A regional daily hosted an online-only conference on Twitter as part of its campaign against poverty.

The Press, York, teamed up with fellow media outlets Radio York, The York Mix and One&Other York to host the #povertyforum on twitter.

The aim was to bring together campaigners, experts and readers to debate the issue online.

Hundreds followed the conversation or took part and at one point the hashtag was among the most-used on twitter in the UK, trending nationally.

Press news editor Gavin Aitchsion, left, with Gavin Aitchison, left, news editor of The Press, takes part in the onlie forum at the offices of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation

The Press launched its Stamp Out Poverty campaign late last year, to raise awareness of poverty in the city and region, to tackle the attached stigma, and to help those most in need or working with front-line charities and projects.

News editor Gavin Aitchison said:  “The digital conference was a great success, attracting input from charities, politicians, researchers and members of the public. It was also an excellent example of local media working together on an issue of shared concern.

“We are keen to ensure poverty, inequality and growing economic hardship in and around York are kept in the spotlight and to ensure key issues are not neglected.

“Hopefully now the excellent discussion can be followed by useful action to help those most in need.”

The conference saw researchers from the York-based Joseph Rowntree Foundation providing expert analysis and input, while City of York Council and senior politicians also contributed to the debate along with residents and charity workers.

Issues discussed included housing supply, the welfare system, the Living Wage, destitution, and living costs.