Our place is in the heart of our region's communities

But sometimes it’s good to remind people of who we are and what we do – and what better time to do that than during the annual national Local Newspaper Week?

There’s no denying that in recent years the position and role of the newspaper in society in general has changed. Since the rise of the internet and the proliferation of rolling news sites and cable TV channels, the local newspaper has been less about breaking news and arguably more about our position in the heart of our community.

And that is a position we are very proud of, for we represent you, our readers.

Yesterday we told you of the success of our Streetwise column, which has racked up consumer rights victories worth more than £100,000 since it began.

We strive to campaign on the issues that are important. Vascular surgery at QA is a perfect example of this.

However, it doesn’t always have to be something that affects a lot of individuals, but is an important matter of principle. Take the campaign to get the veterans of the Second World War’s Arctic Convoys the recognition that we and many, many others felt was long overdue.

We fought several successive governments until the veterans were finally vindicated with the creation of the Arctic Star.

We may not always win the campaigns we back, but we back them because we think they’re what matters to you.

And it’s not only the big headline-grabbing campaigns – every week we feature We Can Do It, highlighting the efforts of those in our communities who make a difference – the people we believe deserve their moment in the sun for their often selfless works.

We are proud of the city and the region we cover and represent.

As we have often said in the past: ‘It’s all about you.’

And we hope that in years to come we can bring you many more stories of success for our region and its people.