Welcome to The Southport Lead
Your twice-weekly email newsletter digging deep into the issues which matter to you
Like many towns and cities across the UK, Southport has become under-served in terms of its local news. Much of the remaining journalism is focused on a narrow range of topics and often fails to dig beneath the surface.
The Southport Lead is a new voice which aim to connect with readers and and help find solutions to local issues. We’re here to talk about the matters that affect people who live in the town and shine a spotlight on the many things which are otherwise being left unspoken.
Journalism and the news media have endured a torrid time over the past two decades as the old funding models struggle to keep up with modern demands. Through this Substack, we’re hoping to achieve something different.
I’ve been involved with The Lead in various ways over the past year - reporting; covering elections, public inquiries and court cases; and helping to launch The Lancashire Lead. We’ve also been able to publish hundreds of thousands of print editions while making a difference to the lives of those we’ve reported on.
With The Southport Lead, I’m hugely excited to be coming back to report on my hometown. Having lived here my whole life and spent five years working at The Southport Visiter I know what a wonderful place this is to live and to discuss - but also the challenges it faces.
From big issues like Southport Pier and the battle to modernise the town’s tourism offering to politics, housing and social care problems, there’s all manner of things we intend to dig deep into in order to bring you the full story.
I’m also delighted to say to be featuring the work of Stand Up For Southport founder and editor Andrew Brown who will write for the The Southport Lead on a regular basis. Andrew is a passionate advocate for the town and has appeared on national TV and radio discussing its merits on many an occasion in addition to his own publication.
Subscribe to receive the latest edition straight to your inbox every Wednesday and Sunday and if you’re able to, please consider making a financial contribution. In return, you’ll gain access to exclusive features and editions along with helping to ensure the free option is available to those who need it.
We’ll be back in your inbox on Sunday with our first full edition.
Jamie & The Southport Lead team
The Southport Lead is part of The Lead series of titles. These include the national publication The Lead which brings a spotlight to sharp edges of lives across the whole of the UK. We also have publications serving Blackpool, Lancashire, Teesside and Calderdale.