Dear Readers,

You may notice in the coming weeks that The Journal could appear a little different.

We may need to reduce the overall pages we publish, concentrating on our local news content as much as we can.The reason, of course, is the coronavirus, COVID-19, which has led to the mass cancellation of many events, including sport, and the obvious impact that this will have on the local economy and, as a free newspaper, upon us.

We will continue to publish as much as we can and would ask our wonderful, loyal readers to send us their news stories, via email to: [email protected] and we will do our best to publish these.

Please do not come to our offices, as we are not accepting visitors and will be working from home soon.The phone will be diverted and we will be able to respond to your emails.

Most importantly, we would like to celebrate acts of kindness amid the COVID-19 outbreak and to keep those self-isolating themselves connected with the community. We do not want people to feel alone.

We aim to promote any agencies offering door-to-door support through the pages of the The Journal, and are also appealing for readers to share examples of community spirit during these times. It goes without saying that we will be packing the paper full of the latest information, advice and contact details where we can, too.

You will still be able to pick up The Journal weekly from the main supermarkets and larger outlets and readers can also contact us to arrange subscriptions if you are self-isolating. Readers can also view our digital edition online at: www.mnrjournal.co.uk

If we work together, our local communities will be stronger.

Keep safe, be kind and considerate, look after your families and each other.

Best wishes,

Becky Brooks, Editor

Lucy Slade, Editorial

Sarah Jane Shipley, Advertising