Since 1872, the Cambs Times has been there with you.

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.

We have brought you incredible stories from the Fens, like the tale of Jim Hocking, the Australian pilot officer who died saving the town of March from tragic consequences in 1944.

Aged just 21, Hocking ordered the crew of his Stirling bomber to bail out after it caught fire on a training flight. He then steered the plane away from March town centre, crashing into surrounding fields to avert disaster.

Fifty years later our journalists were among the first in 1994 to tell the story of six prisoners who briefly escaped from the special secure unit of the new £58m jail at Whitemoor, wounding one officer with a gun.

Always true to our Fen roots, we’ve featured local sporting legends like boxing’s Dave ‘Boy’ Green, snooker’s Joe Perry and heptathlete Louise Hazel. For many years we published a weekly column by local author David Self, better known perhaps as the man who set the questions for Nicholas Parsons and Sale of the Century on ITV’s ‘quiz of the week’.

Most importantly, the 21st century the newspaper retains its remit of solid local reporting and has re-energised its campaigning and investigatory zeal.

Today, with journalism already under pressure and coronavirus making finances even tighter, 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.

Thank you

John Elworthy, Editor