The Northern Echo
And in the last 12 months, we have continued to deliver in our mission and fine traditions. The Northern Echo’s campaign to tackle knife crime is already making a difference in communities across the North East. Already we have created partnerships between campaigning mums and St John Ambulance that will see visits to school children to warn of the real danger of knife crime and to teach young people how to treat a stab wound. The success of the Taskforce came to light during the Labour Party conference, when Yvette Cooper referenced her meeting with the knife crime mums, set up by our campaign as part of her keynote conference speech and reaffirmed her commitment to using this to implement new policy. We have been the leading voice in the North East during the Government’s handling of the RAAC crisis, highlighting the incompetence of their response and campaign hard for those children and their families impacted by the disruption to education. Our work on the crisis at an under fire mental health NHS Trust, which has seen a catalogue of failings and a number of preventable deaths, has seen us work with lawyers leading the investigating and build up the trust with grieving families allowing the truth to be uncovered about this ongoing scandal. Our ‘Put in a Pound’ campaign aiming to support charities facing unprecedented demand this winter due to the cost-of-living crisis has been nominated for national awards after smashing our fundraising target and helping countless families in the region – our readers – who need support with their food and heating. We marked International Women’s Day with a special edition celebrating inspiring women on our patch. We wanted to salute the fantastic achievements of the women in our region leading the way and inspiring future generations of politicians, business leaders, and stars of stage, screen and sport. But it is also an acknowledgement and statement that there is still much to be done before we reach a position of equity and equality. The controversy surrounding the ownership of the Teesworks site has been hugely toxic. Despite highly publicised theories on both sides of the argument, we were the first to report on concerns on the site. Our analysis on the questions the inquiry should answer was widely shared online and viewed by many experts as a basis for how the investigation should be structured. With all of the above, plus our hugely popular weekend Memories nostalgia supplement, our BUSINESSiQ Level Up brand which continues to expand, and our new "You Are My Boro" video streaming and podcast service, The Northern Echo continues to report on, campaign and fight for the North East in both print and digital.