This week we are launching Holding Our Community Together, our campaign to raise awareness of the impact made by your local newspaper every week.

After the past 18 months saw everyday life disrupted in ways few of us could have imagined, we remain proud of the positive difference the Post has made during the pandemic and successive lockdowns.

Just as we have done for generations, we have reported on life in our area through the bad times and the good. With people reading our website and following the Post and its staff on social media, we are reaching more people than ever before.

Nobody understands our community like your trusted local newspaper, so we wanted to shout about the difference we make.

We take pride in the reach, audience engagement and editorial coverage we deliver and the impact we make each week in the area we serve.

During the pandemic, we remained at the forefront of the efforts made by the community to try to overcome the difficulties faced by individuals and organisations.

We wrote about the people who stepped up to the plate, and their successes; we also highlighted the dangers of tnow following the guidelines and allowing the pandemic to take a hold locally.

And when we were finally allowed to venture out of our homes, we joined East Hampshire District Council in a campaign to urge everyone to shop local.

Having published news in this area since 1883 – when Mr FD Button published the first issue of The Petersfield Weekly News from his printing business in Lavant Street, which later became The Squeaker (Hants and Sussex News) and finally the Post – we can confidently say nobody understands our community, their strengths and challenges, like us.

As well as holding deep local knowledge, we occupy an unrivalled position celebrating the achievements of our people and holding to account those in authority when questions need to be raised for the public interest.

We can point to the unique ways we have led the public response to important local issues.

We have highlighted events at the district council, with claims of bullying in the halls of power, and the spending of millions on a property portfolio.

But we are not here just to report on the problems we have faced. Our brand is built on reporting stories about local people, whether it is the everyday milestones in their lives or their extraordinary achievements.

The good news stories we have enjoyed sharing with you recently include young Charlie Jones, who raised £3,000 to buy a specially-adapted scooter for his three-year-old cousin.

The world has changed and continues to change, yet we are proud of the unique place we hold in local life.

We are grateful for your continued support and look forward to sharing all the important news for our community, both in your trusted weekly newspaper or on our website, as we rebuild from the shock of the pandemic.

Most of all, we will value the unique place we hold in the community, reporting on local life as a trusted voice for you. Thank you for supporting us as we carry on, holding our community together.