Terms

Aims and 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 the 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 organisations .
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.

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 telephone the Editor before sending it.

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

Publications Policy

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.
• Te 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 of 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 inb 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 te 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.

Policy on 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 properly 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. (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 on the magazine. Further information is available from the Editor.

Policy on political Items

TWS has a tradition of neutrality in matters of party political content or comment.
Sometimes this can be a difficult path to tread and these guidelines are intended to help.

We welcome contributions from Parish Councils, District Councils and County Councils and councilors which inform the community about local matters and how councils are managing these

TWS can publish material which advertises Parish, District and County Council services and community events which are not of a party political character. TWS can publish material which invites local people to participate in consultations and surveys. Examples would include significant planning applications (not domestic properties) and consultations inviting views about the plans of councils.

However,

1. TWS will not publish material which promotes any political party or political group.
2. TWS will not publish material which carries political party emblems or party names.
3. TWS will not publish material from candidates standing in any elections.
4. TWS will not publish material which advertises or advocates political policies or political opinions.
   Final judgments on what TWS will publish is subject to editorial decision, informed by consultation with the executive committee.

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 and Treasurer
[email protected]
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.