It is fair to say that this year has been a challenging one for the majority of people. The increased cost of living continues to put pressure on households. Inequality remains particularly acute in this part of the country.

Issues with health and social care remain unresolved. Yorkshire’s farmers continue to face uncertainty, despite the Government’s inheritance tax climbdown. And the region’s economic potential, frustratingly, remains untapped.

But this is a time of goodwill and that is certainly not in short supply across this proud region. Yorkshire folk are not defined by the challenges that they face but how they continue to rise to them with grace and humour.

Christmas is an opportunity for all of us to pause and reflect, to take stock and be grateful for what we have as well as seeking to do better in the future.

placeholder image — Christmas decorations at a home.

Despite the various challenges, there is still quite a bit to cheer in this region. Yorkshire’s food and drink producers remain the best in class. Yorkshire provenance is something, rightly, to be proud of.

The healthcare sector continues to evolve rapidly with frontier technologies playing an increasing role in delivery of care and a lot of the innovation is emanating from God’s Own Country.

Climate change is an ever-present threat to the planet. While a lot of the emphasis is on headline grabbing announcements at international gatherings, the real green shoots of reversing climate change can be seen in the industrial hotbeds of Yorkshire.

The central message of Christmas is simply of hope and there is plenty of it to go around Yorkshire. This hope is embedded in the very communities that this newspaper strives to give voice to.

From all at The Yorkshire Post, we wish our readers and supporters a very Merry Christmas.