The popular Facebook group “leedsface” has admitted its 15,000th member. Leedsface was set up to show the positive side of Leeds and its people. It has grown to be the largest of its kind representing the city and can now boast members in every country in the World, barring China.
Since it’s launch, leedsface has reconnected hundreds of people with lost friends and relatives, Leeds based admin Paula Brown admits that she never ceases to be amazed how quickly leedsface can put people back in touch “We have been asked to help reconnect people who have not seen each for years and have put them back in touch within hours” Paula says.
Uniquely, leedsface has such a large following of ex Loiners in Australia and New Zealand that it has 2 dedicated Admin in Adelaide and Perth, Australia who, along with their 2 admin counterparts in Leeds monitor and keep the site free from advertisers and negative posts. Maureen Brown, who admins for leedsface in Perth Australia, says “For myself, and many ex Leeds people, leedsface is a link to our home town. It’s wonderful to be able to show our youngsters, here in Australia, where we came from and give them a taste of Leeds and its people”.
In only a short time the group became a huge hit, not only in Leeds but it also attracted membership from all around the World. The leedsface founder Glenn Simpson, of New York Road Leeds, feels that the group has outgrown all others because of its commitment to avoiding politics, racism and negative input. “We represent the Leeds of yesterday, today and what we hope for tomorrow. We are like an on-line magazine” he said “Word has spread and membership exploded because we work hard, as admin, to ensure that we have a safe, alternative and informative place on the Internet for Leeds people to visit, wherever they are in the World. Leedsface is becoming a place you can trust and we have had school children use our group for information, we want people to see the good side of Leeds and are happy to be seen as a new Leeds Media “.
As well as continual input and pictures from members in Leeds and Worldwide the group now has an archive of nearly 6,000 Leeds related photos and has recently branched out into film production with respected local company, V-Edition Media. The leedsface concept is also growing on Twitter (@leedsface) and the website (leedsface.com) is starting to develop. With hundreds of new members every week and the reach it has around the World it looks like leedsface is here to stay!
