Dedicated journalist reports from Nepal
This week, KM Group's Chris Denham has
been in Nepal following actress Joanna
Lumley on her high profile visit to meet Gurkha veterans
and their families.
Recently appointed KM Group Business
Development Editor, Chris (30) had covered the campaign to secure
UK residency rights for all Gurkha veterans in his previous role as
chief reporter for the Folkestone edition of Kentish Express and
seized the opportunity to take the journey.
Settling into this new role, he was so
keen to take up the invitation that he used his own
holiday time and paid his own expenses. Still offering to
provide copy and pictures. The actions of this
dedicated journalist have not been overlooked. A pleasant
surprise awaits him upon return.
Managing editor Ron Green said: “Chris has
done a tremendous job and when he gets back I’ll be talking to him
about some recompense for his hard work. In these difficult times
we may not be able to meet the cost but we can, at least, give him
time off in lieu of his much-appreciated efforts.”
His reports were on the front pages of this
week's Folkestone edition of the Kentish Express and the free
Folkestone
& Hythe Extra. The story has also appeared on the
KentOnline website.
Joanna’s father served in the 6th Gurkha
Rifles and she's been the public face of the Gurkha
Justice campaign since 2008. She is accompanied by Shepway
councillor Peter Carroll, from Folkestone, where the Royal Gurkha
Rifles are based.
Kentish Express editor Robert Barman said:
"Chris has reported on the Gurkha campaign for a
number of years and has many close contacts within
the community. He was probably the first newspaper reporter to
be invited on the tour of Nepal and saw it as the trip of
a lifetime.
"With the success of the campaign fronted
by Joanna Lumley, the story has gone into overdrive and the
size of the media pack is far greater than he originally
expected.”
(July 31, 2009)