Awards night and trips to number 10 and 'people-powered' media

I probably don't say this often enough - but thanks so much for your ongoing support of community led media in West Leeds, it means such a lot to us. We really wouldn't be able to do without 'people power' behind us in the form of our supporters and our volunteers.

It's also true that we probably don't blow our own trumpet enough here at the Dispatch. But in the past month we've had a couple of reasons to do that.

Firstly our print edition was commended at the prestigious Newspaper Awards in London's South Bank. We beat off over 30 entries to be 'commended' in the Independent Community Newspaper of the Year category - congrats to Peckham Peculiar for picking up the gong.

It was lovely to receive recognition for the work of our wonderful community reporters and volunteer-led board. The judges said: “A fantastic community-led publisher that’s grown… in the seven years since launch and has empowered local people with a voice.”

And it was lovely to join the ‘big boys’ such as the Guardian, Financial Times, Daily Telegraph etc at the Hilton Bankside. It was certainly very posh! My write up is here (Abre numa nova janela), if you missed it.

It seems like that no sooner were we back from London thatn we were heading down there again. I was invited last week to a Local Media Champions reception hosted - no less - at number 10 Downing Street and by the Secretary of State for Media, Lucy Frazer MP.

Again, it was great to receive some recognition on a national stage, and I used the opportunity to network and to lobby MPs over the need for more government support for independent titles like ours. Frazer used her speech to thank all the news providers for doing their job in challenging circumstances, which have seen a number of local titles close down. My write up from the reception can be found here (Abre numa nova janela).

And I must admit it was a thrill to go through number 10's door! Inside was also very grand, although I must admit I'm more at home in our community newsroom in Bramley than I am rubbing shoulders in Downing Street.

Our work training up community reporters was also mentioned in the launch of Project Oasis, (Abre numa nova janela) a research study of more than 500 European media organisations from 14 different countries. It was a lovely (and a bit of a shock) to see a slide featuring a group photo of our lovely community reporters at New Wortley Community Centre come up on the screen for people across Europe to see. It's a good job we're a good-looking bunch!

While we've been receiving some recognition both nationally and internationally, our focus is very much on communities in West Leeds.

We've been busy putting together our annual local election guides featuring candidate statements, following the saga of the Rodley bridge with interest (is there no end in sight?) and we're starting to put together the next issue of our award-nominated and commended printed newspaper.

Busy times - but none of it would be possible without your ongoing support. Thank you.

• John Baron, editor