Source+Masthead+2007

HP16 The Source and The King's Church Prestwood 

 

HP16 The Source is a newspaper that seeks to cross boundaries, to make a positive and profound influence in the HP16 post code and the Great Missenden parish. It carries news and articles written by, and about, the local people and the things they do, aiming to promote community and create opportunities for everyone to celebrate the area in which they live. The team is headed up by Lead Elder of the King’s Church, Prestwood, Colin Veysey, who was involved in setting up the paper in 2007, and now edits and designs the paper with a team of local people. 

Copies of the 16 page full colour broadsheet newspaper are delivered to each of the 6000 homes, clubs, organisations and schools five time a year - free of charge. Feedback has shown that whilst national newspapers readership is falling, The Source is both read and valued by local people. A recent update to the Community Vision for HP16 gathered focus groups and found that over 90% of those present read The Source every time, and when occasionally a deliverer misses an address, residents have been know to request a copy. There are those in the area who have carefully kept their copy of one of the 60 issues.

Every issue of the paper can be viewed as a pdf on the www.hp16.org.uk website. The idea for the paper came from the findings of an area wide survey – a ‘Market Town health check’, when it was discovered that communication between the many small, and slightly bigger, villages was all but non-existent.
It was part of the foundational values of the paper report ‘good news’ and to keep advertising to a reasonable minimum of less than 25%, through which the funding for the paper would be raised. Since then, the success of the paper has led to successful bids for grants from the local parish council
The King’s Church, Prestwood is serving the community not only through the editor and designer, but also co-ordinating large parts of the delivery, in the proof reading and in writing articles.
 

Chris Shepherd, 24/07/2019