Connecting and engaging with your community is vital – as is making sure the information is accessible and in a format that works for people across all areas of your communities. As part of our continued commitment to support our members we have worked with Aubergine, our preferred accessible website provider, to offer members a new Community Engagement App that is relatively low cost and provides the platform to really start community engagement that suits modern lifestyles.

A Mobile App to Engage with your Community

A mobile app allows councils to connect with the community in a way that suits people’s lifestyle. There will always be a need to publish information on a website but that often requires the user to take action and visit the website. Whereas a mobile app, once downloaded, is with the user all the time and can be controlled by the council to serve up information and messages directly to the user – perfect for engagement.

Promoting Local Events
Posting News & Local Issues, e.g. road closures, meetings
Community Projects, such as Neighbourhood Plans
Supporting Local Groups & Businesses
Directories of Shops, Attractions & Local Venues

The type of content and messages you want to share are completely under your control through the easy-to-use admin area to suit your communications strategy, whether that’s keeping locals up to date with local events or undertaking a Neighbourhood Plan and seeking support.

Hand holding smartphone with Neighbourhood Plan meeting on screen

3 mobile phone screens showing the community engagement app options

Delivering Messages directly to the Community

It can be hard to get engagement and support from a community when you have to rely on them coming to you or the meetings. Good communication is largely driven by a content consumerist lifestyle so you need to deliver your message to the community rather than wait for them to come to you. With an app you can:

Send push notifications to users’ devices
Highlight important messages, news & events
Encourage feedback through community polls
Use custom directory for shops, businesses & groups

Website & App All Controlled on One Place

The app is a partner product of the WCAG 2.1AA accessible website offered to SLCC members through our partnerships with Aubergine. The App can be connected to the website so that you can control both the website and app from the same admin area but can also be free standing if you have a website from another provider.

Built on the popular website admin platform, WordPress, you can easily control the App:

Add and edit new pages
Add events & news
Add local groups, shops & businesses to a directory
Display a calendar of meetings & events
Easy access to council services with A-Z directory
Send messages direct to users’ phones.

Person holding an iphone with a laptop in the background showing the admin area of the app on its screen

Suitable for Apple & Android devices

Branded and styled to match your council’s image, you will have both Apple and Android apps in the package which are publicly available to download from the App Stores.

Apps work with inbuilt smartphone accessibility tools to assist the user in interacting with the app in a way that works for them and their accessibility needs.

The Community Engagement app package is supplied with both Apple iOS & Android versions that are downloaded from the App Stores and is fully supported, like your WCAG 2.1AA accessible website, by the experienced team at Aubergine.

The price includes both versions.

Apple App store badgeGoogle Play Store badge

Summary of Features & Benefits

Partner app to your accessible website
Great community engagement tool
Push notifications of news, events and other updates
Display different content to website or mirror it
Control the app from the same admin area as the website
Apple iOS & Android apps provided
Easy to update yourself in minutes
Directory function for local shops, groups or services
Can be used without website
Full training & support throughout.

Young red haired woman holding an iphone with the screen of the community engagement app showing a Neighbourhood Plan meeting screen

SLCC Member-only Pricing


£1795 + VAT for both Apple & Android apps

That’s both apps live and ready to download from the App Stores & admin area with full training.

Year 2 onwards: £400 + VAT per year for apps’ hosting & support.

Already a member?  Log in here to enquire.