About us
I launched Bishopston Matters incorporating Ashley Down, Horfield and St Andrews in November 2007. At this time I had recently returned to my beloved home town of Bristol after five years of managing a Design Room for a textile company in the West Midlands. It is thanks to my good friend Jaci of Bradley Stoke Matters, who had the faith in me and invested her time to assist me in setting up the sister community magazine Bishopston Matters.
Over recent years I have been a happy resident in both St Andrews and Ashley Down, where I currently reside. I would not want to live anywhere else! I have the pleasure of being in easy walking distance of the Gloucester Road with its fantastic independent shops, as well as local green spaces Horfield Common and St Andrew’s Park, a place with a special place in my heart. The fantastic array of amazing groups, events and characters that frequent the local area keep me well entertained and provide plenty of interesting articles for the magazine.
The community magazine I produce is something I am both proud and passionate about. The places and people I live and work amongst are fantastic. It has been wonderful to see the magazine grow from a 28 page black and white publication to a full colour 80 page magazine. The success of Bishopston Matters is thanks entirely to the support of its readers and the local traders that feature within it.
The premise for the magazine is that it includes community news and events from a forward planning and community involvement point of view, ie it was not to be a newspaper but rather something to pick up and find out what’s going on in the community – coffee mornings, art trails, toddler groups, football teams, workshops, church events, school fairs, new businesses opening, as well as being an essential tool to promote your business in the area or to locate local people providing services in the area.
Bishopston Matters is currently distributed free to over 10,500 homes per quarter of a year in a rotating distribution pattern of Bishopston, Ashley Down, Horfield and St Andrews over a three month period (3,500+ copies per month). In addition, a few hundred extra copies are available around the community in places such as local libraries, community centres, churches, cafes and takeaways for residents who did not receive a copy through their doors that month to pick up. You can also download the latest issue from this website.
I am delighted to report that feedback from both the readers and advertisers on a monthly basis is incredibly positive. It is a privilege to serve the community in the form of editor of Bishopston Matters and I hope to continue for many years to come. Since launching, Bishopston Matters has been delighted to invest several thousand pounds back into community projects, local charities and events. I am always interested in meeting new local groups or individuals to feature in the magazine and love to hear from you so please do get in touch at any time.
