We come to you on a mission – to encourage you to support your local independent businesses.

It has been asked of you before we know but this time there are many and incredibly special reasons for asking you to do just that.

Our local High Streets are the life blood of our communities- and they are in trouble.

Not simply from internet shopping but by the devastating consequences of Covid-19.

We asked ourselves how we could support them and in so doing encourage you to help them.

Our plan was simplicity itself –go out on the High Street, talk to your local independent traders, and tell their stories.

And that is what we have been doing.

This week we have been out to Wisbech, to March and to Ely.

And do not worry if you live in Chatteris, Whittlesey, Littleport or Soham we are heading down your High Street soon.

Behind the shop counter across Fenland and East Cambridgeshire are hard working families daily putting a smile on their faces as they arrive for work.

It is not as it was. Customers must often queue to get in to observe social distancing guidelines, masks must be worn by shoppers, and there can often be general despair as to how long they can remain open.

There are many things we cannot solve and bringing an end to the pandemic is, of course, one of them.

But what we can do – and will do in coming days and weeks- is put them into the spotlight.

You can see for yourselves what is on offer locally, put a name to a face behind the till, and listen to their stories of entrepreneurship, determination and of the love and passion they individually and collectively bring to our towns.

These are not super rich retail giants but hard working, diligent, inventive, customer focused and community driven businesses.

Apart from discovering that they can often match bigger and even online retailers on price, what they offer is reliability, continuance, and an unrivalled personal service.

#ShopLocal is not the cliché it sounds like but a real opportunity to make a real difference.

Any local independent business that we have not yet contacted and who would like to feature in our series, please email ben.jolley@archant.co.uk or john.elworthy@archant.co.uk