The Knot's First Year

We're off to a great start. Help us do more.

Dear Knotters,

Merry Christmas to you all and happy first year of The Knot. I remember not so long ago when The Knot didn’t exist, now I can’t imagine life across Stoke and Staffordshire without it.

We’ve championed a focus on the positive across our region, highlighted all there is to do, put a spotlight on some of our amazing people and begun to cut our teeth on bigger topics.

• We are now reaching 2,500 readers in their inboxes a week, and more online.

• The Knot is read ~40,000 times a month.

• We’ve launched our own Events & Things To Do Directory, The Knot Life.

• We’ve broken exclusive stories on The Leopard, an interview with Council Leader, Jane Ashworth, thought pieces on regeneration plus our not-to-miss round ups of events and news.

• 100s of people a week go to places across Stoke and Staffordshire because they find them in The Knot.

• We’re read by “the movers and shakers of Staffordshire”. Public sector leaders, CEOs, influencers, business owners, charity bosses and an army of people who are passionate about their place.

• We are becoming a new platform for local businesses to reach a new audience.

There are more important topics to shine a light on and stories that need to be told. You can help us to do that by becoming a paid member to support The Knot.

Dodgy landlords stifling our high streets, levelling up (?), public transport, social care crises and creative grass roots regeneration. These are just a handful of topics we could set our journalists and writers onto.

I firmly believe our focus on the positive will prevail and turn the tide of negativity and defeatism that lingers over Stoke-on-Trent. Yet, I’ve learned that “Good” news doesn’t always have to focus on the positives. Good news, also means high quality reporting and journalism that focuses on facts, thorough research and stories that deserve to be told.

All of this is becoming possible, because of our paid members who are getting us well on the way to a sustainable business model. We’re not there yet and we need more of you to become paying members for The Knot to be viable and at the heart of our community for the long term.

We’re 40% of the way there. We need 60 more paying members to reach our first membership goal and reach phase 1 of sustainability. By becoming a paying member you are paying to support our journalism and coverage across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. Without you, we won’t last. Without The Knot there is only a very thin spread of journalism in our region.

Our first advertisers, The Wandering Bee, MARA Run Club, Unspun and Titanic Brewery are fuelling our mission. Our sponsorship proposition is developing and I’m confident we’ll deliver more awareness and custom for the brands we work with in 2025. We’re providing a new platform to reach people and for our readers to find out about businesses and their products.

I’m particularly focused on direct to consumer businesses and believe The Knot would be a great fit for any companies selling two things everyone in Staffordshire needs; a house and a car. Estate Agents and Car Dealerships - get in touch.

Thank you for your encouragement and support this year. The emails, press releases, ideas, tips and stories - they all come from our readers. The Knot is for all of us and if you didn’t read it, we wouldn’t do it. A heartfelt thank you.

Thank you for 2024, here’s to 2025 and beyond.

And remember… when you see something positive in our area, just think… “That’s one for The Knot!”

James