LONDON – A small non-profit organization in the city of Nottingham, England, was little known before a big financial frenzy threw it into the social media spotlight.
The World Wide Robin Hood Society, based in Sherwood, Nottingham, is run by a middle-aged couple enthusiastic about defending their hometown and the fable of the seductive English legend and his cheerful band of fugitives, who robbed the rich to give poor.
Thursday morning, Twitter account it had only 350 followers, on Saturday it had 60,000 and continues to increase.
Stopping the interview several times while notifications continued to drip onto her phone, Lisa Douglas, 51, who is part of the organization with her husband and manages her social media accounts, told NBC News that she was excited but overwhelmed by global attention.
“That was a shock … it was absolutely incredible,” she said from her home.
“We had so many people getting in touch and saying good things,” she added. “We were on the right side throughout the Robin Hood disaster.”
The attention comes after a confusion of names during a stock market frenzy over video game retailer GameStop. She saw her stock price violently inflate on the Robinhood stock trading app, driven by the support of online traders and members of a Reddit message board.
The roller coaster’s financial journey has made global headlines as it pitted small investors and online communities against traditional Wall Street short sellers.
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Like many others, Douglas says he does not fully understand the finances behind the GameStop saga, but said he has proved the message of Robin Hood’s rebel legend still resonated in 2021.
“A lot of people are feeling very hurt by what happened with the Robinhood app, and you like to root for the little boy – and I think Robin Hood is the perfect example,” she said.
Many new followers of the Robin Hood Society – mostly from America, but also from Australia and Canada – have pledged to visit the English city of 300,000, said Douglas. While others shared family ties with Britain, offered to make donations or simply said hello, she added.
Douglas, who calls himself “a Nottingham girl”, said the partnership started in 1998, co-founded by her IT husband and a few other Robin Hood enthusiasts. They hope that the current attention will attract people to visit their city, which has famous forests and a medieval castle.
And does she have a message for new society fans?
“We would just like to thank everyone … it has been lovely to connect with people from all over the world,” she said.
“Huzzah.”
