By Rebecca SheppardA CAMPAIGN to celebrate the best of Suffolk and the achievements that make people proud of their county has been launched.Suffolk and Proud is a year-long campaign by the East Anglian Daily Times to encourage people to concentrate on the county's success stories.

By Rebecca Sheppard

A CAMPAIGN to celebrate the best of Suffolk and the achievements that make people proud of their county has been launched.

Suffolk and Proud is a year-long campaign by the East Anglian Daily Times to encourage people to concentrate on the county's success stories.

Run with Suffolk police, Suffolk County Council as well as the district and borough councils, it will try to make people feel safer by promoting what is good about the county, raising their feelings of pride.

It aims to inspire everyone to get actively involved in their communities and bring Suffolk together to mark accomplishments, such as business successes, sporting feats, and individual triumphs, as well as what makes the county great, from its vibrant history to its culture.

Supported by Suffolk personalities, including Olympic swimmer Karen Pickering and Ipswich Town chairman David Sheepshanks, the campaign was officially launched at Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich, yesterday.

Jane Hore, chairman of Suffolk County Council, said: "As a local authority and politicians it's about promoting the work that the people of Suffolk do and helping them shout about it. We are not very good at shouting about our achievements for some reason.

"What's so lovely about Suffolk is it is so different – Lowestoft, where I come from, is completely different to the south of the county and Newmarket.

"I think the people are my favourite part of Suffolk. From the people who are employees providing a service to the people you might meet in a keep-fit club or your next-door neighbour, the atmosphere in Suffolk is very friendly.

"I have been involved in the citizenship ceremonies, which are now gaining pace. It is extraordinary the number of people from right across the world choosing to live in Suffolk and it's a great honour."

Supterintendent John Fletcher, of Suffolk police, said the campaign was an alternative to the traditional efforts of reducing crime and the fear of crime, which often saw people concerned about incidents happening in other areas or nationally.

"Feeling safe is an absolutely vital factor in relation to people's quality of life and is the main aim of the Suffolk First initiative, which we have run from 2001 with our partners," he added.

"A consultation which we have undertaken through surveys shows that the majority of people do feel safe and many do feel very safe but we're not complacent about that. This is a key part of pushing it forward."

Chris Ozanne, sales and marketing manager for the EADT, outlined the events the East Anglian Daily Times will be holding over the next year. These will include an awards ceremony to honour the Suffolk organisations or individuals that readers believe make them proud of the county.

"This campaign sits very easily with our brand. We have been part of Suffolk for more than 130 years and we are very proud of the county and what's going on in the county. We see Suffolk and Proud as a celebration of what's going on. We're also very proud that Stena Line will be backing the campaign throughout 2005." he said.

Marion Mayhead, marketing manager for Stena Line, said: ""More and more people are beginning to realise not only the beauty but also the true value of living in Suffolk - both the people and the area itself have so much to offer.

"That's why as the local ferry company, Stena Line's Harwich - Hook of Holland route is both delighted and proud to be able to support such a worthy campaign - Suffolk and Proud."

rebecca.sheppard@eadt.co.uk