms so we have to be different. We’ve already enjoyed huge success with companies like Ely City Golf Club and 11A to see that advertorials work.”

The exclusive offer gives you two advertorials per month as well as listings on the SiE business directory. All this, for the low monthly fee of £149, if you are planning month to month or just £99 if
you sign up for 12 months. Dot to dot will help you to plan your advertorials and will take care of writing them for you. You’ll get the final say, of course, all content is yours also.

If you would like to take advantage of this offer, you can either contact Mark at Spotted in Ely on 07778576470 or email carly@dot-dot.co.uk.

What other services to do Spotted in Ely offer businesses?

SiE is massive now in Ely, a household name many would say and the first port of call for news and events. Over the past 5 years, we have worked on building our portfolio of services including our very successful jobs page which still offers the biggest platform for finding new team members in the local area. We also do video and photography work with our partner Inyoni Productions Ltd which can be used to make more impact on your advertorials and social media.

Spotted in Ely is trying to make your marketing needs affordable while trying to cover its own costs on a monthly basis.

The post Working together to showcase local businesses to the community appeared first on Spotted in Ely.

We do like a pub quiz but this one seemed different. Having reviewed the event we saw that the quiz itself is run through your smartphone. I am always curious to see how the modern days of technology are improving the things we like to do on a regular basis.

If I am honest, I didn’t hold much of an expectation. Usually, these new ideas take a while to get right and often fraught with bugs that can ruin an experience. To my surprise, my expectations were completely wrong and found it was really simple to set up and take part.

The questions themselves come in 3 formats, words, numbers and a buzzer system. You don’t even have to spell names right as you only select the first letter of any answer and adding the fastest finger first for bonus points is genius. Each round has a clever scoring system that gives everyone a chance.

ROUND 1: ergh, my deepest fears – what happened in last weeks quiz. Sadly we were not there but it’s a great incentive to go next week and have the insider knowledge needed to excel in this round.

After 20 questions, we were winning!! Yes, we were in first last place and trailing by some points. I thought it was all over before it began.

ROUND 2: This weeks news. I watch and read the news so this should be easy for me. Actually, we did ok, clawed a few points back but I recommend you read a lot of celebrity news.

ROUND 3: A music quiz. You do need an in-depth knowledge of music. I know Ian’s music background is very clear to see in the questions asked. After round 2 and 3 we were still in last place but not so far behind. By this point, I had a few beers consumed and so I hope I am getting everything in the right order.

ROUND 4: TV Intros round – We love old TV programmes and so listening to old intros from Dady Army and Dallas was great fun and brought back some memories of childhood. This round changes every week with differing formats. Another good round for us and up to 5th.

After a short break, a secondary game was introduced called ‘Sing along a Bingo’. No, you don’t have to sing but they will be songs that you’ve probably picked up a hairbrush too. Lots of musical intros are played and you can use an app called Shazam to identify the songs. When a song is played and you have it on your bingo board, you tick it off, complete the pattern and shout BINGO!! Very simple and I am pleased to announce we won it!! Excellent.

Back to the quiz and ROUND 5: We really enjoyed this round, a buzzer round all about Queen. You wait for a song to be played of the several in a lineup and hit the buzzer on your smartphone when you hear it. Simple and you need to be quick to pick up the bonus points on offer.  A great round for us, up to equal 4th.

6th and final round: A general quiz and music trivia. We did ok and there was a bonus question at the end worth a massive 30 points.

We ended the evening in 4th place but we didn’t have to mark papers, it was very slick and overall really great fun and got to meet lots of lovely people taking part.

If I have one criticism, people stood at the bar began to make a lot of noise during the final rounds and made hearing the questions difficult in places but that should not stand in the way of how much time and effort Ian has put into his new venture.

If you are into your pub quizzing, this is one quiz you MUST check out every Tuesday night from 8pm. Ian spends a lot of time researching the questions and I think he is on to a real winner with the technology he has chosen to assist him with the quiz and I am sure for the £2 per person entry fee, it is affordable for everyone. Oh, and the £5.79 burger and drink deal is worth a take up too.

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I have to admit I was taking historical facts into consideration and not the facts of the day.
The picture showed vehicles parked on both sides of Forehill and I concentrated on those parked on the left side as we look up the hill and not of those on the right.
Historically those who park on the left are those of blue badge holders and they are always considered obstructions on a tight road. However I never expected two individuals to start calling me anti disabled and sensationalist.
The vehicles on the right, one of which appears to be half on the kerb also caused an obstruction at the busy part of the city and is clearly part of the problem.
For the record, I am not anti-disabled in the slightest and I know disability comes in many forms, so many I wouldn’t know where to begin. I myself could get a disabled blue badge for a shoulder injury I sustained in 1991 which see me often in pain but I choose not to as I feel I can get around without major issues. This isn’t saying I’m a hero for not doing so, this is me saying it isn’t necessary for me to do it and someone more in need could have it.
The problem I feel lies within Forehill itself and the policing of our local authority and I plan to take this up during the next week where I shall personally write to each city, district and county councillor involved with the relevant departments.
Ely itself is missing parking wardens. We have private sector wardens for the car parks but not public sector ones for the roads.
I apologise for any offence caused and it certainly was not my intention to discriminate however there was chaos yet again and something has to be done, sooner rather than later before an accident or something fatal happens on that stretch of highway.
All I ask is people parking give consideration to the rules stated in the article and please try to find safer alternative parking where possible, after all one hazard created is getting out of your car on the busy road.
Spotted in Ely is very proud to support member groups and organisations from a diverse range of people and will continue to do so in every way we possibly can.
Have a safe weekend and half term
Mark

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My record speaks for itself. Since moving to Ely I have changed the face of local media in an old fashioned but progressive City – yet I am still just an ordinary person who goes to work, pays rent, pays bills and lives on a weekly basis dependant on my pay.
I have helped all councils where I can including technical help on the two concerts run by Ely City Council, promoting local days out and youth projects.
I created Spotted in Ely – a platform for everyone in our amazing city to come together – and that platform continues to grow every day. That community input has given me a valuable insight into local issues and opinions  – so I’ve decided to stand on October 6th as your new City Councillor for the North Ward under the City of Ely Council.
I don’t have a fancy job or house, I don’t drive fancy cars or have a rich history and have not built up a portfolio of properties. Like many I live in the real world but also want to improve that world and my community – which I think why I believe becoming a councillor is my next step.

MINOR INJURIES UNIT

By far the hottest topic in Ely, closing the Minor Injuries Unit would be catastrophic. Together with Emma Watson, Spotted in Ely launched a campaign to #saveourminorinjuriesunit from closing on the day the news broke of the CCG’s plans. We’ve consistently campaigned to save the MIU and have helped Emma’s petition gather over 4,000 signatures, putting real pressure on the CCG.
I will continue to push the CCG and NHS to improve local services rather than take them away from Ely.

INFRASTRUCTURE

It often feels like Ely’s infrastructure is crumbling around us. More people moving into the City with zero increase in services. Doctors with no appointments, dentists giving preference to private patients and roads with too many accidents and gridlocks on a weekly basis.
Thousands more people are set to move to Ely over the next few years and these services need urgent attention now and not when the demand has been surpassed and broken.

HOUSING

Ely has become one of the most desirable places in the UK to live. This has caused a hike in house prices which rise year on year.
Affordable housing is now a thing of the past. I plan to explore Government initiatives such as first time buyer discounts and home for life schemes.  I will also push developers of the housing plots in the North Ward to prioritise giving help to first time buyers.
Why has building work not begun on the Cam Drive development? Is it because developers are looking for more money for each plot or because builders are waiting for a further increase in property values. Regardless, permission has been granted so BUILD!

ROADS & TRANSPORT

Many of our roads are a mess. Potholes, constant roadworks at inconvenient times and blockages due to bad parking & deliveries. I would look to make any company who digs up a road and does not restore the surface to an exemplary standard accountable.
I have already been involved in many bad parking issues, especially on Forehill with Blue Badge holders when Broad Street disabled bays are empty. Every time I have been involved the Police have taken action but I will work to make the necessary authorities act all of the time.
This brings me onto road safety. With many cycle paths currently being built in Cambridgeshire, Ely has a growing population taking to the bicycle but are the new cycleways being used to their potential? Education in cycling is needed, not just by cyclists but for drivers also. This starts more often than not in schools and over the summer we helped a cycling campaign at Ely College and would look to the council to fund more.

YOUTH

We often hear negatives about our youth as well as the positives. An Ely Youth Forum was set up some 5 years ago but then disbanded after just a few short months. I was very much involved in setting up the Youth Day and took several weeks off work to make this happen which resulted in a Youth Flashmob on the Market Square and Exhibition of Youth Organisations in the Leisure Centre.
I would look to the City Council to start this over and this time involve the youth from all over Ely including the North Ward.
Furthermore I have been for the past 3 months petitioning the Lakenheath Media Officer to restore the American Park near the hospital and this week received an email assuring me that work will begin shortly. However we need to look at how to protect the park from vandalism in the future.

LOCALISM

Staying local is the key to a local business community. Your neighbour or yourself may work for a locally grown business and these are the ones the council should help nurture. Keeping money local means a stronger local economy and more jobs as well as goodwill and tourism.
With technology moving forward at an alarming rate and poor mobile signal in Ely, it’s time the councils, City and District looked at City Centre WiFi. We already have CambsWiFi installed in the key areas and this could easily be extended at a low cost to cover all the busy areas of Ely.

INFORMATION

Information from a governing body is often sketchy at best or you can never find the information online. Do you know what happens behind closed doors at your local council? This is why many councils are seen in a bad light and more often than not people say that politicians are out of touch and ignore their voters.
I would look to keep a public journal (obviously keeping discretion when needed) so that you can see on a daily/weekly basis what councillors do and how decisions are made. Councillors represent you – and should be as accountable and transparent as possible.

SUMMARY

Let’s make Ely a great city of fair opportunities for everyone! Elect Mark Cooney as your Independent City Councillor for the North Ward on the 6th October and get someone who likes to get things DONE rather just talk about it.
Should you have any questions I am available via email on mark@spottedinely.com or by calling 07778576470.

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Business Buzz

This is Jenni’s project and a way to help local business increase their visibility. Jenni will announce more about this over the next few weeks after she enjoys some family R’n’R.

Blaze

This is our new Design, Print and Social Media Agency. It will utilise all the skills in SiE for your business. Over the past 3 years we have learned so much on top of the skills the main members of the project had. You will be able to take advantage of our skills for your business.
Want to know more about Blaze during our set up then please visit: www.facebook.com/BlazeAgencyEly

Other Products coming:

• Event Booking System
• Restaurant/Hotel Booking Systems
• Organisation Directory and Pages
• Visitor Attractions
• and many other ideas.

We really want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of the dedicated Spotted in Ely followers for their continued support and please do keep following us as we get bigger and better.

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• Business Buzz Member
• Business Buzz Directly
• Job Listings
• Premium Event Listing & Promotion
• Video Advertising
• Design Services

Please email Victoria on advertisingsie@gmail.com

Want to be included in our Business Buzz Directory? Complete the form below

[NEXForms id=”17″ ]

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After Liam’s passing Callum, 2 years younger than his brother, was inspired and set up the Liam Fairhurst Foundation with the goal of helping anyone with cancer fight and support the families, especially the siblings who could so easily be forgotten about as parents and patients head off to continuous hospital appointments.
Callum has just returned from one adventure raising thousands of pounds by travelling around the world alone on his bicycle. His home literally strapped to the 7kg frame and touring through Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe and North America. In total he covered 17,000 miles and helped other charities along the way as he didn’t want to do this adventure for just one organisation but felt it prudent to do for several.
Let me just say again, Callum is just 18!! While talking to him live over Facebook, you could see and feel his energy about what doing all of these things means to him and how he know Liam is watching over him in his ventures.
Despite being home just a week, Callum is already exploring the next big adventure, which is a secret at present. But whatever he does, I got the sense that Callum will be one the most successful and influential person in any field or endeavour he tackles.
You can find out more about The Liam Fairhurst Foundation at www.liamfairhurstfoundation.com. You can give any amount towards Challenge 360 at www.justgiving.com/worldcycle and furthermore, see Callum on his adventures at www.challenge360.org/.

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Click on the advert required and a link will appear to view basket.
Click the view basket link and complete all the details and we will email with how to submit your artwork with 48 hours.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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We can do all of the set up, including domain names and emails to get you up and running as soon as possible

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IN MEDIA GROUP is being established on the success of Spotted in Ely

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We will give you full guidance on adding and editing the information and images on your website.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]All our sites are hosted on our own web-server housed in a secure location with permanent desktop accessibility in our offices to ensure all sites run smoothly and stay running. Our uptime is over 99.9%.
We also offer:
Social Media assistance and management
Design – Magazine and stationary
IT and Data Solutions[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Contact us” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Abril%20Fatface%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Mark Cooney
mark@spottedinely.com
01353 468123
07778 576470[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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