Small price increase necessary to cover costs

From next week, the cover price for the Maidenhead Advertiser will increase to £1.25.

This is always a difficult decision, and we understand this comes at a time when everyone is feeling the pinch amid skyrocketing bills and rising inflation.

However, the current financial climate means the cost of producing our newspapers is rising at a faster rate than ever before.

Sadly, as an independent business without economies of scale, these are costs that cannot simply be absorbed.

In the past two years, the cost of printing the newspaper – including the paper it is printed on and the production process – has increased by a massive 60 per cent.

In the past year alone, these costs have increased by 47 per cent and may well rise again in future.

Our energy bills are also rising, and the cost of powering our Bell Street offices doubled last month.

Like many businesses going through the current crisis, the decision to increase prices is not borne out of greed, but simply reflects the external pressures we are all facing.

Local newspapers require time, money and resources to produce and our small, but dedicated team remains as committed as ever to bringing you public service journalism, community news, sport and lifestyle features every week.

Despite the challenging financial climate, we were there for our readers during lockdowns and the pandemic, and we want to be there for our readers as they negotiate the challenges that lie ahead.

Don’t forget, money you spend on the Advertiser does not go into the pockets of shareholders – any profit we make goes back into the business and supports continuous improvements to our news coverage, including on our websites.

Thank you for reading our newspaper, and we hope that you will continue to support us during this difficult time for us all.