Two of the most important jobs a weekly newspaper has is to speak out for those who alone would struggle to be heard, or to get behind great causes that are important to the communities we serve.
This week is Local Newspaper Week, an annual initiative by the industry. And this year, under the title Making a Difference, the project highlights the power of local newspapers to campaign for positive change in the areas they circulate – in print, online and on social media.
As the Borders’ most widely-read weekly paper, we at The Southern pride ourselves on giving our communities a voice – telling your stories and using our influence to campaign for issues that matter to you, on your behalf, aiming to make a real difference to your lives.
One of our biggest campaigns was to help the fundraising efforts for The Margaret Kerr Unit at Borders General Hospital by supporting the fundraising team’s appeal for money, running regular updates on the cash raised and making sure that Borderers efforts did not go un-noticed – sharing stories and photographs about the lengths people went to to raise cash for this great cause.
And, a year after the appeal was launched, the palliative care unit, built for the people of the Borders, with the help of Borderers, opened its doors to patients.
Teamwork, that’s what makes things happen. And we couldn’t do it without you.