A Brief Introduction to PlaceCal

PlaceCal is a calendar software package designed to help residents discover local events and community groups in their area. It works by aggregating calendars from multiple community organizations into one central listing, making hyperlocal information accessible to everyone.

The Problem

Community information discovery has become fragmented. Many neighborhoods once had local newspapers and what’s-on guides, but privatized platforms like Facebook have absorbed these functions, leaving less information in the public domain. Finding events now requires checking countless disconnected sources—flyers, posters, individual websites.

This challenge is particularly acute in disadvantaged areas. Less than 50% of voluntary organizations have websites at all. Older people and socially isolated individuals face additional barriers: no email addresses, complicated interfaces, poor accessibility standards, and limited motivation to go online.

The health implications are severe. Research shows social isolation is “as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and twice as impactful as not taking regular exercise.”

The Solution

Rather than creating yet another platform, PlaceCal asks community groups to publish calendar feeds from tools they already use—Google Calendar, Outlook, Facebook, or custom systems. These feeds are then aggregated into one comprehensive local listing.

The approach involves:

• Finding local coordinators (“secretaries”) already trusted in their communities
• Training organizations to publish calendar feeds from existing tools
• Aggregating feeds through software that combines all information automatically

This removes barriers: organizations don’t learn new systems, information stays updated because it’s embedded in existing workflows, and the central platform acts as infrastructure rather than another data-entry point.

Results

Benefits span multiple stakeholders:

• Residents discover nearby activities they didn’t know existed
• Small groups get online visibility without technical skills or costs
• GPs and social prescribers can recommend local services within appointment time constraints
• Community leaders can coordinate information-sharing across venues

One participant noted: “People are saying they’re bored and there’s nothing to do - with this much on that’s mad isn’t it!”

The project won the AAL Smart Ageing Prize 2018 and is planning expansion through “The PlaceCal Foundation,” a not-for-profit model allowing co-ownership by users.