ContactUs

Please include your name, address and telephone number, even if they are not to be printed: we don’t accept anonymous items. If you need help or advice with your entry, please do telephone before sending it.

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Contact for The Witham Staple (website)

Web Editor: David Wood (david@withamstaple.com)

When contacting the web editor please do so if possible by e-mail to info@withamstaple.com. If this is not possible then contact by telephoning 788865. Please include your name, address, e-mail address and telephone number, even if they are not to be included in material to be placed on the web site. Like the printed magazine we do not accept anonymous items and wish to verify the source of material and information to be used.

The Witham Staple editor will retain the final say over if and how contentious items may be published on the website.

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Guidelines for Articles and Letters

Letter from the Chairman March 2011

The Witham Staple is keen to encourage individuals to contribute articles of local community interest. In order that this is done within an acceptable framework The Witham Staple Committee has agreed the following guidelines for articles and letters:

• Articles and letters should not attack another body or organisation. Such issues are better addressed directly with the individual organisation concerned rather than using The Witham Staple as a vehicle to bring grievances into the public domain.

• Articles and letters should not be offensive to any other party or seek to score a point in public at the expense of another party.

• The name and address of authors must be given in full. In extreme cases only and at the discretion of the editor, publication of the author’s name and address may be withheld.

• If an item is contentious the Editor retains the right to delay publication in order to seek advice or alternative views.

• The Editor's decision is final. The Witham Staple Committee will offer advice when requested by the Editor.

Opinions expressed in articles and letters which are not authored by the Editor or The Witham Staple Committee do not necessarily express the opinions of the Editor or The Witham Staple Committee. Where necessary the Editor may restate this in conjunction with specific articles that are published because they possibly reflect only minority opinions held within the community. The above guidelines should help to ensure that The Witham Staple is able to publish articles and information that reflect the wide range of views and opinions held within our community through a sensitive and structured framework. Finally this is your magazine and if you wish to voice your opinion, I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at the AGM on 10th May.

Mike Allport, Chairman

[WS May 2011]

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Publicity Flyers

The implementation of the policy on flyers is one where we would especially seek the co-operation of the community. The policy states that a flyer should not be accepted to reinforce copy that is already carried in the magazine, nor as an alternative to including copy in the magazine. Exceptionally, flyers can be carried but only with the prior agreement of the Editor. (Village Information sheets are a good example of the kind of flyer that can property be distributed with the magazine.) Whilst we understand the reasons why groups might wish to have a flyer distributed with The Witham Staple, to do so on an ad-hoc basis would undermine the very purpose of the magazine. [WS June 2002]

The policy of The Witham Staple Committee is that only exceptionally will flyers be distributed with copies of the magazine. Flyers will not be accepted merely to reinforce or as an alternative to copy which has been or could have been carried normally in the magazine. Further information is available from the Editor. [WS Sep 2001]

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Delivery of Magazine - Problems?

Very occasionally, there can be ‘a problem in the pipeline’ with the result that some households do not receive their copy of The Witham Staple. All readers should have their copy of the magazine by the first day of the month (you may get yours a day or two early, because volunteer distributors do, of course, choose a time to suit themselves.)

If your copy hasn’t arrived by the first of the month, please contact your local distributor in the first instance, or telephone the Distribution Co-ordinator, David Wood (Tel: 788865). The Committee would always wish to ensure that the magazine is delivered every month to all households in our area.

If you can help with delivering, perhaps to just the group of houses near you, we’d be very pleased to hear from you. Please do get in touch with David Wood if you can help; and remember, The Witham Staple depends entirely on a whole group of people, each prepared, voluntarily, to ‘do their bit’.

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Aims & Objectives

The Witham Staple is designed to serve the needs of the community and to be accountable to the community. Its main purpose is to provide a vehicle for the communication of all local events and activities, and to promote the local community through articles of interest. In discharging these responsibilities, the Witham Staple committee has agreed a number of policies. These provide a framework within which decisions can be made and which help to make the management of the magazine both effective and efficient. Currently, our policies cover all areas of operation, including he size, balance and content of the magazine; finances; distribution; and the inclusion of flyers.

The aims and objectives of The Witham Staple are stated clearly in two clauses of its constitution as follows:

Clause 2.1. Aims

a. To provide an effective means of regular communication to all residents of the villages of Aubourn, Bassingham, Carlton le Moorland, Haddington, Norton Disney, Stapleford, Thurlby and Witham St Hugh's with the proviso that demographic changes may result in alterations to the circulation.

b. To serve the mass communication needs within the said villages for individuals and for locally based groups and organizations;

c. To achieve and maintain the highest standards in respect of content, editorial control, typesetting, printing, production and delivery of the magazine as is consonant with the non-commercial nature of the enterprise;

d. To promote and help develop a sense of community and social cohesion within and between these villages;

e. To involve as wide a group of local people to serve the production and distribution needs of The Witham Staple, all giving their time and skills on a voluntary basis and without remuneration;

Clause 2.2. Objectives

a. To produce a magazine free of charge and delivered to every household in these villages by the first day of the relevant month;

b. To produce ten editions a year: one each month, except that the edition for July shall also cover August, that for December shall also cover January;

c. To carry material which is relevant to and likely to be of interest to the generality of local residents (or to a reasonable group of residents);

d. To seek first and foremost to generate copy from individuals and organisations within these villages;

e. To generate adequate income to meet the running costs of the magazine, chiefly from carrying local commercial advertisements;

f. To ensure the highest standards in all aspects of the production and delivery of the magazine through the acquisition of appropriate equipment and materials, and the recruitment of individuals whose experience and skills are likely to contribute to this end;

g. To seek, through the material carried, to reflect the local community back to itself, to celebrate the positive aspects of local life and activity while maintaining, through editorial judgement, an appropriate level of impartiality and objectivity.

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Web Publication Policy

The web editor will avoid posting material on this website that is either:

illegal, offensive, obscene, malicious, libellous, factually incorrect, or anonamous.

We would appreciate it if all contributors to the site would aim to maintain high standards.

The Witham Staple Editor and Web Editor reserve the right to decline posting to the web site any material that they believe is unsuitable for the web site.

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Advertisements in The Witham Staple & on this website

Advertising Policy

We do hope you find The Witham Staple to be interesting and informative and a well balanced mixture of editorial and advertising.

We try to support local businesses and local residents with their advertising needs and we give them priority over other advertisers. You will note that in this edition and the next four we have quite a few new advertisers. We wish them every success and sincerely hope that the advertising in The Witham Staple helps attract new customers for them.

If you are starting a new business or if you think your existing operation would benefit from good local advertising, do get in touch with me.

Julie Burrows Advertising Manager & Treasurer

adverts@withamstaple.com

Disclaimer 1 - reliability of advertisers:

Whereas care is taken to ascertain that advertisers in The Witham Staple and on this website are bona fide, readers are strongly advised to take their own precautions before entering into any agreement to obtain services or goods. We are unable to verify quality of materials, goods or services provided by advertisers.

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Advertisement Charges

For business advertisement availability contact:

Julie Burrows (Tel: 788576) adverts@withamstaple.com

Charges from November 2009 are:

£50 for a sixth-page and £56 for a quarter-page for a six month period.

Local trade advertisers can have an entry on the "Local Traders" page of this site. For a website listing on the "Local Traders" page advertisers should be located within or close to our community and pay a small monthly fee of £6 for a six month period.

For small non-commercial advertisements offering items for sale contact the Editor.

All information notices of a non-commercial or trading nature are carried free of charge in the magazine and on this website.

The Witham Staple Editor and Advertising Manager reserve the right to decline posting to the web site any advertisement that they believe is unsuitable for the web site.

Disclaimer 2 - opinions expressed by advertisers (commercial and non-commercial):

The opinions expressed by advertisers and in notices drafted by third-parties and published by The Witham Staple and this website do not necessarily reflect those of The Witham Staple editorial team.

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Publications Policy for Your Contributions?

To remind you that we are always pleased to receive items for inclusion in The Witham Staple magazine or website. Of course, they need to be your own work and of general interest to the readers of the magazine. It may be that you have an interesting or amusing episode arising from your personal experience; or perhaps an enthusiasm you wish to share; or a piece of verse.

In the magazine we don’t have unlimited space, so as a rough guide, you shouldn’t exceed 300 words. Space is less of a problem on the website. If you need help or advice with your entry, please do telephone the Editor before sending it.

Please include your name, address and telephone number: we don’t accept anonymous items.

Publications Policy

• Articles and letters should not be offensive to any other party or seek to score a point in public at the expense of another party.

• The name and address of authors must be given in full. In extreme cases only and at the discretion of the editor, publication of the author’s name and address may be withheld.

• If an item is contentious the Editor retains the right to delay publication in order to seek advice or alternative views.

• The Editor's decision is final. The Witham Staple Committee will offer advice when requested by the Editor.

Mike Allport, Chairman (March 2011)

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All Local Groups And Clubs

Do you think that it’s always clear to The Witham Staple readers what your group is and what it does? New residents tell us they are sometimes not quite sure what a particular group does or exactly what an event entails. For example, do we necessarily know, if we haven’t always lived here, what Bassingham Show actually is? or the difference between Pre-School. Toddlers Group and Playgroup? Most groups and events are probably obvious and one way of getting to know what’s what is, of course, to ask somebody! Nevertheless, if you think your activity could do with an explanation once in a While, do add a couple of lines to the details of one of your events. Give the Editor a ring or e-mail the web site if you’re not sure.

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The Witham Staple Questionnaire - What do you want to see in it?

To give us a better idea of what you like to find in the pages of The Witham Staple, please let us know what you like and do not like to read from the following list of regular or occasional features in the printed magazine:

Calendar of local events

Parish Council Reports

Church & Chapel Services

Rector’s/Minister’s message

Thank You page

Letters to the Editor

Trade and Business adverts

Small ads (for sale, wanted etc)...

Crossword

In Your Garden

This Month’s Recipe

Articles (countryside etc)

Poems

Would you like to see any other type of feature? If so please let us know!

Please contact The Editor with your answers and suggestions. Thank you for your help

[WS Oct 2004]

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Annual General Meeting

The annual general meeting [usually held in April or May] is open to everyone. The committee would be very pleased to see anyone interested in finding out more about how the magazine is produced or who would like to be involved in the monthly process. There is quite a sizeable team of people, from all eight villages, who each month between them produce, print, collate, staple and deliver well over a thousand copies to every household in the community. Come and join us if you're interested!

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Witham Staple Web Editor can be contacted by e-mail: info@withamstaple.com