When we took over the helm of the mighty Isle of Wight County Press, in April 2023, we knew it was going to be a big year.

Luckily, we had a plan: A tweak here or there to modernise; squeeze more Island faces onto our pages; continue to develop our Island-leading brand; maintain the huge success of our website.

We had big shoes to fill - spanning back 140 years of news-making on the Island.

Some highlights? Oh, go on then!

In the last 12 months, the Isle of Wight County Press was confirmed to be the biggest selling local weekly newspaper in the entire country.

Newspaper sales have been naturally dwindling as readers move online but, here on the Island, we are delighted to see the healthy appetite for our title. 

Online, countypress.co.uk is flourishing: Instant news, photographs and video, at your fingertips.

With over two million views monthly, the accolade of being the most visited news website on the Isle of Wight for March and recording a 35 per cent hike in year-on-year visits, our news, sports and entertainment coverage is flourishing.

The chance to further develop our brand as a key player in Isle of Wight news and commercial has been incredibly rewarding and we have welcomed some of the Island's key names in business into our Pyle Street office. 

We plan to roll out the red carpet for even more.  

We have launched as a WhatsApp channel, welcomed the work of a young reporters from three Island secondary schools and lived life alongside our columnists - and we would not have done it without your continued support, for which we say a huge thank you!

This month, we are super excited to be launching County Press Community Champions.

Over the next 12 months, we will be asking you to nominate an Islander a month - one  who has gone above and beyond, be it in the charity sector, as a professional, as a neighbour, as a teacher, as a youth group supporter...

You'll know them when you see them!

To nominate your community champion, email editor@iwcp.co.uk and put County Press Community Champions in the subject line.

Tell us why your nominee is brilliant. Perhaps, send us a photo? 

Over the next 12 months, we will be sharing their successes with the Island - and we have no doubt, it will be richly deserved. Our first will be next week - maybe it will be YOU?

We're looking forward to hearing about the Islanders who keep the place ticking and in the meantime, your dedicated team of Island-based journalists and sales executives will continue to pour hearts and souls into making the County Press fit for the next 140 years.

There are more exciting developments to come, for you, for our team and for the Isle of Wight County Press...so watch this space!