BEING Provost is a privilege. It is a role that connects me with all that is good and worth celebrating in Inverclyde.

But there are moments when the enormity of the position and the responsibility of representing Inverclyde hits home, particularly when tragedy and terror tears apart the peaceful lives of communities elsewhere.

Last week’s attack in Barcelona was as unexpected as it was brutal. 

I cannot begin to think how many families have been affected by the actions of a group of radicalised extremists whose twisted take on a peaceful religion is at the heart of their murderous actions.

Once again the response of the emergency services has to be praised. They were on the scene in a matter of seconds and every day since there has been a new development as the manhunt to track down everyone involved intensifies.

But it seems almost on a daily basis we hear of another seemingly random attack or another atrocity thwarted by the security services.

The threat — whether real or perceived — has become part of our everyday lives particularly now the terrorists are resorting to relatively low-tech means to launch their attacks.

It is the harsh reality that we all now have to live with. 

We have to be vigilant but we cannot allow that vigilance to become overwhelming or to affect our relationships. 

Life must carry on as normal and we should pride ourselves on our humanity, compassion and care for each other.

I talked about the enormity and the responsibility of my role as Provost.

A big part of my job is to ensure that message is not lost and to remind us all that although the world is not perfect and terrible things do happen — the vast majority of us will never be touched by these tragedies.

For our young people in particular life is very much a learning curve — as each year passes their knowledge, understanding and perception of the world changes.

In Inverclyde we are rightly proud of them and at this time of the year in particular we are reminded of their dedication and determination to make the most of every opportunity to reach their full potential.

I was delighted to be invited to last week’s grand finale of Inverclyde Council’s Recruit programme.

All of the Recruits were selected on their overall performance, attitude, potential, personal drive, determination and employability skills. As well as achieving their own personal goals they also managed to raise a commendable £5,000 for Ardgowan Hospice.

The Recruit is an excellent model for how young people can both challenge themselves and develop their personalities and professional qualities.

I believe education is not just about academic success. It is about producing rounded, thoughtful individuals with the capacity to put their knowledge and experience into practice but also to continue that learning process in life.