Hello Leeds: Turning the page to help shape our city's story - Laura Collins, YEP Editor

When you talk about the magic of storytelling, many of our earliest memories transport us back to those priceless childhood moments.

Reading a story was always the highlight of my bedtime routine. It was a time my imagination could truly run wild while being taken away to magical faraway places without any limitations.

The Secret Seven, Famous Five and the Faraway Tree – the list is endless. And don’t forget the individual voices for the many weird and wonderful characters encountered along the way.

I’ll always be fond of the memories of Plop the baby barn owl as he discovered the magical capabilities of the dark.

The Owl Who Was Afraid Of the Dark was one of my favourite books as a child.

It was one of those that had been read so many times that the pages had started to curl over and the front cover was slightly battered.

Looking back, I’m convinced it was a subtle ploy from my parents to reassure me about the dark.

I hated the dark. I always had to go to sleep with my bedroom door slightly open so the warm glow of the landing light would softly illuminate the room.

Stories are very much a part of our daily lives that shape our experiences.

They range from the different anecdotes we use to regale our friends and families, right through to the newspapers and books we choose to read.

Stories are an important way to connect audiences and shape narratives and cultures. They have the incredible ability to stimulate our senses by involving us in an emotional and intellectual journey.

Compelling storytelling also opens our eyes and allows us to view the world from a different perspective as well as helping us understand what is happening around us.

The Yorkshire Evening Post has been right at the heart of telling the story of Leeds since 1890. Over the decades, we have captured all aspects of life in our city.

Some of those stories have made for uncomfortable reading as journalists report on the big issues and tough news stories affecting our readers – and none more so than over the last year as we navigate our way through this once-in-a-generation crisis.

This newspaper has also looked at the lighter side of life in Leeds by shining a spotlight on the people and organisations who work incredibly hard to help boost others and make a difference to their communities.

And that is why today we are launching a new campaign with Leeds 2023 to showcase the uplifting side to our city’s collective story.

Our Hello Leeds campaign aims to celebrate the very best of our communities and cultural organisations through the power of storytelling.

And we need your help to capture and tell them, so please do get in touch if you’d like to be featured.

Stories help to shape all of our lives – especially as we start to emerge from the darkness, just like little Plop.

A message from the Editor:

Leeds has a fantastic story to tell - and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been rooted firmly at the heart of telling the stories of our city since 1890. We believe in ourselves and hope you believe in us too. We need your support to help ensure we can continue to be at the heart of life in Leeds.Subscribe to our website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe. For more details on our newspaper subscription offers click here.