Local Newspaper Week: We’re proud our work makes a difference

This week, local newspapers across the UK are taking part in Local Newspaper Week, highlighting the importance of trusted journalism.

The Shropshire Star is proud of the role it plays and here are six reasons why.

1: Campaigning for change:

The Shropshire Star can provide a platform for change. We launched our Dual It campaign last year, calling on the government to dual the 18-mile-length of the A5, from the northern end of the Shrewsbury bypass, through the county to the Welsh border. Positive talks were held between politicians on both sides of the Shropshire and Mid Wales border earlier this year.

The talks, involving officials from Highways England and Midlands Connect, focused on dualling the A5 and building a bypass around Pant and Llanymynech.And last week North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson vowed to make improving main roads in the region a priority as he prepared to return to work.

He said he remains determined to see improvements to the A483 and A5 around Oswestry.

We previously launched a major campaign demanding a Fair Deal for Farmers, highlighting the importance of agriculture to our region and the businesses that promote it. We have also succeeded in setting up a direct rail link to London and also brought on quicker access to broadband for rural communities in the region.

2: Tackling top issues:

Few subjects have sparked as much controversy as Future Fit and the proposed shake-up of hospital care in the county. We have kept our readers up to date with every development, dissecting the detail and exploring every angle of the debate, while remaining impartial and holding both NHS leaders and politicians to account.

Another important topic generating a lot of interest has been the issue of child sexual exploitation in Telford.

While this has brought national headlines this year, it is an issue that the Star has been covering for several years. We have taken a deliberately considered approach, speaking to the families of the victims, covering meetings and protest marches but, above all, giving the facts needed for an informed debate moving forward.

The Shropshire Star has also taken the case for Shropshire to Britain’s political leaders, including Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn and Vince Cable.

Our hard-hitting interviews with the people in power ensure that this wonderful county continues to have a strong voice in Westminster.

3: Sport:

Through our comprehensive coverage of Shrewsbury Town, AFC Telford and The New Saints, we follow the fortunes of our football teams through thick and thin, as well as Wolves, Villa and Albion.

We also offer unrivalled coverage of Telford Tigers ice hockey and Shropshire County Cricket Club. The Shrews will be aiming to make history next weekend when they travel to Wembley with a place in the Championship in their sights. We will be with the team and fans all the way, with unrivalled coverage both online and in-paper.

But we also recognise that sport is not just about the big names, but also about the hundreds of dedicated men and women who participate in sporting activity every week.

It is why We also provided detailed reporting on grassroots sports, which are scarcely covered elsewhere.

4: Christmas Toy Appeal:

Sick, disabled, deprived or vulnerable youngsters across Shropshire and Mid Wales have been cheered up thanks to this appeal and the huge generosity of readers.

Over the past three years, we have worked with our partners at Storage King in Shrewsbury to distribute more than 2,500 gifts to youngsters suffering from illness, disability or deprivation.

Last year, about 700 toys, books, games and other gifts were handed over to five children’s groups as the Toy Appeal came to a conclusion.

Representatives of The Movement Centre and Hope House Children’s Hospice, both near Oswestry, The Harry Johnson Trust which supports children with cancer, and the children’s ward at Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital, all collected their toys.

A further consignment was delivered to Telford & Wrekin Council, which was shared out among youngsters who receive support from its children’s services department.

5:The Great Big Thank You Awards:

The awards are our way of rewarding those people and groups across the region who go the extra mile to make our communities special.

They celebrate those who have helped to promote the region, have helped to support others people or have been committed to raising money for a particular cause. Among others, there are also awards for bravery, volunteers and grandparent of the year.

The deadline to nominate someone special for this year’s awards has passed.

People will be able to vote for those they think deserve to win and the chosen winners will be invited to an awards event in the autumn.

6: Cash For Your Community:

Since its launch in 2015, the Shropshire Star and our partners at Enterprise Flex-E-Rent have distributed £60,000 to good causes across the area, with another £20,000 up for grabs this year.

There are 35 groups this year that have been selected to receive a share of the prize fund. The finale of the £20,000 giveaway will come at a presentation at Shrewsbury Town’s stadium in June.

In the past, the money has been used to provide day care for the elderly, provide support for children with cancer, and pay for ground-breaking therapies for children with conditions such as cerebral palsy.

In addition to this, we have given out dozens of grants to sports clubs, youth organisations and community groups.

As well as the financial support, Cash For Your Community has played a crucial role in raising the profile of many of these groups which do not always get the recognition they deserve.