There is no doubt in my mind that Nextdoor.co.uk is an amazing platform with an amazing layout, specifically targeting local communities and bringing people together, however, in recent times, we have noticed that things have changed in a negative way which impacts peoples' vision of this amazing community spirit, and is affecting every neighbourhood on the UK platform as we know it. People are now joining the site to purposely spread hatred, discriminate, insult, abuse and invade the privacy of people across the platform, and this is not acceptable by anyone's standards!

When I joined Nextdoor, I was excited at the fact I was a "Founding Member" (a person who creates a local neighbourhood) and Lead (A moderator style role to allow users to remove content that is against Nextdoors' Community Guidelines), I absolutely love Nextdoor and the community spirit but this has taken a drastic change, I personally feel that HQ and the Support Team are NOT listening and taking this seriously enough because the environment is now becoming toxic and I fear for the future of Nextdoor if this continues.

Recently, people are persistently violating Nextdoor Guidelines and I believe that Leads should have the tools they need to be able to protect their own communities best interests, after all, we live here! I have personally experienced the most horrific abuse whilst trying to enforce Community Guidelines, from swearing, to being called a nonce (Paedophile), a snowflake (a derogetary term for a gay person) and for me personally, a father to 4 children, a Teaching Assistant in a school and a youth worker - the nonce term has the potential to ruin my whole life, as well as my relationship with my children and even my career.

If this continues, people will leave Nextdoor and without the support of the communities Nextdoor strive to embrace, Nextdoor has a uncertain future in the UK.

Nextdoor - This is unacceptable, we have had enough and we demand change immediately!

The undersigned strongly support my views and will express their own views in the comments should they wish to do so in a safe space.

We are demanding:

• More clear and precise Community Guidelines that is easy to follow and understand.
• Leads will have control over their whole neighbourhood, not just their immediate neighbourhood.
• Leads must be given more power over the site, you trust us to give us Lead status, but the structure needs improvement, you need to allow us to remove content without the support of other leads in immediate circumstances, mute members of the community whilst reports are being actioned.
• Rename "Leads" to "Moderators" and assign a badge to make this noticeable to the community so they are aware clearly that information is coming from a reputable source .
• Give Leads a direct contact at Nextdoor that offers a more personal approach that feels less automated when we receive responses from Nextdoor.

You need to take this seriously, or the local communities risk leaving the site, as I have already vowed to do.

I strive myself as I always have, as a highly active user on Nextdoor, I help & support people not only with Nextdoor issues, but local issues such as directing to services of support and offering peer support, but even I have now had enough and am ready to walk away from Nextdoor.

I do not get paid to be a Lead, and it is clear that a lot of Leads are no longer active due to the toxic environment that has taken control over Nextdoor, community members have also had enough of this toxic environment.

We demand you LISTEN and ACT now or we will eventually leave Nextdoor and your platform will only be left with toxic people who break Community Guidelines and you will have no Leads to take action.

By making the changes we are demanding, it will:

• Bring back control over neighbourhoods
• Show members that we will not tolerate abuse or the breaking of Community Guidelines
• Allow easier contact with Nextdoor and offer a personal approach to supporting the people who face this level of abuse directly.
• It will allow a reduction in abusive, inappropriate and sometimes illegal content by being able to remove it immediately.
• It will allow "Neighbours" to see clearly who their Leads/Moderators are and also show abusive people that we are active and will take action now against violation of Guidelines and the law.

I have personally suffered with my mental health over the past few years, Nextdoor helped me by providing a welcoming, calm and safe space to get involved in community but because of the abuse I have endured, I am ready to walk away, the support I received in my final post led to the creation of a Group on Nextdoor that is a safe haven for people where these violations are not permitted and we will remove anyone without warning for violating the privacy, well-being or safety of our members.

Make the change and save our Nextdoor Communities from abandonment and Nextdoors' future in the UK.