The Messenger started in 1999, funded on a shoestring with a couple of black and white editions per year. The Messenger as we know it started in 2000 with the beginning of the New Deal for Communities project.
Negative publicity
The early consultations for New Deal showed that the poor image of Burngreave and negative publicity around the area were a major concern for residents. The Messenger aimed to address this: building our self-confidence as a community, telling it how it is, but celebrating all that’s good about Burngreave/Pitsmoor.
We aimed to aid communication in our diverse community and to do away with fear and ignorance as we share what we have to offer with each other.
Rollercoaster
The Messenger has followed the rollercoaster of the New Deal programme, from the initial high expectations and massive community involvement through to charting the later successes and disappointments. We’ve also done our best to support local businesses; to inform people about jobs and what’s going on in the area. We’ve tried to help people challenge poor services and get a better deal for Burngreave.
Quality of life
Feedback has always showed that, while we don’t always get it right, residents really value having a community magazine. A survey by the pollsters MORI a couple of years ago showed a high percentage of residents were aware of the Messenger, with many saying that it improved quality of life in Burngreave a fair amount or a great deal.
In addition, the Messenger has a following far beyond the boundaries of Burngreave, with readers in Ireland, South Africa, Hungary and Australia. The website gets hits from all over the world, from Alaska to Palestine. Gordon Lawton, a regular reader from Renmark, South Australia, said:
“Although I have spent most of my life in Australia, I still have affection for my place of birth. I enjoy reading the Messenger online as it keeps me updated on what is happening in Burngreave.”
Reduced staffing
The Messenger faces reduced funding as New Deal’s financial support starts winding up and projects are encouraged to seek other funding. Sadly this means staff reductions and, after this edition, we say goodbye to our star reporter, Rob Smith and stalwart designer and IT worker, Paul. We hope Rob and Paul will stay with us as volunteers.
The new project will see six rather than ten editions per year, as we devote time to fundraising and supporting volunteers in helping with more of the important Messenger tasks.
Website – get involved!
A key part of the new project will be development of the website, which has dedicated funding from the Community Media Association and Awards for All.
Any of our volunteers and staff will be able to update it without the need for web design skills, and we are planning to make it a centre for breaking local news, events, stories, photos, creative writing and opinions, with material we can’t squeeze into the print edition.
If you’d like to get involved with the website, please ring 0114 242 0564 or see our get involved section.
The Messenger has always believed that the regeneration of Burngreave is about more than just buildings and public services, but about how our community feels about itself. We hope you feel that the hard work involved in producing a community magazine has been worthwhile and that, if the New Deal Board support the new project, you’ll also continue to support the Messenger, either by volunteering or simply reading about what our rich community has to offer.