A NEWSPAPER, written by and for young people in Cambridgeshire has won its third major award in three years, despite losing its funding last year. The original project was launched with the backing of Cambridgeshire newspapers, including The Hunts Post,

A NEWSPAPER, written by and for young people in Cambridgeshire has won its third major award in three years, despite losing its funding last year.

The original project was launched with the backing of Cambridgeshire newspapers, including The Hunts Post, and included articles on education, drug abuse, bullying, self-harming, and exploitation, as well as celebrity interviews and fashion.

Since then The Paper picked up three awards for excellence in an annual competition run by Communicators In Business (CIB),

The latest award will be presented at the CIB conference this month.

This year's judges gave The Paper a first-class appraisal, saying: "The Paper has so many strengths it is difficult to choose which to single out for comment.

"This is a real newspaper with excellent pace, quality writing and a rich variety of content that would put many commercially produced local papers to shame."

Funding for the project ceased midway through last year and it was only when the East of England Development Agency stepped in to commission a special edition for Enterprise in Schools Week that the newspaper was granted a brief reprieve.

The special edition covered the activities of schools and youth organisations throughout East Anglia, and, for the first time, there were contributions from Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, as well as Cambridgeshire.

Efforts are still being made to obtain funding - through sponsorship or advertising - to enable the publication to continue, giving the editorial teams aged between 10 and 18, the chance to polish and improve their skills.

Julie Kelham, who co-ordinated the project until funding ceased, said: "We have seen young people from all different backgrounds and experiences achieve significant things through The Paper, especially writing skills, at a time when universities are bemoaning the lack of these skills among their students.

"It seems wrong that The Paper should be allowed to die, when it is helping young people to improve in so many areas."

INFORMATION: To help fund The Paper contact Julie Kelham. Email juliethepaper@aol.com