THIS Christmas, we can only hope that the words of an old Christmas song – some day soon we all will be together ­­– will ring true.

Families will be split up and one of the key ingredients of this special time of year ­– the feeling of togetherness ­– may feel lost.

While we’re apart, we must do everything we can not to lose that spirit of community; it’s why you will read about how our hamper deliveries were able to go ahead in the best way we could.

While there is excitement about vaccines, none of us knows what will happen next in this crisis.

What we do know is that there will be a battle to protect more lives from being lost, combined with a painful economic fallout.

The New Journal is not immune to such threats, but the encouragement and warmth we have received from readers has only made us more committed to the pledge that we printed on our front page at the start of the pandemic.

This vow was to help people get clear and trusted information, while pointing people towards support services where they were needed.

We pledged to hold to account those in charge of the policies which will affect the course of this crisis, locally and nationally.

In doing so, we have highlighted the non-negotiable need for workers to be protected with the right PPE and proper support to those facing poverty through no fault of their own.

And in the face of rising numbers struggling to access food, we have played a direct role in helping with our CNJ food aid project.  We could not sit on the sidelines and simply report the pandemic from a desk.

Local newspapers, however, are now facing their most challenging economic times.

A tough 2021 awaits us all, but it is the encouragement of our readers which inspires us each week to battle on.

And for that everyone here says: Merry Christmas to you all.