Editor’s Letter: We’re always here for you… now please help support our journalism

The highs and lows of Ipswich Town - this being a high. Mick Mills and Roger Osborne with the FA Cup in 1978 Picture: Archant (Image: Archant)

Right now we reach more of you in print and via digital than we ever have before.

But now, more than ever before, our work to inform and entertain you is in danger - and we need your help to build a sustainable future for our title.

Over the years we’ll have made you think, made you smile, made you angry, made you proud of our region.

For example, we broke the world exclusive on the Sutton Hoo discovery in 1939 - one of the most extraordinary archaeological finds ever made in Britain. Our newspapers from the time are now being recreated to feature in a major new film about the discovery.

We’ve covered the ups and downs of Ipswich Town, not least when they won the FA Cup in 1978 – a magical moment for every Blues fan! Our victory parade headline ‘In our Blue Heaven’ was used to inspire the musical celebrating the 40th anniversary of the triumph in 2018.

We led the coverage of the tragic 1953 floods, in which 307 people died on the east coast, including 41 in Felixstowe.

We have kept you entertained with arts and culture – no more so than when The Beatles played at the Ipswich Gaumont in the 1960s. And we continue to celebrate our local heroes, including Ed Sheeran’s rise from playing Suffolk pubs to being one of the world’s biggest stars.

And we have campaigned. In recent years, we’ve helped Suffolk Community Foundation raise hundreds of thousands of pounds to keep people warm in winter. Right now, we are supporting the community response to coronavirus with our Home But Not Alone campaign.

How we covered the tragic floods of 1953 (Image: Archant)

Today, with journalism already under pressure and coronavirus making things even tighter financially, more and more communities are no longer represented by a local newspaper. Corruption goes unpunished. Bad decisions go unchecked. Fake news spreads uncorrected on social media.

To stop that happening in our region, we are inviting readers of our websites to give their financial support to our work. You can contribute any amount you like, as a one-off or a recurring contribution.

I believe that accurate, useful, honest, local journalism is vital to our future and I know you believe that too.

That’s why I hope you will help us. Every single gesture of support will keep us fighting for you and our region.

The Beatles appear at the Gaumont back in November 1964 (Image: Archant)

Thank you

Brad Jones, Editor

In recent years, we have helped raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for the Surviving Winter campaign, which helps people stay warm in winter Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)