Matt Nicholls is Head of Communications Improvement and Support at the Local Government Association. He established the LGA’s communications improvement offer in 2015, which provides direct support to around 50 councils every year, including peer reviews and crisis communications. He was previously the LGA’s Head of News and also Interim Head of Communications at Rochdale Council. Prior to this he worked in communications at one of the UK’s largest trade unions and started his career as a local journalist.