Flyover Media CIC has been set up, in part, to enable us to apply for grants to expand the work we currently do in local journalism in SE London.
But our two sites, 853 and The Charlton Champion, could not exist without funding from their readers. The structure of Flyover Media means we can provide some transparency about where that money is going, and demonstrate that funding our sites goes a long way to help promote community journalism for everybody in southeast London. (Figures correct as of September 2021.)
How 853 is funded
853 is funded by readers using the Steady, PressPatron and Patreon platforms, who pay about £800/month towards the site’s running costs.
Out of this, the site’s editor/reporter, Darryl, is paid £660 per month – about two days per week at London Living Wage. (He also keeps the Ko-fi coffees many readers are very kind enough to buy him.) The remainder is kept by Flyover Media to pay for freelance contributions and to invest in the site.
How The Charlton Champion is funded
The Charlton Champion is funded by readers using PressPatron and Patreon, which raises about £130/month for the site. The site has also made money from merchandise – its Greetings From Charlton postcards, designed and produced by Neil, have been a big hit. This money is paid to Flyover Media. It pays for one regular freelancer who produces Charlton Athletic match reports.
At present, Darryl and Neil are not taking payment for their work on the site – apart from Ko-fi coffees donated by readers. Instead we’re using it to invest in the business.
Grant funding
We also apply for grants for specific projects – in 2020 we accepted £4,500 from the European Journalism Centre to commission a series of stories about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. In 2021, we are working with the Centre for Investigative Journalism and Trust for London on an investigative project, which has involved working with an early-career reporter.
Funding future projects
We have a number of ideas for new projects – such as recruiting a part-time reporter to expand 853’s coverage to Lewisham, and creating a print product inside the borough of Greenwich. We are looking at ways to fund this, be it through applying for grants or one-off crowdfunding schemes. (We’re not sure the local market in Greenwich could bear another Patreon-style scheme, as there are three sites in the borough funded this way, although this could still work elsewhere.) If you have fundraising ideas, please feel free to get in touch.
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