I think that most of us who work in local newspapers appreciate what a unique job we do and what a privileged position we hold at the heart of the communities we serve.

Some of us having been doing it for many years while others, myself included, found themselves taking on the role of editor in a brand new area, just a few weeks before Coronavirus plunged us into a pandemic and turned life as we knew it, on its heels.

Since March of last year the Brecon and Radnor Express has had its fair share of change - not only has it got a new(ish) editor, we’re a different size and the way the paper looks has changed with a new masthead and front page.

What I hope hasn’t changed, is our dedication to bringing the very best in local and community news to our readers, and even to putting a local slant on to what is happening in the Senedd and at Westminster, all of which has an impact on our lives.

I realised all too well when I took on the editorship of the Brecon and Radnor Express that I was the simply the latest to be given the responsibility of looking after a newspaper that has been serving the needs of its community and making its readers laugh, cry and occasionally roll their eyes since 1889.

Today’s Brecon and Radnor Express may be very different to the one Edwin Poole first founded over 130 years ago, with more people than ever reading the paper on our website and following our title and its staff on social media but we’d like to think that the core ethos remains the same, and that nobody understands our community like we do - so with that in mind we wanted to shout about the difference we make.

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

Although the last 18 months have disrupted everyday life in ways few of us could have imagined, we remain proud about the positive difference our paper and our sister titles across Wales have made during the pandemic and successive lockdowns.

Through the seemingly endless lockdown, we worked hard to keep our local communities up to date with how the ever-changing situation affected them and helped keep families together by printing pictures and messages from loved ones in care homes.

We paid tribute to our NHS and essential service heroes with pictures and stories of those who were going above and beyond to keep our communities safe and looked after, and as we slowly began to emerge from lockdown we helped support local businesses as they started to re-open.

We’ve tried to keep you informed with the latest news from your councils...and where we can, to hold them to account for decisions they take which impact our daily lives.

But that is a small part of what we do - for any local paper, to be successful, has to reflect its community and the people who make it up....so our stories have to be about YOU and that’s what makes us unique.

Our paper is built on reporting stories about local people, whether it is the everyday milestones in their lives or their extraordinary achievements.

Whether you’ve jumped from a plane for charity, walked up a mountain with your sick dog or volunteered at your local theatre, your stories are what matter.

The world may have changed but what we do has remained reassuring the same as it always has been and we are proud of the unique place we hold in local life.

We are grateful to all our readers old and new for your continued support and look forward to meeting even more of you in person and sharing all the important news for our community, both in our newspaper and on our website, as we rebuild from the shock of the pandemic.

These are exciting times for the Brecon and Radnor Express - our new team has lots of plans for the future and we look forward to seeing the paper grow and thrive as we all get back to normality after the shock of the past few years.

One thing however will always remain the same - we will continue to 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. We really couldn’t do it without your and your stories.