MADAM, I am the secretary for Ross Fairtrade Town steering group which, like the Gazette, is a member of ART. I have just received via Caroline Utting the news of this campaign to promote our local paper.

I just wanted to say how important the Ross Gazette has been to our group in promoting Fairtrade in Ross and how much we value the coverage you have given to our Fairtrade Supporter of the Month initiative. Of course you know that we gave our award to the Ross Gazette last month in recognition of all the help you've given our group. Every year, Ross's status as a Fairtrade Town is reviewed by the Fairtrade Foundation and coverage in the local paper provides vital evidence of the Fairtrade activities in Ross, which are necessary for successful renewal of Fairtrade status. That's why your support has been so important.

I'd like to add another point from my personal experience. I have been an adult literacy tutor in Ross for 20 years. Some of my students have been simply dyslexic, whilst others have been disabled or with some degree of learning difficulty. One of the most important things to do is to inspire adults to read, because reading is a skill that needs practice. Many of my students have refused to tackle a novel as it is too long and daunting. They find the daily papers boring and irrelevant. The only thing I have found that has pleased them all is the Ross Gazette. It gives them all the local information about the things that matter to them and are relevant to their lives here in Ross. Several of them have been inspired to write to the editor about things they've found important and have been delighted and empowered by seeing their letter in print.

Thank you for all you do and good luck for the future.

Gill Smith, Ross.