Traders earning their living from council-run markets, young people getting a flavour of the democratic process through a successful Youth Forum and great-grandmothers making the most of free travel have all become stars of St Edmundsbury’s community magazine.
The borough council has turned the focus solely on the people who benefit from its services in the innovative December edition of its corporate magazine, Community Spirit. Every story in the 12-page publication has been written from the customers’ point of view, featuring real people who have directly benefited from the wide range of services offered by the council.
The featured stories include:
- disabled people who have benefited from grants to help them stay in their own homes;
- young people who realise the importance of voting after getting jobs as canvassers;
- residents who have benefited after their noisy neighbours’ music equipment was seized by environmental health;
- families who are now able to recycle more due to the council’s three-bin system;
- people who have used the expertise of building control to self-build an extension;
- job-hunters who have been given a lifeline by the benefits department while they find new employment.
December’s magazine also includes a four-page pull-out giving details of an election awareness campaign St Edmundsbury is running to encourage potential candidates to stand in May. Produced under the branding ‘be the voice of your community,’ leaflet versions of the pull-out and posters will be sent to every parish council in the borough. Job packs, full of information about the democratic process, the role of councillors and the benefits of becoming an elected representative, will also be available.
ENDS
Note to editors: Community Spirit is distributed to 45,000 homes throughout the borough and is produced quarterly.
ISSUED BY LIZ HEARNSHAW, COMMUNICATIONS UNIT, ST EDMUNDSBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL. Tel 01284 757033. liz.hearnshaw@stedsbc.gov.uk
