A Facebook page in Preston has branched out into running a website for the city.

The Preston Hub began life as the Preston Bible page in 2014 and has grown to have more than 16,000 followers.

Managing director for the Preston Hub, John Nicoll, said he wants to deliver ‘entertaining, informative and engaging content’. He wants to feature local and national content.

Mr Nicoll said: “Preston Hub was originally set up by Jay Whalley, and I took over the page back in November. Thanks to our partnerships with UCLan, Cotton Court, Get The Deal and Preston BID, we’re taking the next step and creating a brand new website for all Prestonians. For the people of Preston, we promise to make you laugh and inform you of the latest goings-on. If you’re a business, we’re a platform for you to expand and grow your business.

“Our relationship with UCLan is reciprocal, we’re going to help train and tutor their students as an external part of the journalism course whilst they provide us with content and support. Cotton Court Business Centre, Get The Deal and Preston BID have been great partners so far as well, each bringing a different element to the party.

“I’ve been canvassing opinion on the Preston Hub for the past two to three months, and it’s been incredibly positive. We have 11 advertisers and a writing team of eight dedicated local people, all of whom want to get their opinions out there. There’s lots of ideas and plans in the pipeline.”

Read more: Preston city centre tiki bar closing down

The site launched on Monday (26 February).