Vote on rebranding to Leicester Gazette and expansion

Our last vote was only two weeks ago, but we're back again with another important opportunity to shape the future of The Gazette!

We are proposing to change the name of the newspaper from Great Central Gazette to Leicester Gazette, update our logo, and expand into Leicestershire.

You may be wondering why the name change. In truth, it's a few reasons. Most importantly, we believe it clearly states who we serve: Leicester and the surrounding region.

There'll be a new logo too! A bold, modern design — either featuring a wyvern (an uncommon, but historical, symbol of Leicester) or a peregrine falcon (which nests atop Leicester Cathedral to the delight of many). You can choose your favourite below.

The decision to expand into Leicestershire is two-fold. We've already started publishing more Leicestershire stories now that we're partnered with the Local Democracy Reporting Service. And we no longer want to restrict ourselves to just Leicester when both the city and county are deeply connected — politically, culturally, and historically.

The website will largely be staying the same, but there will be some minor changes to match the new style we're after. All of this will go hand-in-hand with our print edition — launching late next year.

How to take part

If you're not yet a member, you can join here to vote. We have several (but limited) free memberships for people on lower incomes, as part of our pay-it-forward scheme. If you would like a free membership, please email us at info@greatcentralgazette.org.

The vote will close on Tuesday, 17 September at 9am. We expect the rebranding to be completed by the end of September, at the earliest.

The result of the vote will lead to a change in our trading name to Leicester Gazette and a non-binding expansion into Leicestershire (effectively on a trial basis). This name change and expansion will receive official approval from members at our upcoming annual general meeting in early 2025.

Existing members can click the button below to head to the voting form. If you're reading this on the website, you will need to log in to see the link.