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Writing for the Greenwich Community Directory
We have written some guidance that can help you write listings in a way that is clear and easy for people to find and read.
Name the listing clearly
It should be clear from the title what the service helps the community with.
Avoid organisation and programme names if it's not clear what the service does.
The organisation name will be in the listing and the programme name can be included in the description.
If it's a common service, you can include who is providing it.
For childminders, include 'childminding' after the person's name so it is clear in search results.
Instead of:
Greenwich Light Group
Say:
Coffee morning with Greenwich Light Group
Summarise the service in the first sentence
The first sentence of the description is used across the website when people are looking for services.
It must clearly say what is offered, who it’s for and how it helps them.
Instead of:
The Greenlights Project, is a family support service for families of children (aged 1-11 years old) with a formal diagnosis of Autism (ASC), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) & other learning disabilities that present behaviours that are challenging. Through our bespoke services we meet families offering support through strategies within their homes & their lives to ensure safer, more secure family units.
Say:
Support for families with children aged 1 to 11 with autism, ADHD and other learning disabilities that can help keep your home and family safe and secure.
Focus on what the service helps people do
Avoid talking about the organisation and what their aims are.
Instead focus on summarising what it helps people in the community do.
Instead of:
The Speech and Language Therapy team is part of the Greenwich Children's Integrated Therapies Service and sits across the 3 Integrated Therapies Service areas.
Say:
Get advice and support to develop a child’s speech and language, find the right educational support and a school setting that will meet your child’s needs.
Use the third person
Use ‘they’, not ‘I’ or ‘we’. With the exception of childminder listings.
Use the name of the organisation providing the service or “they”. Do not use “I” or “we”.
This helps make it clear we’re signposting to support provided by others, not provided by the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
Instead of:
“We provide advice about things like benefits, getting out and about, wellbeing, education and employment.”
Say:
“Shine provide advice about things like benefits, getting out and about, wellbeing, education and employment.”
Use first person in quotation marks for childminders
We can use first person for these as the listing is under their specific name and it allows childminders to directly appeal to parents and promote their childcare services and expertise. The best way to do this is to include it in quotation marks.
Do not duplicate information in the description
Avoid including information like contact details, date, time, cost or links in the description.
These should be in the relevant form fields instead.
This helps with consistency and makes the information easier to maintain.
If you cannot use the date field as the dates are not regular, you can put the dates in the description using bullet points.
Make it clear how people can access the service
Some services will happen at a set location such as a local community centre.
Others may not be held at a location. They may be held remotely online, run through a telephone helpline or an online forum.
For these, make it clear where or how to take part.
For example:
Listing name: Get online carer support and join a network of carers
Provide accurate and up to date venue accessibility information
We must provide accurate accessibility information on all in-person services.
Update online when an essential facility is out of use. For example, if a lift or disabled toilet is out of use.
Where possible, add a link to AccessAble if they have reviewed the venue so people get more detailed accessibility information.
Use short sentences and paragraphs and break up lists using bullet points
Avoid using long sentences and big blocks of text.
Keeping sentences and paragraphs short makes it easier for people to scan and read the page. This helps them find the information they need more quickly.
Use bullet points to list different activities, services or facilities for a service.
Follow the style guide
We are currently updating the Royal Borough of Greenwich style guide.
In the meantime, you can use the: