I was invited to be a speaker and attendee at the District Council's Network in St Albans recently as the convenor of the Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCOE). Among the number of highly informative keynotes, presentations, and panel discussions there was a particular sentence that stood out: ‘Our primary job as a council is to ensure our residents do not come to harm.'

As a newcomer to the world of local government, this was a thought that resonated with me from former council chief executive and local government adviser Barry Quirk CBE. He was joined by major general Martin Smith CB MBE (retired), the former commandant general of the Royal Marines, during a panel discussion on Leadership in Adversity.