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NEW HOPE: Former homeless addict Damien Gbingie whose story was featured in the new section

WHEN THE VOICE was launched in August 1982, its aim was to champion a marginalised black community and provide a public forum in which readers could express their opinions and concerns.

Readers have always been at the heart of what we do. Your loyalty has played a big part in the fact that The Voice will, this year, celebrate its 30th anniversary.

And that’s why we are renewing our commitment to you. We have launched a new community news section called Around Black Britain that will transform the way we gather news.

The new section allows you to contribute stories, opinion pieces, photos and video clips about what's going on in your community.

We know people are eager to share material with us and that’s why we’re inviting you to get in touch. It may be that you know of a local business success story that can inspire young people. Or an individual who has achieved against the odds. Or perhaps there’s a campaign you want to tell us about.

The material will be published in the newspaper and on our website, highlighting some of the valuable work that is being done by many people in the community and voluntary groups all over the UK.

REACHING OUT: Community News Editor Vic Motune

Community News Editor Vic Motune, who oversees Around Black Britain, said: “This is about reaching out to our readers and engaging with them directly. For example, we’ve already featured the work of the Queen Mother Moore School, in south London, who are aiming to become Britain’s first black state funded free school. And we’ve written about a Sheffield-based mental health organisation successfully fighting racism in the system.”

He added: “We’ve also featured the Trinity project, in west London, who have developed an innovative scheme to tackle homelessness in their black community. We’ve already featured the work of MAAT Probe in Sheffield, a group of black mental health service users who are tackling racism within the system and who have successfully pressured local health authorities into better respond to their needs.”

These are the sorts of empowering stories we want to hear about – ordinary folk who have dreamt up great solutions on a range of issues that disproportionately affect black and minority communities and have has the courage to act on them.”

The new section will allow us to get news and pictures we wouldn’t otherwise get, whether it’s a picture from a community group activity or meeting. We know that by listening to our audience we can add to the richness of the material we produce as well as letting them know that we’re serious we are about them.

PROFILE: The Voice’s Around Black Britain page recently highlighted the black run Queen Mother Moore school in London

Vic's on hand to help you write, advise you about photography and video and do editing. So if you have a story that you think is worth telling, please get in touch.

We are your Voice in the community.

Contact Community News Editor Vic Motune at vic.motune@gvmedia.co.uk
or call 020 7510 0340.