In terms of news headlines, 2020 was dominated by the coronavirus pandemic. While, inevitably, we reported the rise and fall in case numbers and deaths, we also published a huge number of positive stories and pictures about the heroic efforts of our frontline staff and also members of the community who stepped up to offer support to their communities. People in Huntingdonshire also supported the Black Lives Matter campaign in June and The Hunts Post launched its first podcast.


April: The overwhelming gratitude we all felt for our brave NHS heroes and other key workers was reflected in the thunderous applause which resonated throughout our local communities on Thursday nights at eight o’clock. The Clap for Carers initiative was supported in towns and villages across Huntingdonshire.


April/May: The Hunts Post paid tribute to NHS and care staff by publishing photos of frontline staff. We published a front page with photographs of nurses, doctors, carers and others who continued to work during the height of the pandemic and hundreds more over the following six weeks.


May: The coronavirus pandemic meant plans to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day had to be hastily rearranged. Instead of parades and mass events, we had wonderful, socially-distanced front garden parties. The Hunts Post published a 75th anniversary tribute that looked at how people marked the occasion in 1945.


June: More than 100 people took to the streets in St Neots to support the Black Lives Matter campaign. Many were carrying placards with messages which read “I Can’t Breathe” and Black Lives Matter”. More than 120 people ‘took the knee’ as part of a peaceful show of solidarity in Huntingdon.


September: HDC used its Think Local campaign to urge people to shop and do business locally. The campaign was supported by The Hunts Post.


October: The Hunts Post launched its We Need To Talk campaign and the first subject under the spotlight was grief. The news team produced its first podcast which discussed the debilitating pain and distress that many feel when dealing with grief. It also offered support, advice and hope and comfort for anyone struggling to cope with bereavement. The paper has since launched a second podcast about the contaminated blood scandal, and in January, the subject of mental health will be the focus.