Northland is growing, and as we do so we are losing our sense of community.

The upper part of New Zealand has come of age. It’s become that sulky, withdrawn teenager that doesn’t communicate with anyone. That person that never asks for help, and wouldn’t go out of their way to help anyone else.

Not a pretty sight.

Vanessa Wilson had a vision when she created the 3000-strong Odd Jobb Facebook page. That vision was to find the sense of community lurking in the depths of developing townships. To find the people that cared about their elderly neighbour who couldn’t mow their lawns, that worried that huge overseas companies were taking our businesses away and that looked out for children as they waited for the school bus on a dark winter morning.

The response was phenomenal. Other townships have caught on to this idea. Inspired by the success of Odd Jobb Whangarei, Facebook groups have cropped up from Kaitaia to Wellington and everywhere in between.

So what’s the problem?

The problem is that by becoming so large we have lost trust. People have been let down by others and that whole experience has left them with a sour taste in their mouths. Others feel that the whole process is too impersonal and worry about the safety aspect of letting someone they don’t know into their homes.

That’s where Hive comes in. Hive is a stand-alone platform where people can search for jobs that need doing and post jobs that they want done. Everything about the whole process will be the same- except that the person you get will have a feedback rating, an option to be police checked, and be address verified. In short, that person will be someone we trust to do a good job.

A whole range of other features will go with Hive, such as shout outs for our fantastic workers and tips on how to get more jobs. But basically, Hive is all about our community. It’s making sure our members share our values and work ethic.

Unfortunately, that moderation process doesn’t come cheap. But the good news is that the more people we have come on board the more we can share the burden. Hive will have a two week, no obligation, free trial period and after that the weekly fee will be around the same price as your flat white. If you don’t like the service after your two weeks, you can unsubscribe with no strings attached.

Want to be part of the journey?

Subscribe for an exclusive invite to use our mobile responsive web app and give us feedback to improve. http://eepurl.com/b3o0AD