You will now have seen several articles celebrating the first 10 years of Rye News. It is a great milestone, showing that there still is a demand for a quality local newspaper in communities such as Rye. Strong local communities are, once again, seen as a vital element in the living and working environment of a diverse town such as ours. Be it food banks or business groups, swimming pools or social housing, culture or sport, local engagement and enthusiasm are making things happen – to the benefit of us all.
However we also need to talk about what we do and what we need to do – and it is here that a publication like Rye News plays a crucial role. Raising issues, shining a spotlight on what is happening, encouraging debate and celebrating successes are integral parts of developing and maintaining a strong community.
At Rye News this is what we are trying to do and it seems to be appreciated. Not only do we have high readership levels but many of you also choose to support the paper financially. While we have benefited from one off grants from the likes of the National Lottery and Sussex Community Fund for major infrastructure projects it is YOU who have kept us going on a day-to-day basis. A continuous flow of individual contributions cover our running costs, and allow our voluntary contributor team to bring you 20-25 articles every week. Whether our donors are one-off contributors or making regular donations, it all adds up to us being able to maintain and develop your paper to reflect the changing environment we live in.
Most of our expenditure revolves around our publishing system, something that we plan to invest in significantly to ensure we can continue to produce a quality newspaper. In terms of funding, you will also see some limited advertising and promotional initiatives, designed specifically to support local needs.
While our readership supports us by reading the paper, submitting stories, sharing events and commenting on what they see, our donors provide us with financial security and allow us to invest for the future.
So thank you for supporting us over 10 years, and a very special thank you to those of you who continue to support us financially and allow us to continue our ambition to be an essential element of a strong and vibrant community in Rye and the surrounding area.
Looking forward to the next 10 years… !!!
Peter Connock, chairman Rye News
Image Credits: pix4free/Nick Youngson/ http://www.nyphotographic.com/ https://pix4free.org/photo/37929/thank-you-for-your-support.html https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/.