Regional newspapers are once again being given the opportunity to celebrate all that is good about the industry, as the Newspaper Society gears up for Local Newspaper Week.

This year the event will run from May 16 to 22 and has the theme ‘closer to home’, giving newspapers the chance to highlight how relevant they are to people’s lives, and their important role in the community.

In preparation the Newspaper Society has put together a special press pack with hints and tips for editorial features as well as ideas for competitions and events.

There are also factsheets about the industry as a whole and the history of newspapers, as well as quotes from MPs and celebrities, all commenting on the role of regional newspapers, which can be used when putting together coverage for the event.

The Newspaper Society has teamed up with National Lottery operator Camelot and charity Childline, and details of this are also available in its press pack at www.newspapersoc.org.uk

Last year Local Newspaper Week resulted in thousands of pages of coverage, with hundreds of regional newspapers taking part.

Many took the chance to look back at how their campaigning work had affected readers’ lives, while others took the opportunity to open their doors and give readers and insider’s view of how their local newspaper is put together.