APRIL sees Chamber members Orbit News celebrating 25 years since the launch of Warrington Worldwide online – the first independent daily online newspaper in the UK and Lymm Life magazine.
Having covered local news as a family business since 1969, the launch of Warrington Worldwide in 1999 was a big step into the unknown during internet revolution and the dot.com bubble burst!
The pioneering business has survived several recessions, the cost-of-living crisis and a pandemic, updating local news almost every day since its launch, all free at source for their many thousands of loyal readers.
Founder and owner Gary Skentelbery explained: “Our aim has been to be politically independent, working with people from all political parties, doing our best to promote the positive things in our town while reporting all events in a non-sensational way, the good, the bad and sadly sometimes the ugly.
“We have witnessed many businesses come and go but have established a strong local loyal following who have helped keep us going through the tough times, in particular during the pandemic when many carried on supporting us online.
“Whether I will be here in another 25 years is out of my hands – but whatever, we hope to leave a legacy for our town well into the future.
“I would particularly like to say a big thank you to my family, especially my parents, who were the backbone in the early days, with my father David, still providing editorial support in his 70th year of working as journalist – the vast majority of his career in Warrington.
“Certainly a great example of a strong work ethic, one which I have always tried to aspire.
“I sometimes dread to think what the next 25 years is going to bring, as mankind doesn’t seem to be learning lessons in tolerance and understanding and the onset of keyboard warriors is enough to impact anyone’s mental health.
“It’s always easy to criticise from the comfort of your own home but a lot harder to make a meaningful difference.
“Unusually we launched our online edition BEFORE the print magazine which followed in the September of the same year – so another celebration looming later in the year! Meanwhile our sister print title Lymm Life, the first in our stable, also celebrates 25 years this April.
“Thankyou to everyone for your ongoing support. “