In Wiltshire Council’s mellow stone HQ in Trowbridge, leader Baroness Scott welcomed the contestants and painted them a compelling picture of the county as a place to live, supported by the council and its three priorities – growing the economy, building strong communities and protecting the vulnerable.

At the heart of it all is community engagement, delivered primarily through 18 district area boards which were created in 2009. Steve Milton, Wiltshire CC’s head of communities, described the council’s ground breaking approach which would form the basis of the contestants’ challenge over the next 24 hours.