BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION TO A LOCAL GROUP
Welcome to Village Matters, the award winning publishing company which is all about community.
Since 2010 our monthly magazines have been bringing local stories to the community and supporting local business.
We are passionate about history as well as supporting the high street shops and highlighting local cultural events that bring our communities together. We are always happy to hear from you if you have a story. Sunbury and Shepperton Matters reach over 14,000 homes every month, an estimated readership of 31,000 readers! They give advertisers a targeted but affordable platform. Both magazines are available separately, however most advertisers choose to advertise in both every month.
Your Award-Winning Community Magazines
In Autumn 2019 Village Matters was awarded both Best Business in Sunbury and also runner up Best Business in Spelthorne at the Spelthorne Means Business Awards.
Following that, in spring 2020 Monica Jones personally was voted unanimously as Community Person of the Year by Sunbury and Shepperton Rotary clubs.
At the end of 2023, Village Matters was again awarded Best Business in Sunbury in the Spelthorne Business Awards.
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About the Editor
Monica Jones
Unanimously voted as Community Person of the Year by Rotary Shepperton and Sunbury!
Having left a global advertising role in London, I took the decision to go truly local. I founded Village Matters almost 10 years ago. Starting with a single magazine delivered to only 2000 homes, I now run two successful monthlies. I have just passed my 10th anniversary and the Sunbury and Shepperton Matters are seen as an essential part of community life. They have truly taken the place of the local newspapers which all closed. I have lived in Sunbury until recently and now live in Shepperton. The areas I write about are dear to me and I know what matters to the local communities I write about. Winning 3 local awards recently shows how important these magazines have become to the local area.
I love the river, the history of our area and the culture which is on our doorstep. I love celebrating the local people who make up our community, from the oldest bell ringer in the world who lived in Sunbury, to the founder of the Swan Sanctuary in Shepperton. To the small independent businesses who make our economy tick and the valiant locals who drive ideas and enthusiasm to make our area better places to live.
In January 2020 Monica Jones, Founder and Publisher of the Village Matters magazines, was interviewed on Brooklands Radio. This followed the award for Best Business in Sunbury and runner up Best Business in Spelthorne in Autumn 2019. Find out how the business started, and the place of the publications across Spelthorne and Elmbridge.
Sunbury lies on the river Thames, a sleepy village with a rich history. St Mary’s church features in Dicken’s Oliver Twist and many significant houses are still scattered around the village. Edward VIII was a frequent visitor to Monksbridge where courted lady of the house, Frida Dudley Ward.
Quaint Thames Street is still full of well preserved listed buildings, most now private riverside homes. Several parks offer tranquil walks to visitors. The Walled Garden is home to the famed Millenium Embroidery Gallery which hosts art exhibitions and has a wonderful café. The Riverside Arts Centre offers a plethora of culture, from world class musical performances to several excellent theatre groups. London Irish have their home just outside the centre of the village and Kempton Park racecourse is only up the road.
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Shepperton has long figured in the glamour of the film industry. Home to Shepperton Studios, it has attracted stars from the world of entertainment who made their home here. Situated on the Thames, it hosts the Shepperton Village Fair, the largest community event in the borough of Spelthorne. It has a bustling high street full of independent shops and boasts a tight knit community.
Down the road, Laleham is a pretty village full of both historic and riverside properties and was the seat of the Lucan family. The graves of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Earls of Lucan are in the churchyard as is that of educationalist and poet Matthew Arnold who lived here.
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Contact
Sunbury Matters & Shepperton Matters
Advertising / Editorial: Monica Jones
Telephone: 07979 808991
Email: monica@villagematters.co.uk
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Every month our two award winning magazines are hand delivered to 14,000 local homes across Sunbury, Shepperton and Laleham. Get your message out to your local customers. The magazines are funded by advertising, but the rates are kept at such a level to make it affordable to small businesses. Most advertisers choose to advertise every month in both magazines to get maximum exposure.
If you are a local business looking for an effective way of getting your marketing message to local communities in Spelthorne, then look no further. We put local business first!