This month, I was able to get out and about, attending the Society of District Council Treasurers' conference. It was good to meet with other district section 151 officers and discuss key issues. Time away from the day-to-day is good for problem-solving.

Local government finance seems to be the biggest issue and hottest topic in our sector right now. So, at a time when there is much wider and growing understanding around the issues, it's refreshing to have ideas around reform, learning from other countries and remodelling pilots of the different systems coming forward.