The last few months have seen a deluge of bad news; people have lost their homes and their livelihoods because of unprecedented flooding , the NHS is under fire from watchdogs and patients alike and councils across the UK are constantly criticised.

These are tough times and austerity is here to stay.

We are all aware of what's happening across the country, but we wouldn't be human if we didn't focus on our own communities where we live and work. This focus is something that those of us in local government know only too well, and sometimes, to our cost.