By Mark Adlestone OBE

A year ago, on Yom Kippur, the holiest and most solemn day in the Jewish calendar, our lives changed forever. 

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I remember the moment vividly. I was at my synagogue when word began to spread that there had been a terrorist attack. 

My wife, Gabrielle, had been contacted with an urgent message for me to come online and begin dealing with the aftermath.

As the first grim details emerged from Heaton Park, my thoughts instinctively turned to Rabbi Walker and his congregants.

I spent the day discussing the immediate response with our political leadership. That evening, I stood alongside the Home Secretary, Andy Burnham, Bev Craig, the Chief Constable and senior representatives of our emergency services at a press conference as we came to terms with what had happened.

Standing there that evening, I was conscious that the visible support mattered, but I also knew that they could not begin to capture what our community was feeling.

For me, the most important moment came the following day. 

I chaired a meeting with communal representatives, the Prime Minister, Home Secretary and leaders from across Greater Manchester. 

It was an extraordinarily frank conversation. 

We thanked the Prime Minister for the solidarity but were clear that words were insufficient.  We told government directly that our community had not felt adequately protected in the........

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