Could communities save the Guardian local sites?

The Guardian has responded to calls for it to rethink plans to close its local sites in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Leeds by asking if local communities would raise funds to support the blogs.

Meg Pickard, head of digital engagement at the Guardian, has posted on the Inside Guardian.co.uk blog: "Thanks for all the replies. We are reading them and clearly hear how much the Guardian local sites were valued in the communities they covered.

"On that note, in conversation with editors here earlier, an interesting idea was mooted: would any of the local communities or individuals affected be interested in carrying on the Cardiff/Leeds/Edinburgh blogs? Or fundraising a sum to enable us to continue? If We could find an alternative - community-supported? - funding model, that could extend the local project....

"Worth pondering? Any thoughts?!"

Postings on the Inside Guardian.co.uk blog have praised the work of the beatbloggers - John Baron (Leeds), Hannah Waldram (Cardiff), and Michael MacLeod (Edinburgh) - on the Guardian local sites and called for them to be saved.

On Twitter a campaign to save the Cardiff blog #savegdncardiff is gaining momentum. Campaigns have been launched to save all three communities and in Leeds supporters are donating cash.