SUMMER OF LOVE CAMPAIGN: Spirits soar as the sun shines

As spirits soar, this newspaper has launched a new campaign to try to reflect a new mood of optimism, create a renewed sense of confidence, celebrate the heroes of our community, and boost business across our local towns and villages.

Our Summer of Love campaign is encouraging readers to help the Sussex economy by spending their money locally, visiting local tourist attractions and eating out at local pubs, bars and restaurants, and raising cash for good causes.

More than that, we plan to shine a spotlight on every ray of sunshine in our local communities.

Our Summer of Love campaign will be highlighting the importance of shopping locally - but also raising funds locally, helping the community locally, and supporting one another in our local areas.

It will be bursting with sizzling summer ideas of great local ways to spend your time - and your money!

And it will dovetail into the enormous work this newspaper already undertakes to bang the drum for business and the area we serve.

So how can you be involved?

If you run a business and have a success story, tell us about it. And why not enter our business awards or even sponsor a category. It’s still not too late to take part in our annual Business Matters Awards - simply go to our website: http://www.jpsouthevents.co.uk/event/business-matters-awards-2013/

If you run a local shop or visitor attraction and want to advertise to our unique local audience not only through our newspaper but our many digital platforms too - we will be delighted to hear from you. Contact us on sajjad.hussain@jpress.co.uk telephone 07753 775269.

We want our readers to support the diverse range of independent shops which can be found right across the county - and we will be launching some special campaigns to underpin this.

We want to help local businesses back on their feet and are hoping to do so by helping them to find new customers.

If you are organising a charitable or community event. Tell us about it. Our reporters will, as ever be delighted to receive your news. You can e-mail us at ct.news@jpress.co.uk

Gary Shipton, Editor In Chief, said: “Our newspapers and websites are at the heart of the communities they serve. With that comes a huge responsibility to support the area - especially as it emerges from such difficult financial times and such a long, bleak winter.

“Our papers offer a fresh, quality platform for advertisers to promote their businesses and the community to share its success stories - and our websites are reaching more people than ever before.

“If West Sussex thrives everybody else thrives too. Jobs are created and as a result people have more money to spend.

“The Summer of Love campaign is about harnessing the feel good factor of summer and helping West Sussex’s economy get back on its feet.”