YESTERDAY marked the start of Local Newspaper Week which celebrates the role of trusted news gathers in their communities and their unique ability to campaign for real change which improves people’s lives.

Campaigns are strong examples of how daily and weekly newspapers benefit their communities by getting behind a worthy cause which matters to their readers.

Whether it is a fundraising drive to create a new garden for hospice patients or a campaign for improvements to services, local papers deliver real results for the communities they serve, no other media can do this.

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Fran Winrow, the paper's head of content, said: "Since 1886 the Lancashire Telegraph and our fantastic readers have made a real difference to the lives of people in our community.

"Throughout our 131 year history we have taken on issues which really matter and forced those in power to sit up and take notice."

In 2005 the paper’s Keep Them Safe campaign was the first to highlight the dangers of gangs grooming vulnerable young women.

A petition of more than 1,500 signatures was reached to help prolong the life of Blackburn youngster Enola Halleron, who suffered from a rare growth condition, heart disease, skeletal abnormalities and vision and hearing loss.

The paper was bidding to secure vital £395,000-a-year medication which could have added 10 years to her life.

The Telegraph's 2007 Wasted Lives campaign to improve young drivers safety, launched after 22-year-old Matthew Hannon’s 2006 death, has altered attitudes and sparked continuing legal changes.

Our commitment to improving road safety is reflected in the Stop the Madness campaign launched in November calling for tougher penalties for drivers who break rules.