Southend Rising aims to showcase the growth and success stories happening all over the borough of Southend-on-Sea.

Through this website we want to proudly tell visitors about investment, regeneration and development taking place in Southend, Leigh, Westcliff, Prittlewell, Southchurch, Shoebury, Thorpe Bay, Chalkwell and Eastwood.

Most importantly, we want to help promote local businesses and organisations.

The site was launched in June 2013 by James Howell, a former Chief Reporter on the Southend Echo. James has spent the last decade delivering PR and public affairs campaigns for one of Britain’s largest housing associations. This has included work on major development and regeneration schemes across London and the South East.

Content on this site is researched and written by a small team of professional journalists, combined with press releases supplied by local companies and organisations.

Regular news, photos and videos are also delivered through Facebook and Instagram.

To help fund the website, Southend Rising also carries banner advertising from affiliate companies. Under this arrangement, Southend Rising may receive a small commission when visitors click through to the affiliate website and purchase a good or service. You can learn more about affiliate marketing here. 

The result is a unique platform for portraying Southend in a positive light, while not shying away from the difficult questions. The website avoids sensationalism and negative slanting, while keeping a finger on the pulse of local news and digging beyond the headlines.