The Citizen Needs You!
Dear Local Citizen
I simply wanted to welcome you to The Chelsea Citizen, a dynamic new hyper-local newspaper which will be launching this spring.
The Citizen’s primary focus will be the SW3 & SW10 post codes, but it will also cover important stories and events in the neighbouring areas of Kensington, Battersea and Fulham. On occasion, it will even dip a polished Brioni toe cap into matters concerning Belgravia.
The newspaper’s content will be available online for free. It will report great local stories and work closely with the communities, RBKC, cultural organisations and businesses. The Citizen will also be a campaigning newspaper and a force for good.
This year will mark 40 years since I became a journalist on the weekly Wimbledon News (you can read about my career here and about my local campaigning here). I am throwing every bit of my hard-won journalism experience into re-imagining The Chelsea Citizen as a traditional local newspaper for the 21st century.
There will be news stories and features highlighting everything from council matters and planning disputes, to golden weddings, births and deaths, to restaurant reviews and cultural highlights, to big interviews and small diary events. We may even run a report if a cat gets stuck up a tree.
This year will also mark 30 years since I moved to Chelsea. I care very much about this area of London and I feel deeply connected to it. So, I now intend to combine my two great passions – journalism and Chelsea.
But I need YOU!
For this venture to succeed, it is important that The Citizen generates a keen and engaged readership. This will attract advertisers and sponsorship, which will help it grow and keep it free.
I believe that local journalism is a fundamental and vital part of any connected community. It is clear from the feedback I have received since announcing The Chelsea Citizen just before Christmas that the people of RBKC agree.
I am financing the initial build of the website and generating all the content, but I am also urgently and actively seeking funding from investors and philanthropic individuals, as well as reaching out to landmark local businesses to encourage them to become headline advertisers. If you have any suggestions for potential investors or sponsors, please get in touch.
I have been working hard on multiple stories recently to create some basic example content. This kind of reporting work will continue in the coming weeks, but the key is to secure funding. That way, I can retain other reporters to get writing. Plenty of stories and diary events for the borough will be flagged up on Instagram, so please Follow us.
I hope you will join me on this great adventure and, please, spread the word.
Best Wishes
Rob McGibbon
Founder & Editor