The Power Of Community & Localness

The Power Of Community & Localness

Local CommunityNothing is more important to us than the local communities that we serve. We believe in inclusion and accessibility for all. We want to see local businesses thriving and local people finding the help and information they need whether that’s for home improvements, general wellbeing or finding a great place to go out for a meal!

The power of being part of the local community is that we as individuals can help make where we live, work and play even better. A strong community is a force for positive interaction and change. We don’t want to see our high streets declining or elderly people feeling lonely. We don’t want to see our young people getting a bad press – again. There are so many positive things being done by fantastic people all around the local area so, at the Pioneer Magazine and Great Barr Gazette you will find positivity for our local community positively flowing!

I was recently asked “What problems do you solve for your readers?” That took me back to the reasons we launched our first magazine in Walsall in 2005. It was because we as a family didn’t know what was happening on our door-step and when we needed help of some kind, we didn’t know where to look.

Localness is paramount. For us localness means that what we publish on our website and in our magazines is relevant and accessible for local people. Accessibility leads to inclusion. If something is local, then our readers are more likely to find it useful and if it’s a local event our readers are more likely to be able to get to it.

Doing things locally and buying from local businesses is better for the environment, whether you are buying your vegetables or booking a plumber. And, fewer miles travelled means lower carbon emissions. But a blog on the environment is for another day!

Across our website our magazines you will see the many ways that we provide helpful information and do out bit for the benefit of our local community, much of which we do for free. However, the reason we can do so much community promotion is because of our advertisers. Through their local advertising and the excellent service, they provide they are also playing a huge role in supporting their local communities.

Whilst other publications have remained static or have folded altogether, we have continued to grow, and I firmly believe that it is our firm support of community beliefs and values for all who live and work here that has enabled this to happen.

Yours locally

Editor Great Barr Gazette