Our community reporter scheme has drawn to a close for 2026 with participants getting stuck into writing, making videos and learning more about how the media works.

Saturday afternoons at the McIntyre Centre in Bishop Auckland won’t be the same for those who have been involved over the past few weeks including South West Durham editor Archie Mackay and guest journalists too.

The free course, supported by the National Lottery Communities Fund, helped people gain skills to tell the stories of their neighbourhoods – from Shildon to Ferryhill, Bishop to Spennymoor.

The final session (pictured) turned tables on Sarah Hartley (editor of The Northern Eco) and video journalist Alice Walker who were filmed by participants making social media clips.

The community reporting scheme will return in 2027 so, if learning media skills like this, for work or fun, sounds like something you’d be interested in, drop an email to sarah[@]swd[.]news.