New newspaper "a waste of public money"

What an absolutely disgraceful waste of money this publication is, funded indirectly, presumably by us, the taxpayers.

Our country is currently in a dire economic situation. I, as a pensioner on a very low income, struggle every week to ensure I have enough money to live and pay my ever-rising bills. Thousands daily are losing their jobs, homes are being repossessed; there are major cutbacks in health and other services.

Soldiers are dying in Afghanistan because of having to use out-dated equipment. Then along comes this jolly little idea, probably thought up by a group of public sector workers, in their safe jobs and with nothing better to do than to produce a paper containing so-called "news and information" that is already available from many other sources.

A large number of the local population aren't particularly interested in what's going on in local schools. The general media is full of advice on health, diet and exercise issues and, if people want puzzles, they can find their own wordsearch and sudoko in most magazines and newspapers.

To whoever is responsible for this whole idea '“ shame on you! Get your priorities right. Can't you understand that there just isn't enough money around to be spent on new things unless it is absolutely vital? You should be cutting back like most people have to, not wasting money on things that few need or want. That way, we may just be able to survive these very worrying times.

Carole Russell

The Estuary

Littlehampton

An Editor's note: an article inside the publication does mention that it has been compiled by the "Littlehampton locality group of extended schools and Extended Services at West Sussex County Council".

A member of the working group which set up the newspaper with the support of all 13 head teachers in the Arundel, Climping, Littlehampton and Rustington area told us that this was the first, pilot edition of

Your Place.

She added: "The plan is to evaluate the paper by collecting feedback from readers and contributors, and the comment from your readers will be part of that feedback. We have already had a great deal of very positive feedback.

"If the project continues, it is likely that there would be two or three publications a year."

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