Best Newspaper Award is a team effort

THIS week, at the 25th annual Caxton Excellence Awards, Berea Mail won the Best Newspaper with pagination of more than 24 category.  It is a remarkable achievement considering the paper was up against Caxton newspaper titles from across the country.  From what I’ve been told, the judges comments included the point that the Berea Mail team was in touch with the community it serves. High praise indeed and perhaps confirmation that whatever it is we are doing, we’re on the right track. That there is room for improvement, I have no doubt. That we will strive to be even better is a matter of course.

Our success could not have been achieved without the massive team effort it takes to bring you your Berea Mail each week. While many of you may have met journalists Lauren Walford and Lorna Charles who do such a sterling job of gathering news on the ground, attending meetings, social functions and covering the highs and lows of the community we serve, some of you may also be acquainted with our sales team who serve the advertising needs of local businesses in the area. This is our foot soldier team, the ones at the coal face. Behind the scenes a merry band of creative talents puts its collective shoulder to the wheel. Our editorial production team lead by Quintus Nienaber, a man’s whose talent for design and layout is second to none, (and who is largely responsible for our stunning front pages), ably assisted by the young and talented ‘JP’ and until recently, Londeka Dlamini.  Their creative talents and ability to crop, squeeze, and jiggle the mountain of stories and photographs into the limited space we have available, leaves me astounded every week.

But there is another team out there that we could not do without. It is our readers. You are the ones who point us in the right direction when a story needs to be told. It is the sports clubs, the schools, the societies, the associations, the councillors, the City Council, the civic organisations, the community groups, the police at our local police stations and  individuals on whom we rely to feed us with what is happening in our community. We thank each and every one of you. The Berea Mail is a reflection of you and the communities in which you live, work and play. Special thanks go to our loyal advertisers. Your support through good times and lean times has given Berea Mail life.  Local advertisers, both big and small are the heart that keeps Berea Mail alive. It is thanks to your continued support that readers receive their Berea Mail every week. From the bottom of our hearts, we say thank you.

Our prestigious award is not ours alone. We share it with all of you, because without all of you we could never have done it. Thank you, to each and every one of you …. may we travel the road to even more successes in the years ahead together.