OUR News Our Views, the newsletter by adults with a learning disability for the learning disability community of Herefordshire has just turned three years old. The group produces 10 editions a year and distributes 500 copies of each edition.

The editorial team has a unique approach, pooling their personal budgets to enable them to take part in news making, expressing their points of view and concerns and developing reporting skills and employability. Doing this they produce an easy read resource for adults with a learning disability, helping them keep up with services, benefits, opportunities and developments.

To mark the anniversary, the team held an open morning on June 1 at their Hereford base and were joined by supporters and community champions for disability. These included Fiona Ritchie, chief officer of Herefordshire disability charity ECHO, Rose Hunt, development worker for Herefordshire Mencap and Jim Kenyon, county councillor and Independent candidate for the seat of Hereford and South Herefordshire.

Guests had the opportunity to see the group at work and discuss the impact of working on Our News Our Views on their lives.

Team member Tracy Roberts said, "Our News Our Views has helped me improve my computer skills and my confidence and challenged me to learn new skills. I'd never done anything like this before but now I am involved in the whole process of making the newsletter".

Support worker Mary Simpson added, "I love working for this team. They have developed their skills enormously over three years as creators, editors, reporters, fundraisers, bosses and supportive workmates. They have bags of enthusiasm and motivation and heaps of great ideas".