This week the Mercury and its team wears its heart on its sleeve and says loudly and proudly We Love Dover.

For a campaigning and sometimes hard-hitting local newspaper, it can be tempting to focus on the negative and only run stories about what is going wrong rather than focusing on what is going right.

There is so much to celebrate that it is important that we also report on the good as well as the bad, the light as well as the shade.

And that is where you come in. We want to know what you love about the town and its people.

You can follow and message our Twitter feed @WeLoveDover or tweet using the hashtag #welovedover.

You can also email us at welovedover@thekmgroup.co.uk

So what makes us smile when we think of the town? There is the people that live and work here and their compassion.

Reporter Sam Lennon who looks after Dover said: “I have never before seen so many people in one town rally for one single cause, raising money for teenager Kelly Turner who is fighting a particularly deadly form of cancer and they are not giving up.”

The very same people care passionately about where they live and about making the town a success.

They celebrate diversity and being somewhere people from all over the world arrive and get their first impressions of the UK. There are the scores of voluntary groups, charities and clubs and societies that contribute so much for very little thanks.

There is the beauty of the surroundings with the famous white cliffs, the sea, Dover Castle sitting proudly up above the town and paradises like Kearsney Abbey and Connaught Park.

There is the wealth of the town’s history as well as its links to the Continent and to London.

And finally, there is the town’s future too with important, sometimes controversial, developments on the way.

Don’t take our word for it – read how other people feel too.

“As chairman of the Dover Society, I, like all the 460 other members, am passionate about Dover’s past, its present and its future.

“As a history buff what better place to live with its fantastic history and surviving heritage assets – not only the castle but many others including the Bronze Age boat, the Roman Painted House, the Maison Dieu, the harbour and not forgetting the caves and tunnels.

"The future for Dover is looking much brighter with the redevelopment of the Western Docks and the potential for an attractive and lively waterfront around the extended marina."

Derek Leach, chairman, Dover Society

“Dovorians are proud and determined folk. They are proud of their history – being on the frontline and standing firm during the Second World War.

"They are proud of their heritage – the White Cliffs, Dover Castle and port.

"And they are now determined that their town gets the bright future it deserves.

“There is so much to love about Dover – hidden gems like old St James’ Church, the brilliant micropubs and the stunning promenade.

"But it is the people of this great town who spur me on every day to keep fighting for Dover.

“There is so much to be excited about in Dover. So much has happened in the past six years to lay the foundations of a bright future.

"We stopped the port being sold off. We got a new hospital built. We knocked down Burlington House. And we signed up Cineworld to the St James scheme.

"Now it’s time to build on these foundations, getting more jobs and more things to do in Dover.”

Charlie Elphicke, Dover MP

“What’s not to love about Dover? From its natural and historic landmarks, its stunning coastal location, to the warm spirit of the people of Dover.

“You can go anywhere in the world and everyone knows where Dover is.

“The town and port have weathered many changes, often momentous and sometimes challenging.

"But the determination of the people of Dover has always shone through.

"That resilience is helping us to build a stronger future for Dover as our regeneration and inward investment plans start to deliver major projects to rejuvenate the town centre, improve access, build new homes, and make Dover a destination not just to pass through, but to visit.”

Cllr Paul Watkins (Con), leader, Dover District Council

“I love Dover and the people of Dover for so many reasons. I meet the people in my shop every day and have done for the past 45 years.

"From pre-Roman times to the present day Dover people have been hard working, resilient and resourceful in the face of hardship and in the frontline of two world wars and – most recently – the economic downturn.

“I am very proud that Dover has one of the few successful town teams – volunteers who work 70-hour weeks and then put in much more time for the benefit of the town that we love.

"There is a hole in the heart of the town due to the economic downturn – but we are working extremely hard with other volunteer groups to fix it.”

John Angell, chairman, Dover Town Team

“The port has had some fantastic community support and I know there is great pride and spirit in Dover – town and port.

“We believe passionately in Dover and its future. That’s why we continue to invest in local projects through the Port of Dover Community Fund as well as delivering events such as the Port of Dover Community Regatta and White Cliffs Christmas that are bringing everyone together.

“Dover and its people are absolutely at the heart of a port which is working at the heart of the community while maintaining the heartbeat of the UK’s economic prosperity.

"The Dover Western Docks Revival (DWDR) is obviously a key part of our vision to create the best port in the world for the benefit of our customers and our community.

"DWDR is a game-changing opportunity for the regeneration of Dover, bringing the port and town closer together and delivering jobs, investment and an exciting waterfront transformation alongside a key cargo and logistics development.”

Tim Waggott, chief executive, Port of Dover