After eight and a half years as chief executive of Newcastle City Council, Pat Ritchie is stepping down. There is, she says, a pandemic recovery job ahead for the city – one that she is handing over to a new incumbent.

The council has been rethinking its role, boosted by the importance of community, and of building resilience. Pat, who has a background in regional economic development, explains: ‘People have been dependent on their neighbourhood [during the pandemic]. The 15-minute city has become a real, lived concept.’