Hyperlocal newspaper to be launched in Peckham

A new hyperlocal newspaper will be launched in South London following a successful fundraising campaign run by the founders.

Almost 150 Peckham residents and businesses pledged to invest more than £5000 in the hyperlocal “Peckham Peculiar” ensuring the printing of the first two issues.

The newspaper will have 16 pages and will be distributed at no charge.

The founders of the paper, three journalists and a PR specialist, are aiming to create a news platform by, and for, the local community and believe that a print newspaper is the way to do that.

Mark McGinlay, editor of the Peckham Peculiar, said: “The response generated by our campaign has shown that people still strongly value the printed word. Not only have we had nearly 150 people back us financially, we've also had around 50 people from the local community contact us wanting to get involved, from writers, illustrators and designers to a would-be agony aunt.

“We love local newspapers and we passionately believe that hyperlocal news isn't just for the internet. While social media is a great way of engaging with the local community, not everyone is online. We want our paper to be as inclusive as possible and accessible to all.”

The Peckham Peculiar will come out six times a year and the first edition will be published in January. There will also be a more regular blog on Tumblr.