Member of the Month // Star & Crescent

Star & Crescent is an independent news website written for and by the people of Portsmouth.

“We believe in journalism that creates social change and we work directly with local community groups, children and young people, writers, residents and campaign groups to bring missing voices and stories into the mainstream.”

Star & Crescent aim to:

• Hold power to account
• Provide a platform on which to raise up missing and marginalised voices
• Inspire debate about the real issues that affect local people
• Increase local interest and involvement in politics
• Big up Portsmouth as a lively, creative and cultural place to live, work and study

Star & Crescent was founded in 2015 by Sarah Cheverton and Tom Sykes and since then, they have worked with hundreds of local people to help them investigate and tell the stories that matter to them most. They have covered a diverse range of issues, including environmental issues such as local air quality; social issues like homelessness, austerity and domestic violence; refugees and asylum seekers in Portsmouth; and local political issues, including the impact of Brexit on local services and the economy.

Their stories have been picked up by the national media, including breaking the story of ‘Smeargate’ in 2015 (the story of a councillor who set out to smear local residents and campaigners) and more recently, the failure of the BBC licence fee-funded local television project.

In 2018, they partnered with the Centre for Investigative Journalism to train 12 local residents in the skills and techniques of investigative journalism. These residents continue to work with them as part of the Community Reporting team, as supporters and as volunteers.

In 2019, they launched their first Young People’s Voices project, funded by Portsmouth’s Victorious Festival, which sees the team working with students from local schools and colleges to help them build the skills and confidence to report on the stories they care about in their communities.

Star and Crescent’s team are all volunteers and are always looking for new and enthusiastic people to join the team. If you’re interested in writing or volunteering behind the scenes, get in touch to find out more by emailing or visiting their website