Wistaston resident and regular Nantwich News contributor Jonathan White has marked 20 years of documenting life across South Cheshire.
Jonathan (pictured) wrote and published his first local news story at Wistaston Fete in June 2006.
And now he has marked two decades of photographing and writing about a wide range of events and stories about local people.
Born at the former Barony Hospital in Nantwich in April 1971 and a lifelong resident of Wistaston, Jonathan first picked up a notebook and camera after recognising the dedication of local volunteers who organised the village fete.
Believing their efforts deserved to be recognised and remembered, he gathered information before returning home to write a detailed report which was then published in the local media.
What began as a single article has since developed into two decades of volunteering his time as a community journalist, regulary having article and photos published in Nantwich News and now Nantwich Life newspaper.
Since 2006, Jonathan has written more than 2,800 local news stories, produced more than 900,000 words and taken more than 10,000 photographs.
His reporting has taken him to events throughout South Cheshire, covering community life in Nantwich, Wistaston, Crewe, Willaston, Wybunbury, Acton and surrounding villages.
He has reported on village fetes, Christmas fairs and charity fundraisers to concerts, church events, food festivals, Remembrance services, fireworks displays and community celebrations.
His work has also documented some of Cheshire’s most distinctive traditions, including the Wybunbury Fig Pie Wakes, the Willaston World Worm Charming Championships, Wistaston’s duck races & model boat events and the annual Battle of Nantwich commemorations.
A keen supporter of railways and engineering, Jonathan has also covered model railway exhibitions, steam rallies and events at the Peacock Railway operated by the South Cheshire Model Engineering Society.
Sport has featured prominently, particularly through his association with Nantwich Town FC where he has served as club photographer since 2016.
Jonathan is also a committee member of the Holly Holy Day Society, helping organise the annual Battle of Nantwich re-enactment alongside volunteers and members of The Sealed Knot.
He works as a learning support assistant at Cheshire College in Crewe and has previously taught students with learning difficulties and disabilities as well as assessing students for assistive technology support.
His contribution to community life has also received some recognition.
In 2023 he was named Wistonian of the Year following public nominations praising his commitment to reporting on village life in Wistaston.
He has also received honours from Nantwich Town Football Club, including an Outstanding Contribution Award and a Special Recognition Award for 10 years of service as club photographer.
In 2024, Nantwich Town Disability Football named him Volunteer of the Year.
He said: “When I wrote that first article at Wistaston Fete in 2006, I never imagined I would still be doing it 20 years later.
“I have always believed the incredible work carried out by local volunteers, community groups and organisers deserves to be recognised and recorded.
“I hope that my stories have attracted more tourism to South Cheshire.
“I hope that they have helped local businesses and community organisations, and I hope they have helped put our towns and villages on the local, national and even international map through the power of the Internet.
“It has been a privilege to tell the stories of so many wonderful people and events across South Cheshire, and I am grateful to everyone who has welcomed me along the way.”
Looking back on more than 2,800 stories, Jonathan believes one of the greatest strengths of community journalism is its ability to preserve local history and give a voice to people who might otherwise never appear in the news.
“National media understandably focuses on major events and public figures,” he said.
“Community journalism is about the volunteers, fundraisers, sports clubs, schools, charities and local residents who make our communities what they are.
“If my articles and photographs have helped promote community spirit and preserve a little local history for future generations, then it has all been worthwhile.”
Nantwich News Editor Pete Leydon paid tribute to Jonathan’s efforts over many years.
He said: “Soon after Nantwich News was launched in 2009, Jonathan was in touch and keen to help provide photographs at events that we simply could not cover with our limited resources.
“He progressed to writing articles as well and the sheer amount of coverage he has provided of some of the community events has really helped to showcase what happens in our area.
“He often doesn’t receive the recognition he deserves and he should be very proud of marking 20 years covering local events.
“We are very grateful for his support in helping Nantwich News grow to become the biggest and best independent local news platform in South Cheshire.”
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