In a divided world, local news brings us together

When the world feels divided and headlines scream conflict, one thing still unites us: our local community. In uncertain times, the stories unfolding on our doorsteps become more essential than ever. They anchor us, they steady us, and they remind us of what truly matters.

At the BBC, we’re fighting for original local news and content because we know its impact. Last night, we launched our Make A Difference Awards on The One Show, with all 39 local radio stations across England calling for nominations that celebrate extraordinary people doing extraordinary things. Our teams in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do the same.

Telling stories from every corner of the UK is not a luxury. It is part of our national identity. If we fail to protect it, we weaken the foundations of public service broadcasting – and the cost of that loss will be felt by every community in the country. The stakes are high.

Local BBC news doesn’t just inform, it safeguards, inspires, comforts and connects. From care home residents in Tees knitting jumpers for rescue monkeys in South Africa, to Bradford’s pride in its City of Culture status, these stories remind us who we are. And when tragedy strikes, BBC Local is there: calm, clear and trusted.

I oversee the teams who bring you the BBC where you live: 39 local radio stations, 13 regional TV programmes and 43 online news services. These teams are rooted in the communities they serve. They are first in and last out when major incidents shake a community, as we saw with the Manchester Synagogue attack or the Huntingdon train stabbing last year. And they celebrate local life too – from Radio Leeds creating the Bantam of the Opera Choir, to our West team livestreaming Gloucestershire’s iconic cheese rolling, to our unrivalled local sport coverage.

The BBC is the UK’s most widely used sports service, and our local teams bring communities together through live coverage and commentary for more than 180 sports clubs.

Collectively, BBC Local Radio in England reached around 4.7 million people every week last year, while looking at overnight performances, the 6.30pm news programmes regularly delivers greater audiences than any other TV news offer in the UK, reaching 7.6 million weekly viewers in England.

Local-made content on BBC Sounds attracted 382,000 weekly active accounts in 2025 and News England online content had an average weekly traffic of 17.4 million.

These are not just numbers – they are stories told, and communities connected and we need that more than ever now.

Local is at the heart of the BBC’s mission to reflect the UK’s diverse communities. As audiences change, we have changed too. Some decisions have been difficult and well documented, but our commitment is clear: to reinvent our offer so it reaches people on the platforms where they consume local content today and tomorrow. This is a vital part of our mission as we respond to the changing needs of our audiences.

We are constantly innovating and reinventing for audiences – upgrading digital services, improving visibility, and ensuring audiences know where to find trusted local information and the stories that matter to them.

Through partnerships like the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme, we’ve delivered over half a million stories to 1,100 regional outlets – covering council decisions, planning applications and local issues that wouldn’t otherwise be reported. It is one of the most important journalistic collaborations in the UK.

This comes at a crucial time. The Government has published its Green Paper on the review of the BBC’s Royal Charter, setting out questions on governance, funding and the Corporation’s future. As the 12 week consultation closes on 10 March, now is the moment for everyone who cares about local stories, and the strength of our creative industries, to have their say.

My own BBC journey began in local radio, at BBC Radio Suffolk. I’ve worked across the organisation, and Local uniquely offers an immediate, powerful connection with audiences. That connection is what brought me back to lead BBC Local – and it is why I am so incredibly proud of it.

Local is central to the BBC’s role in society. It is vital that audiences can access trusted, impartial local content on whichever platform they choose. We remain fiercely committed to this mission, and to working with partners across the industry to keep local journalism alive.

Because when local news disappears, whether that’s on TV, radio or online, so does a piece of who we are.