In the Cove has a favour to ask. Just hear us out.
You may remember that last year the Local and Independent News Association (LINA) launched a national campaign to highlight the funding challenges facing local independent news sites.
In the Cove was part of that campaign and thanks to support from our community and businesses, we were able to upgrade equipment, employ locals and continue delivering free daily local news.
We always operate with an incredibly tight budget, so that support made a real and noticeable impact.
The campaign returns this week
From Sunday 3 May, we will once again be part of the Our News, Your Voice campaign, shining a light on the role local independent news plays in communities like Lane Cove.
This year includes matched giving. Every dollar given will be doubled up to $10,000 (but many other local news sites will be participating as well).
Why this matters
Behind every post, article and update is a very small team working every day to keep the community informed and connected. And what we do goes far beyond just publishing articles.
Right now, we are actively investigating the rapid expansion and clustering of data centres in Lane Cove. This is not just about buildings going up. It is about noise, environmental impact, infrastructure pressure and whether the rules that are meant to protect our community are actually being enforced.
And that is just one example. Every day we are also:
- running and moderating the Lane Cove Facebook group
- sharing urgent posts about lost dogs, missing items and community alerts
- warning you about local crime and scams
- promoting local jobs, events, schools, sports clubs and not-for-profits
- helping businesses connect with the community
- making sure people know what is happening so nothing important is missed
It is constant, it is fast and a lot of it happens behind the scenes.
As Claire Stuchbery from LINA explains, publishers like In the Cove are part of a national network of independent newsrooms sharing thousands of local stories each week, stories that would otherwise go untold.
In an era of misinformation and increasing pressure on traditional media, trusted local reporting has never been more important.
But it only exists with support
The truth is simple. We do not have a paywall, corporate backing and we choose to stay locally focused and remain independent so we can keep our freedom to report on what we want.
So we rely on our community and we genuinely need your support now more than ever to keep doing this work. Your support helps:
We are proud to say that most of our funds go directly into local people doing local work.
If you have ever relied on In the Cove, now is the time to support it.
Meet the team
Jacky Barker – Founder
Jacky founded In the Cove in 2012, creating what has become one of the most trusted and relied upon community platforms in Lane Cove.
A former lawyer, Jacky has always been someone who puts the community first, often quietly working behind the scenes to make things happen. Alongside building In the Cove, she has been heavily involved in local volunteering and was a driving force behind bringing The Lane Cove Toy Library to life, which continues to benefit local families today.
Her contribution extends beyond Lane Cove as well, serving on the board of the Local and Independent News Association, supporting independent publishers across the country.
Did we mention she is the one to invite to your trivia table – consider that a hot tip!
Jacky has retired and sold the business late March 2026, but her impact is still felt every day. You will occasionally still see her name pop up on an article because once you have built something like In the Cove, and care this deeply about your community, it is hard to step away completely.
Widely respected and genuinely one of the kindest people you will meet, Jacky’s legacy is not just In the Cove. It is the stronger, more connected community she helped create.
Renee Maxwell – Owner
I have been part of In the Cove for many years, working behind the scenes across content, social media and community engagement and more recently stepping into ownership aka – Jacky’s shoes.
And no, you have not been living under a rock. We have kept that a little quiet for now, but we do have a proper article and video coming soon to formally share the news and celebrate everything Jacky has built.
I am a single mum of two and being involved in the community has always been important to me. It really does take a community to raise a family and I want my kids to see the value of showing up and giving back.
Life for me is a slightly chaotic mix of everything. Work, kids, community, deadlines. I tend to run on a bit of a hamster wheel and I keep rescheduling that “take time for yourself” appointment (I take after my former boss Jacky).
I care deeply about keeping In the Cove strong, independent and free for our community. And I could not do it without this team or without you.
Liz McPherson – Community & Partnerships
Liz is a bit of a quiet powerhouse behind In the Cove. She keeps us closely connected to the community, working with local groups, not for profits, schools and sporting clubs to make sure their stories are shared.
She has been part of the team for over three years and while she is definitely not an “admin” type, she has a natural way of bringing order to chaos. The kind of person who comes over to your house for a cup of tea and a catch-up and somehow ends up reorganising your kitchen cupboards.
A mum of three, she somehow juggles work, volunteering and life, and is always the one who steps in to help. She donates blood whenever she can, gives her time generously and is genuinely one of the nicest people you will meet, with a quietly hilarious dry sense of humour.
Liz is passionate about sustainability and living simply, and brings that calm, thoughtful energy to everything she does.
Her dream is to escape to the country and live in a tiny home, but we are not letting her go anytime soon.
Jack Kelly – Journalist & Video Production
Jack is not only an investigative journalist with In the Cove, but also leads our video production, creating much of the video content you see across our social platforms.
He has a real talent for digging deep into complex local issues and not stopping until he gets answers. His work on local investigations led to him being named a finalist in the Walkley Foundation 2025 Mid-Year Media Prizes for Public Service Journalism, which is a huge achievement in the industry.
When he is not working with In the Cove, Jack also works with Manly Observer, runs his own video production business called First of All, Productions and currently undertaking a Bachelor of Environmental Science.
He is passionate about environmental journalism, loves fairy penguins, makes seriously good videos and does a terrible American accent.
How you can help
Matched giving begins 7am Sunday 3 May. Every dollar given to ITC will be doubled until the $10,000 cap is reached. Once it is gone, it is gone.
If you can, try to send your financial support as close to 7am as possible to make your impact go twice as far.
Even if the matched funds run out, your support still matters. We would also love to show the rest of the LINA network just how strong and supportive the Lane Cove community is.
If you have ever read In the Cove, relied on it or shared something from it, this is your moment to support it.
This is not just our platform. It is yours. Your stories. Your voice.
Thank you!!!
