We won't be beaten in a world of uncertainties - Laura Collins, YEP Editor

What a difference a year makes.

This time last year our city had only just come together to celebrate our collective pride in Leeds United’s centenary year.

The Yorkshire Evening Post has been with the club through thick and thin during the last century so as the newly appointed editor I felt an incredible sense of duty to document such a seminal moment in our city’s history. After all, newspapers are the first rough draft of our history.

I remember at the end of the week struggling to work out how to even put down in words my delight at being named the editor of a title I’ve been so proud to work at since I was a trainee in 2007.

Having the privilege to take the reins of this newspaper was something I had aspired to when I first stepped into our newsroom.

In that very first column I wrote about what an honour it is as journalists that we get to share the extraordinary stories of the seemingly ordinary people who make Leeds such a wonderful place to live and work.

Now fast forward a year later and who could have ever have predicted we’d be where we are today?

Here we are, seven months on since the pandemic turned all of our lives upside down.

It struck me yesterday just how long it has been since I was last able to see my mum and dad in person – and to be perfectly honest I’m not even sure when I’ll be able to see them again as new restrictions continue to come into force. In the last week alone we’ve seen parts of the north of England placed into stricter lockdown measures and here in Leeds we are wondering whether our city might face a similar fate.

It has been one of the biggest challenges this generation has ever faced – and the responsibility of covering this as an editor has weighed incredibly heavy on my shoulders.

Not only have we had to make sense of what is going on around us but we have the unenviable task of writing about those who we have sadly lost to the virus.

As journalists we’ve borne the brunt of the abuse online and as such we were compelled to launch our Call It Out campaign to put an end to online abuse.

We’ve also had the pride of celebrating our frontline key workers and those who have made such a difference to those communities they live in through simple acts of kindness.

It’s an understatement to say that it has been a tough year for so many of us.

So as I sit here and reflect on what has happened over the last year there are still so many uncertainties about what the next 12 months will bring.

But there is one thing that I can be absolutely certain of and that is the fact Leeds’s resilience will continue to shine through.

And that is all down to those many groups, organisations and seemingly ordinary individuals who have shown hope and a sense of true Yorkshire grit.

At its very core our city has shown its sheer resolute determination not to be beaten.

And long may that fighting spirit continue – and you can rely on the YEP to still be right there with you every step of the way.

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.