A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has helped The Local Answer reach the milestone of our 200th issue in our 17th year!

Advertisers, readers, staff, suppliers, writers, friends and family – there have been so many who have contributed to our rise from 5,000 to over 180,000 copies every month in Gloucestershire.

The first issue of The Local Answer was published in March 2009 – not long after the global crash of 2008 – and the internet had already become established as a powerful source of information, so it was a difficult time to start this type of new venture. But I’m so glad we did.

Since the first copy dropped through letterboxes in 2009, we have grown to become the largest print communication platform in the county, with an unrivalled reach to 75% of homes in the areas we serve.

As we celebrate this amazing milestone, we can reflect proudly on what The Local Answer has brought to Gloucestershire since that first issue. To the benefit of people throughout the county, we’ve created:
• 16 full- and part-time jobs in our office and transport operations.
• Over 400 distribution jobs for a few hours each month – so important in providing a small income to help people in a variety of circumstances and, in many cases, helping young people understand the value of money through earning their own (and easing the demand on Mum or Dad to provide pocket money!).
• A great source of information for local people, continually enhancing the volume and variety of magazine content.
• An even greater source of information on our website, with new content being added all the time.
• A massive, cost-effective platform for businesses to engage with potential customers, enabling hundreds of local companies to establish themselves and thrive.
• A trusted marketing tool. Advertisers have grown in confidence, and numbers, because our service can be relied upon – 84% appear every month, year after year, and many more regularly use The Local Answer for seasonal campaigns. It’s extremely satisfying to have played a part in the prosperity of so many local businesses.


Website Developments
We’ve been working hard this year to develop our website, bringing more interesting content for our readership, as well as providing new and alternative forms of marketing for local businesses.

The competitions section has proved immensely popular this year, as we’ve given away some amazing prizes including holidays, meals out and entertainment for all the family.
Sport remains a strong area of editorial content, with stories from around the county shared on our website every day. Our What’s On section is also popular, as we help to promote a huge variety of events taking place across Gloucestershire.

We’ve introduced new Food & Drink features this year, such as restaurant reviews, chef interviews and extra recipes, and we continue to support our print advertisers with additional digital editorial content and free listings in our online Directory.

We look forward to expanding our digital offerings further in 2026 and beyond.


50% Discount For Charities
The Local Answer now offers Gloucestershire-based charities 50% off our standard advertising rates. With over 2,600 registered charities and not-for-profit organisations in the county, we know how important they are to our local communities, which is why we want to make it easier for these organisations to reach the people they need to.

Whether you’re recruiting for staff or volunteers, promoting a fundraising event, raising awareness of your services, or seeking donations to help you continue your work, get in touch today to find out how we can help you share your message with Gloucestershire residents. Email admin@thelocalanswer.co.uk or call 01242 510500.


Our Environmental Impact
Supporting forest management
The paper used in printing The Local Answer is produced from wood sourced in an environ-mentally-friendly, socially responsible and cost-effective manner.

Our printer – Warners Midlands PLC (Warners) – is an award-winning company whose management and staff are committed to good environment performance and the use of paper from sustainable resources. They are proud to be a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certificate holder, and The Local Answer is proud to have this publication printed on paper compliant with FSC demands.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, not-for-profit, nongovernmental org-anisation established to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

The FSC vision is that the world’s forests meet the social, ecological, and economic rights and needs of the present generation without compromising those of future generations.

Delivering a fully-recyclable product
As well as the paper, the inks and varnishes used in producing The Local Answer are biodegradable. The process used by recycling companies to extract inks and coatings including UV varnishes from the paper render the paper suitable for pulping and recycling.



Thanks again for all your support!