Happy Birthday Huyton Today

As we prepare this edition of Huyton Today the editorial team are conscious that it is now five years since we first went to press! Although many names and faces have come and gone, the paper, hopefully remains the same in spirit.

For the last five years we have tried, along with our dedicated teams of pupil reporters, to reflect all that is good, positive and forward thinking about Huyton. We like to think we have succeeded in our quest to be a ‘good news’ paper and, as we look back through our archived editions, dating back to edition one, November 1997, many stories spring to mind.

Reporters chatted to New Deal minister Andrew Smith at Aintree Racecourse, one of only two interviews to newspapers that the minister made on his hectic visit to the region. Our video conference link with Jaguar Chairman Nick Scheele hit the front page of the Liverpool Echo, and we were subsequently able to visit the Jaguar plant at Halewood to talk about the exciting new ‘Baby Jag’ before production began. Interviews with local fire service personnel and the community police officers have been a regular feature.

Throughout the last five years hundreds of pupils have benefited at school from the project both in terms of the curriculum element and the opportunities for reporters. Some, like ex-pupil Mark Blackman, have taken their interest in media further. Click here to read the full interview.

Past interviews have included a range of local writers, including Alan Bleasedale and Levi Tafari plus many local dignitaries including the last two mayors of Knowsley and Knowsley Council’s Chief Executive Steve Gallagher. Phil Redmond has also been interviewed along with local celebrities from KCR radio.Plus One Challenge Manager John Flaherty, Steve Munby, Knowsley’s Director of Education and Lifelong Learning, author Malorie Blackman, cosmonauts Aleksandr Volkov and Alexander Martynov, Liverpool player Emile Heskey, Big Brother star Craig Phillips and many many more have all graced our pages, hopefully giving our readers some interesting and worthwhile stories to follow.

Pupils past and present have thoroughly enjoyed getting the news and bringing it to you. Unfortunately, our funding runs out this year, and we are exploring many ways to keep the paper alive. Local businesses have been a help to us, plus the Knowsley Council’s Environmental division with sponsorship and advertising. Any local business wishing to secure advertising space or looking to sponsor an edition in the future would be welcomed. Please contact the Newsroom on 0151 482 1480 if you think you can offer sponsorship.