THE dawn of the internet and in particular social media means keeping in touch with your neighbours has never been so easy.

Whether it’s through Facebook, the community section of the Hereford Times online, or your own village website, local news is as accessible as ever.

But where does it leave the humble, yet for many years vital, community newsletter?

The answer, in Herefordshire at least, is more surprising than you might think.

“The newsletter in Bodenham has been described as the glue that holds the community together,” editor and parish clerk Martin Field, aged 60, says.

“Some of us come into it by accident, like I did, but for most people they care about the local community and they know full well if they don’t step forward and contribute, it will disappear.”

For Mr Field, who says the voluntary editor’s position he took up shortly after he retired to Bishop’s Frome was a “life-saver” following illness, the issue is particularly pertinent.

A decade on, he compiles newsletters for five parishes in total and his original act of kindness has turned into something of a fulltime vocation.

His worry, therefore, is not that the community leaflet is not still popular, or indeed not still relevant, but that changes in technology and modern lifestyle mean there is no new blood willing to take on its continued production.

“A while ago I gave details of a competition where under-16s could write an article for their local newsletter and then see it published and distributed to 600 local homes,” he explains.

“I'm sorry to say that I didn't get a single entry. So where will the correspondents of tomorrow come from?”

Ironically the former policeman believes it is partly due to a fear of using modern technology, rather than because of it, that stops people volunteering.

As a result he has launched a special self-help group for would be editors that will also allow existing ones to share articles and their wisdom with others via a special forum.

“When I first started I was a total novice and it would have been nice to discuss problems with other editors,”

Martin said.

“Because I do think news editors are very special people – they do a lot of work and they are often taken for granted.”

For more information, visit uk.groups.yahoo.com/ group/Annexation or email Annexation@yahoogroups.

co.uk.