Pictured: Reporters say farewell to as the last edition of Huyton Today goes to press

It’s goodbye from us - and it’s goodbye from them!

It is with more than a little sadness that the staff and pupils of Knowsley Hey school say a final farewell to our readers in this, the 18th issue of our newspaper.

It is difficult to believe that six years ago the Newspaper Office here at school was emerging from the dust and rubble of a disused cloakroom adjacent to the girls’ toilets!

After hauling broken chairs and various pieces of mysteriously unclaimed and unusable equipment out of the room, contractors set to work with grim determination. That summer brought about a steep learning curve for staff whose previous knowledge of newspaper editorial, production and distribution rested somewhere in the realms of having the Liverpool Echo delivered to the house and subsequently reading it! A slight exaggeration perhaps, but, broadly speaking, the pupils and staff certainly had some serious learning to do.

Our launch, attended by press, television crews and local dignitaries was a great success, as we squeezed upwards of sixty enthusiastic supporters, school governors and honoured guests, including Liverpool’s very own media star Roger Phillips, into the now-pristine, converted cloakroom.

Our very first reporting job featured the intrepid Tom McNally and his record breaking attempt at crossing the Atlantic in a home made boat the size of a bath! We followed his career with interest but have sadly lost touch now. The pupils who reported on that first story are now pursuing their own careers in the world at large, and any news of Tom would be nice to hear!

Hundreds of youngsters have been touched by the project in one way or another, and their enthusiasm for ‘getting the news’ has flourished, with at least one ex-reporter making media his chosen path. Pathways stalwarts Carol Evans and Margie O’Mara led the way and many, many local people have taken an interest, too numerous to mention individually. But we thank you all. Without the steadfast local help and support we have received over the last six years the newspaper could not have survived.

The officers of Huyton SRB have supported the programme throughout, and we hope that they are aware of the real difference their investment in our youngsters has made to their lives.

We at Huyton Today, staff and pupils alike, would like to wish health, wealth and happiness to every one of our readers wherever you may be. It has been an absolute privilege to serve the community of Huyton. We hope you have enjoyed sharing the news with us.

On a more positive note, we are hoping to continue producing the on-line version, so keep watching the website...