West Leeds Dispatch – westleedsdispatch.com - is a thriving independent community news website.

We launched in 2015 as a small group of volunteers with the aim of connecting local people with what was going on in their communities, increasing access to community groups and providing a platform to empower people to write about local issues and their lives.

We give people a voice they might not normally have.

A vibrant and trusted local media plays a vital role in ensuring local democracy is alive and well. A reader’s watchdog, it shines a light on council decision-making and accountability.

We spend hours each week scrutinising planning and licensing applications and council decisions, providing comprehensive, balanced and accurate reports. We connect you to local groups and organisations, celebrate success stories and empower you with important local information.

Like many community media outlets, all the work on West Leeds Dispatch is fitted around the day job, in evenings and weekends.

And, to be blunt, we can’t continue as we are without burning out.

The free online commodity called 'news' takes time, effort and expertise to deliver. We believe our work has massive value to society.

That’s why we’re asking people to contribute just £4 a month (the equivalent of £1 a week), to help keep us going and – crucially – expand our offer. (It's set up as a $5 a month payment simply because Patreon is a US-based site - there's also an extra $1 VAT charge, so it's $6 in total).

The money will go towards paying our ongoing costs (web hosting, running e-mail newsletter, Impress membership, meeting rooms, stalls at local galas etc - all of which currently come out of our own pockets).

It will also go towards paying our editor something towards the large amount of time he puts in every day.

Everyone supporting us by paying £1 a week will not only help us to continue and to expand, they'll also receive an exclusive West Leeds Dispatch pin badge and an acknowledgement on our sponsors’ page.

We hope you can support us to continue to do what we love.

If you have any questions, please drop editor John Baron a line at news@westleedsdispatch.com.