"there are some very closed minded people out there, that don't understand that Facebook is an amazing resource" - herrumph! - I fully understand that there are some people who are happy to allow internet institutions to have gobbets of their personal data at potential risk to their future security and spam-free status, and in return for the "artificial bonhomie" will cheerfully take such risks, BUT there are a great number of people who dislike it intensely, and bitterly resent the "you'll have to join Facebook" nonsense involved with use of such a resource, which will mean many people will choose to have no truck with it...
(My next door neighbour is a headmistress - her comments on it are unprintable)
If you want a real "everybody's welcome" site, there are such organisations as "Weebly" that will allow you to build a free website, and umpteen "free forum" providers - if you spent £15 a year you can have a pukka website, for a few pounds extra, it can even have it's own unique "url"
I wanted to do something similar for the Natural Beekeepers in Sussex, so I put up a simple forum to which everyone in the area is welcome...