We Love The News: Letter writer Pat celebrates The News' community pages

Loyal reader Pat, from Southsea, has been reading The News for 50 years – and there’s not much about Portsmouth that gets past her.

Married Pat, a mum-of-two and grandmother, is also just as active in the community as she is on her keyboard, volunteering for the John Pounds Church in Old Portsmouth, taking over responsibility for the garden this summer, as well as helping with other projects.

SEE ALSO: The News launches its We Love The News campaign to promote the value of buying a newspaper

Pat said throughout her time in the city, she has enjoyed reading and writing to The News.

Pat said: ‘My parents moved to Emsworth in 1971, that’s when I first came across The News and now, almost frighteningly, 50 years on, I still feel the desire to communicate to the community views pages.

‘We live in changing times but I still like my paper copy of The News every day.’

Pat said she has seen first-hand the need for a local newspaper, especially since the coronavirus pandemic began.

‘Since the initial lockdown, there’s been a real need for a local paper,’ she said.

‘The News has been there to give daily information on Covid-19 but it’s also been there to highlight all of the good people and groups have been doing.’

But aside from the news pages, Pat finds herself drawn to the community pages – and she urged other people to get involved by writing in.

‘The community views page gives everyone an opportunity to communicate,’ she said.

‘You can exchange ideas and news, you can learn things, you can wonder how certain conversations ‘ake off and you can see that sometimes certain writers don’t actually read what other writers have written before they respond!

‘I have my favourite writers, who make me smile and there are others whom would do themselves a favour if they just took a little time before venting their spleens on their keyboards…

‘I’m also a great believer in saying thank you to people, showing them they’re noticed, showing them they matter, when sometimes people feel invisible.

‘These pages are an ideal way in which people can do this and I would encourage more to write about all of the good things that are being done by so many within our local community.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​’

We Love The News

The News has launched its We Love The News campaign to share some of the ways that our newspaper has touched the lives of our readers.

Whether that’s by being featured, or promoting a good cause, or uncovering some wrongdoing, or just simply landing on your doormat every day, there are many ways in which The News plays a part in our readers’ lives.

We hope to celebrate these stories - and by doing so remind everyone why buying a newspaper is such a wonderful thing to do.

If you would like to be featured, and shine a light on the ways The News has helped you, your cause, charity, campaign, or business, email [email protected]

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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