John Butterworth
John Butterworth, who has written six books, has been a journalist on national, regional and weekly newspapers for 44 years and a newspaper editor for 28 years in Shrewsbury, Bromsgrove, Leek and the Black Country, as well as running his own newspaper in mid–Staffordshire. In May 2008 he was awarded the MBE for services to journalism and charity after his papers raised more than £5 million for local causes. John has also been a Reader or preacher in the Church of England for nearly 30 years and is a volunteer speaker with Open Doors, a Christian charity supporting the persecuted church worldwide. He has been married to his wife Jan for 46 years and they have two grown–up sons and two grandchildren.
