The Northern Echo’s 'Put in a Pound for Poverty' campaign has been nominated for a ‘Making a Difference’ award.
The nomination coincides with Journalism Matters Week, which highlights and celebrates the role played by local communities across the UK and champions the value of high-quality trusted local journalism. The week-long campaign runs from October 30 - November 5.
To celebrate the power of local newspapers to campaign for positive change in the communities they serve, the Making a Difference award invites members of the public to vote for their favourite local newspaper campaign from the past year during Journalism Matters week, the NMA’s campaign to highlight the immense value local journalism creates for our society.
Late last year, the Northern Echo highlighted serious issues concerning poverty in Northeast England. Figures revealed that almost 38% of children in the region lived below the poverty line and there was an unprecedented demand for foodbanks and support, so we launched our ‘Put in a Pound for Poverty’ campaign to support our local communities and readers who were facing huge financial crises.
The Northern Echo’s readers were encouraged to donate £1 towards a £5,000 goal. The support of the County Durham Community Foundation ensured that all donations would be made to the individuals and families who had been hit the hardest.
The Echo’s readers helped the campaign hit the £5,000 target in just a few weeks and funds have benefitted several projects across the region with the aim to tackle poverty and help numerous individuals and families across the community.
Our readers were fundamental in the phenomenal success of our campaign, and they can’t be thanked enough and now the Northern Echo is calling upon them once more.
Voting is now open for the Making a Difference award, and we need our readers to show us support and vote for the Northern Echo’s campaign.
If you are able to do so, please visit newsmediauk.org/makingadifference and vote for the ‘Put in a Pound for Poverty’ campaign.
Voting closes at 5pm on Wednesday, November 1 with the local and national winners of the online public vote announced later in the week.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here