THE legend below the Echo’s masthead makes the rather grandiose claim that we are “The Great Daily Of The North.”

We will leave it to readers to decide if we continue to live up to that title.

This newspaper was founded and continues to have its head office in Darlington but we are very much a paper that strives to serve communities across the North-East and North Yorkshire. This week alone our front page has led on stories based in South West Durham, Peterlee, Tyneside and Tees Valley. While most local papers serve a town, city or tightly-defined community the Echo has a much wider reach that tries to see beyond the tribal rivalries that too often separate Tyne from Wear from Tees and use our voice to talk about issues and stories that connect us – both the good and the bad.

In that spirit of togetherness we are supporting Sunderland’s bid to be named UK City of Culture in 2021.

The title comes with the promise of a year of cultural attractions and a potential multi-million pound boost to the local economy.

So why would we like to see Sunderland win? After all, Tees Valley is bidding to become City of Culture 2025 and that area represents more of the Echo’s natural heartland. It would be easy for us to ignore the claims of Wearside and throw our weight solely behind Tees Valley but we believe that would undermine our claim to be an advocate for the whole of this region.

Sunderland has a thriving independent music scene, a superb theatre and has hosted some of the world's biggest acts at the Stadium of Light's summer concerts but we do not believe that the city is a major cultural hub right now. However, the UK City of Culture contest is all about giving places the impetus to change. The title has certainly helped previous winners Derry and Hull - communities riven by internal conflict that bear the scars of economic decline - to use the positive impact of a vibrant arts scene as a means of bringing residents together.

With the right vision and cross-regional support Sunderland has the potential to undergo its own transformation. That process has started already and if you visit Sunderland today you can sense a growing sense of confidence and a collective determination in the former shipbuilding hotbed to forge a distinct and lasting cultural identity.

Sunderland is the only North-East town bidding for the 2021 title and we would prefer to see it succeed ahead of rival bidders such as Portsmouth, Perth and Paisley. 

A more buoyant cultural scene in Sunderland will benefit our region as a whole.

For these reasons we are supporting Sunderland and we think that you should too.

To find out more visit www.sunderland2021.com On Twitter follow @Sunderland2021 and use hashtag #sunderland2021 or go to www.facebook.com/sunderland2021 or www.instagram.com/sunderland2021