Northampton's good news magazine 'Happy Hood' earns £13,000 in grants to print for another year

Happy hood has been funded to publish for another year.

Since April last year, the 'Happy Hood' magazine has been available in a select number of independent shops to share stories of unsung heroes and kind deeds.

Since its first issue, the magazine has been paid out of pocket by its team of contributors at the Happy You Project Community Group.

But now, the Northampton magazine has picked up £10,000 of lottery funding and £3,000 from Northampton Borough Council to pay for another year of publishing.

Co-founders Paige Taylor (Left) and Laura Graham started the magazine to share good news stories in Northampton.

Laura Graham, who co-founded Happy Hood with her friend Paige Taylor, said: "It's amazing to know we can keep publishing for another year. The funding means we will be able to pay our graphic designers and cover the costs of our launch events. We will also be able to develop a website for the magazine.

"We just want to give people a feel-good read to balance out some of the more negative news stories out there.

"It's just to show a different side to the town and show case that it's not all doom and gloom."

It comes as Happy Hood gets ready to whole a launch party for its fifth issue, which coincides a year to the day since the launch of the magazine in April 2018.

Happy Hood has secured funding to publish for another year.

Happy Hood will launch the fifth issue at the Umbrella Fair Pavilion on the Racecourse on April 19 between 2pm and 4pm.

Laura said: "We always hold a launch event for each issue. It helps create that sense of community for the magazine."

The free family-friendly party at the Umbrella Fair will feature muscial performances by local singer songwriters Amii Dawes and Zahra Sullivan, local DJ Jordan 'Missing Link' Legg and poetry readings by Tre Ventour.

There will also be arts and crafts, a feel-good postcard writing activity and cakes by Northamptonshire's The Happy Little Cake Company.

Happy Hood is available in select Northampton shops for £2.50 an issue. It printss four times a year.