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Last week, we held the HOT AGM at the White Rock Hotel on the seafront – and it seems like now’s a good time to keep you up to date with what’s happening on the HOT front, writes HOT’s Zelly Restorick. 

The first thing we’d all like to say is how much we appreciate all the support we receive, locally and from a wider network of people further afield – and to send out a big thank you to you, our readers.

HOT has been designed and developed by a relatively small number of dedicated local people over the past 5 years, who generously offer their time, energy and skills on a voluntary basis. We pay someone for website support, but even they work at a much reduced hourly rate and do lots of work for free.

Each HOT person feels a strong allegiance to Hastings Online Times and what it represents in our town and further afield: an independent online, thought-provoking, informative, well-written publication, dedicated to promoting Hastings and St Leonards as the vibrant, flourishing town it is – and acknowledging the wonderful spectrum of talent and skill offered to the planet by the town’s residents and visitors.

At the AGM, we officially acknowledged the energy and enthusiasm of all of these people, who’ve given their time to making HOT what it is today and who are 100% committed to making it the best publication it can be!

At the moment, HOT runs under a small charity’s constitution, which has been fine for a couple of years and has enabled us to apply for the necessary funding to train our citizen journalists and evolve and develop the website. However, we are now in transition to being a co-operative – with the aim of making this happen within the coming weeks. We’re going to connect with other local co-operatives such as Trinity and Wave, to ask for their feedback and insights – and would be happy to hear from you, if you feel you have anything to offer on this subject. 

In addition, we would like to ask for some help in certain areas of HOT’s maintenance and evolution. If, when you read the wish list, something makes you smile and lights your fire of enthusiasm, please connect with us: we would be very happy to hear from you.

Our people-job wish list:

  • Music journalists
  • Sports journalists
  • Other writers interested in topics not currently covered
  • The ability to help with proof reading/editorial/uploading articles/images
  • Training people in uploading articles
  • Organize the cafe/restaurant review guide. We have a plan, but it needs some nurturing
  • Publicity and marketing of HOT – spreading the word, putting up posters, leaving postcards around town, ideas, etc
  • General admin
  • Computer support
  • Social networking [very important!]
  • More articles by younger journalists
  • More engagement with young people
  • Selling our extraordinarily reasonably priced advertising space [new rate card available!]
  • Someone to help input the ‘What’s On Guide’ listings
  • Someone to engage with venues and encourage them to do listings themselves

You might want to just get involved in a one-off role or you might want to share the role with others on an ongoing basis or take responsibility for an area. This experience would not only be interesting, but would help if you were looking for something to add to a CV, as work experience. It gives you an invaluable opportunity for you to find out what it’s like to work for an independent online journal. What we would like is for you to be happily involved and enjoy what you’re doing – and you’d be part of a very welcoming and supportive team. We’ve already heard from one person, as a result of a wish sent out at the AGM – for a person who’d like to have a general work experience placement. 

We’ll keep you up-to-date with our plans – and if you have anything you’d like to add to our HOT vision, please let us know, by using the Comment Box below. We’d be very interested to hear your insights, feedback and ideas.

Thanking you again for your on-going support.

Long may the good ship, HOT continue to sail the waters

of Hastings and St Leonards, infinity and beyond!

 

 

If you’re enjoying HOT and would like us to continue providing fair and balanced reporting on local matters please consider making a donation. Click here to open our PayPal donation link. Thank you for your continued support!

Posted 14:36 Wednesday, Apr 2, 2014 In: Home Ground

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