Heart of the community

AS YOUR local newspaper, we bring you the news that is close to home and relevant to your daily life.

All our reporters live in the community so we understand your concerns, and encounter the same issues as you on a day-to-day basis.

We travel on the same roads and trains, live with the same risk of crime and go to the same doctors and hospitals when we're ill.

This means that we are able to identify the real community issues and fight your corner.

Our campaigns such as It's Your Call, which aims to help crackdown on anti-social behaviour, our work to help combat car crime, and the drugs hotline have played a part in helping to reduce crime levels.

Through our pages we have helped to raise nearly £700,000 for the Swindon Cancer Appeal, organised a benefit gig and auction for survivors of the Asian tsunami and even helped reunite readers with their lost pets.

In the last 12 months we have brought you the biggest stories first. These have included in depth reports into the Mick Love murder investigation, an emotional account of car crash victim Michael McCann's fight for fitness, the tragedy of RAF Lyneham's Hercules crash which killed 10 servicemen, and Swindon Town Football Club's bid for a new stadium.

Through the seasons there have been stories about floods, soaring temperatures and snow, as well as more light-hearted tales, such as the cow which gave birth to triplets and a Dalmatian which has had a litter of 14 puppies twice. Not only do we cover the stories that matter, we cover them in a responsible way. Since we are writing about local people for local people, it is even more important that we are objective, sympathetic and reasonable.

Advertiser editor Mark Waldron said: "It is this close relationship with the community that make local newspapers like ours the most trusted form of media.

"Research has shown that the regional press gets closer to the lives of their readers than other media, and that readers feel that their local paper understands their needs and lifestyle.

"You can trust the Adver because you know that we are on the same side. Together we can ensure that the newspaper remains a strong voice in the community, able to stand up for local people and ensure that your needs are recognised by those in power."

The theme for this year's Local Newspaper Week -organised by the Newspaper Society - is Closer to Home, highlighting the way we bring news to our readers which is relevant to their lives.

The week is designed to celebrate the success of local papers.

Prime Minister Tony Blair praised the work of regional media.

"Local newspapers have a crucial role in maintaining and building strong communities," he said.

"By informing their readers and campaigning on their behalf, they are a vital part of a healthy democracy and a vital part of national life."

How we help to make a difference

HARD-hitting campaigns in the Adver have been making a difference in the town.

In February we threw our weight behind the It's Your Call hotline, which encourages people to report yobs and antisocial behaviour in their neighbourhood.

This was followed by a series of special reports looking at all aspects of antisocial behaviour and how residents could help police combat it.

Freshbrook and Highworth are just two communities which have benefited, and police have praised the campaign and its results.

Our Swindon Drugs Hotline will celebrate its second birthday next month.

There have been hundreds of drug-related arrests and seizures of illegal substances since the line opened.

Although there are no exact figures, police said a significant proportion of the arrests are a direct result of information to the hotline.

Det Sgt Watkins said: "Sometimes the hotline can be quiet, but at other times, such as when an article appears in the Evening Advertiser which highlights the drug menace, we can have several calls close together."

And a poster campaign in during the Halloween period last year helped stop trick or treaters from knocking on the doors of elderly residents.

Sgt Richard Moorhouse, of Swindon police, thanked us for driving home the message of having fun but not at the expense of others.

He said: "The poster campaign helped to prevent some of the problems that we usually see on Halloween night."

We also teamed up with Swindon police to launch Our Clear Your Car campaign in the autumn in an attempt to make life harder for smash-and-grab thieves.

It encourages drivers to remove all valuable belongings out of sight and away from the clutches of thieves.

Police in Swindon, who saw a decrease in crime and an increase in the detection rate last year, praised positive publicity such as the car crime campaign.

Raising cash to reuniting pets

WE have helped put smiles on faces through our fundraising campaigns.

One of our biggest is the Macmillan Cancer Appeal.

With your support we were able to hit the £600,0 00 target in March a year ahead of schedule. And because of its success, the appeal has been extend with a new goal of £1 million. So far the campaign has raised almost £700,000.

Graziella Campisano, Swindon Cancer Appeal manager, said in March: "The Evening Advertiser has been and continues to be a constant pillar of support for the past two years, and I was delighted when the new editor agreed to continue supporting our cause."

Following the Boxing Day tsunami we launched an appeal for survivors of the disaster and raised nearly £7,000.

The total, £6,860, was raised through a concert, auction, a special supplement and individual donations.

We organised a gig at the Goddard Arms Hotel, which was a sell out, saw the cream of local bands giving their time and talents for free. Thanks to our intervention many sad tales have had a happy ending.

We have also been reuniting lost pets with their owners.

Cats, dogs, parrots and tortoises who have strayed from home have been located again thanks to the Adver.

People often contact us asking for help to find their missing pet and by featuring pictures and descriptions of the animal many have been found.

We have arranged nice surprises for people, such as when Charlotte Brewer, 13, who nearly died as a baby, met her Swindon Town idol Sammy Igoe and when we arranged for Swindon mum-in-a-million Karen Coulthard to meet her hero David Soul. And we have brought people together such as Isabella Anne Comas from in Texas and Sheila Rouse of Pinehurst, who were reunited after 49 years.

Come and meet our Adver team

IF you have a story to tell and want to see it in the paper, come down and meet our reporters every day this week.

Our award-winning team will be at the Brunel Centre until Friday so go down and give them your scoop.

Alfie the Advertiser Alligator will also be doing the rounds, handing out goodies to our younger readers.

The meet and greet event has been organised to mark Local Newspaper Week, which runs until May 22 and celebrates the healthy state of the regional press.

This success is enjoyed by the Adver which is read by more than 63,500 people every day.

Editor Mark Waldron said: "Our reporters want to hear your stories. It's an excellent chance for you to get something off your chest and into your local paper.

"Local Newspaper Week is a chance to make a song and dance about the healthy state of the regional press and we would like as many of our readers as possible to come down and celebrate this success with us."

You can meet these reporters and columnists between noon and 2pm:

Today: columnist Victoria Tagg and reporter Ben Payne.

Tomorrow: columnist Barrie Hudson and reporter Tamash Lal.

Wednesday: columnist Shirley Mathias and health reporter Kevin Shoesmith.

Thursday: columnist Michelle Tompkins and reporter Gareth Bethell.

Friday: columnist Tom Morton, sports writer Jon Ritson and political reporter Isabel Field.

Meanwhile, Alfie, our lovable Adver mascot will be in the Brunel Centre at the following times this week: Today - 9-11am; Tomorrow - 2-4pm; Wednesday 9.30-11.30am; Thursday 2-4pm and Friday 9.30-11.30am