News Shopper’s first Facebook-funded community reporter has started her new role.

Jess Taylor will focus on covering news from Lewisham.

The 25-year-old began her new job based mainly at our Petts Wood office on March 25.

Having been a News Shopper reporter previously, she has got very quickly settled into her job and has started producing some great stories from this busy borough.

Facebook is funding around 80 community reporters in the UK through a £4.5m charitable donation to the National Council for the Training of Journalists to support a two-year community news project with regional publishers.

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Jess said: “Lewisham is where I was born and it’s an area that has always meant a lot to me, having had family in Catford all my life.

“I can’t wait to get stuck into the role and speak to people from all over the borough about the issues that matter to them. I want to be able to give the community a voice, while also celebrating everything that makes Lewisham the wonderful, vibrant and tolerant place it is.”

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News Shopper editor Simon Bull said: “Jess is an outstanding young journalist and it’s great to welcome her back here at News Shopper.

“She is a superb addition to our team and I’m very confident she will make a big success of her new community reporter role.

“We’re very pleased about Facebook funding these roles as it’s allowed us to recruit a high-calibre candidate who is passionate about her work and knows the Lewisham patch very well. Having someone like her covering the important issues and giving the community a greater voice is a huge boost to us – and the people of Lewisham.”

If you have a story for Jess, contact her via Jessica.taylor@newsquest.co.uk or 0208 722 6318.