Thanks both.
I'm hoping I don't have to do anything. I belong to a writers' forum which over the course of 10 years had built up a lively community. It hangs off a commercial writers' organisation which offers manuscript reviews various levels of editing, courses, all the usual editorial stuff. They use part of the forum commercially running courses in closed groups, but the social part is free. Unfortunately they based it on SocialGo software which may have all the features they want but appears to have been coded using the infinite monkeys with infinite keyboards methodology. It falls over, offers a different bespoke editor wherever you need to enter text, falls over, has several bits that simply don't work, and falls over regularly. So they're going to do a major replatform exercise - to what I have no idea.
The site owner has spotted an opportunity to make more cash. He is converting his business model to a "club" with courses, festivals, editorial facilities, literary agent hook-ups etc. all offered at big discounts to members. The downside is that the club comes at £30 per month. Oh, and it offers "free" access to his new online community. He clearly hopes that his old forum patrons will simply pay him to get through the pay wall. Apparently he is talking about "not turning out the lights" on the old forum, but closing it to new members - which sounds like a death knell to me.
So at the moment I'm just looking into things. If he keeps the forum running and allows new members, then that may work. On the other hand I really can't see him funding a free rival to his hoped for money-spinner, or rushing to help if it falls over. If he allows free access to his new forum that might be an option. At the moment it doesn't look hopeful.