For 134 years we've been providing independent, high-quality journalism right here from our community about the issues that matter to you.

Since the rise of the internet, we've been providing an online service for free. 

But quality journalism costs money to produce and we want to be open with you, our loyal readers, and say this is no longer sustainable.

So today we are calling on you to help us by asking you to subscribe to the lep.co.uk website.

This focuses on keeping you in the know and offers an enhanced and more enjoyable ad-lite online experience, with access to our newsletters.

Your financial support means we can continue reporting on the important issues of the day, focusing on those issues which impact your lives right here in Lancashire and hold power to account.

Our voice is more important than ever with the rise of unregulated, skewed and inaccurate reporting through social media. 

It's not easy to know who or what to trust in these days when social media often decides what you should read on a day to day basis and the trend is to shout 'fake news' at all and sundry.

But like many of you, my team and I have lived here in Lancashire most of my life and care about our beautiful county. I've personally been working as a journalist in Lancashire for 20 of those. We want to keep standing up for you, as we have throughout this pandemic.

We will never knowingly mislead you, will retain our neutral political stance, and we will always lobby for the Lancashire we love as much as you do. We are there for you.

With thanks for your continued support, Nicola Adam, deputy editor, Lancashire Post.