Last week APSE had the pleasure of awarding the Van Coulter Award for Outstanding Service to Local Government to Jacqui Dixon MBE, the retiring chief executive of Antrim and Newtownabbey Council. It was a pleasure to be in the council chamber as the leaders of four different political groups paid tribute to her.

Having steered the predecessor councils through the path of reorganisation, brought in more than £1bn in investment, led on the Covid response and worked in an extraordinary political environment with a suspended Northern Ireland Assembly, Jacqui can be extremely proud of her accomplishments: integrity, honesty, compassion and dedication to all communities. So too the work of the senior management team sharing a can-do culture and mutuality of respect.