Graduate wins award for Whitby steps appeal

By UKJournalism

She only graduated from her course in 2003, but already former BA (Hons) Journalism student Marie Levy has won a prestigious award for her work.

As a reporter on the Whitby Gazette, Marie has scooped the Yorkshire Regional Newspapers trainee of the year award for her work in co-ordinating an appeal to save the townís historic 199 steps from closure.

The steps that lead up to St. Mary's Church and Whitby Abbey are a huge visitor attraction due to their associations with Bram Stoker, who based much of his Dracula novel there whilst staying in Whitby in 1890.

But after hundreds of years the steps faced closure as they were wearing away, so Marie and her team stepped in with an appeal to get people to sponsor each one for £1,000.

Worth the hard work

She wrote lots of stories about fundraising going on in the town which eventually raised more than £200,000 to save the steps. Marie says it was worth the hard work: "It was a challenge but it was great fun and I got to make lots of new contacts while raising lots of money."

Marie reckons that her time spent on the course in Preston helped her become a better reporter: "There's nothing like learning on the job, but having a degree and NCTJ qualifications after leaving Preston helped me get the trainee position here and the newspaper practice, law and shorthand seminars have proved particularly useful," she said.

"I have been at the Whitby Gazette for more than a year now and I love it, it's a bi-weekly newspaper with a small editorial team but that means I get to do a bit of everything including news, sport, features, council, courts and even taking the odd photograph!"

To read more about the 199 steps campaign, check out this story from Holdthefrontpage.

More info:
BA (Hons) Journalism >

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See also:
Whitby Today >
Holdthefrontpage >

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