Messenger funding comes to an end

Story: Burngreave Messenger Trustees – Fran Belbin, Michelle Cook, Tim Neal, Douglas Johnson, Abtisam Mohammed and Richard Belbin

After 15 brilliant years and so much contribution from so many people, the Messenger’s current funding has come to an end and there will be no December edition.

The Burngreave Messenger’s National Lottery funding comes to an end in October. After this edition, the three paid staff – Lisa Swift, Julia Shergold and Jamie Marriott – will sadly be made redundant. However, this is not the end of the Messenger project. We want it to continue in some form. But it all depends on what the community wants to do.

Can you help?

We want to think afresh how we can work as volunteers and how we can continue the work of a community organisation from our base in Abbeyfield Park House. In the long run, we want to find more funding. In the meantime, a lot can be done with the resources we still have. Burngreave is now a different place from what it was in 1999 when the Messenger started. But it is still an area that needs its community newspaper.

We now want to find out how you can help to keep the project going. We need people to help organise the project. Can you or your business help with money? Can you offer some time? Do you have any other skills which could help?

Please contact us at the office on 0114 242 0564 or at mail@burngreavemessenger.org.

The Messenger trustees will hold an Annual General Meeting at 11am on Saturday 15th November, at Abbeyfield Park House. We invite you to come and help decide the future of the Messenger – with lunch of course.

Finally, the management committee want to thank all the volunteers, partners, distributors and advertisers who have all made the Messenger what it is. We especially want to thank staff past and present for everything they have put into it.