It’s incredible to think six months have already flown by since I began my journey as mayor of East Grinstead. Every day since May has reinforced my deep pride in this wonderful, beautiful town and the people who make it so special. I’m endlessly grateful to everyone who has welcomed me and shared their stories along the way.
The past months have brought so many memorable moments and the chance to connect with countless clubs, organizations, and remarkable individuals who give their time and energy to make East Grinstead an even better place. This community spirit—the volunteers and residents who support one another—is truly like the glue that keeps East Grinstead strong and resilient.
Among the standout moments was the Jeunes Sans Frontières event in Bourg-de-Péage, where I had the immense pleasure of witnessing our students become Champions of Europe. Their achievement fills me with pride, and it’s been a joy to meet so many of East Grinstead’s young people, each of whom is a fantastic ambassador for our town. They are the next generation of leaders and community builders, and their enthusiasm and dedication to representing East Grinstead make me incredibly optimistic for the future.
Some other unforgettable highlights include the commemorations of D-Day, where we gathered to honour the courage of those who fought for freedom, and the vibrant East Court Live events, held on two brilliant summer days. Each gathering, from the Fire Station Open Day to Queen Victoria Hospital’s 80th anniversary celebration of the Canadian Wing, the Classic Car Show, and the East Grinstead 10k, has showcased the unique charm of our town and the strong bonds between its people.
A special moment was also hosting the Mayor’s reception, where we celebrated our town’s unsung heroes. These volunteers, working quietly behind the scenes, are the foundation of our community’s strength. It’s their dedication and kindness that keep East Grinstead thriving, and we are all better for their contributions.
One of the most exciting projects we’ve undertaken this year has been raising funds for East Grinstead’s first electric Community Trishaw in collaboration with the local charity Being Neighbourly. Our goal is to raise £12,000, and thanks to the support of so many, we’ve already raised £6,000! This trishaw will provide a life-changing experience for socially isolated, able, and less able-bodied members of our community, giving them the opportunity to feel the joy of cycling. I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has supported this initiative and helped us get so far. Your generosity will make a tangible difference in the lives of so many. There is still a long way to go so if you’d like to contribute to this wonderful and life-changing project, please click here to donate.
Looking ahead, the next six months promise even more to look forward to, including the Christmas lights and the Big Reveal, both of which will bring our community together in celebration. I am profoundly grateful for every person I’ve met, every story shared, and every act of kindness I’ve witnessed. Serving East Grinstead is a true honour, and I’m excited for all that lies ahead as we continue working together to keep our town as vibrant, strong, and beautiful as ever.
The East Court Mansion and the Meridian Hall form part of the East Court Estate, which is set-in award-winning parkland conveniently nestled in the serene Countryside of Sussex with sweeping views overlooking Ashdown Forest in the distance.
The Meridian Hall has a capacity of 150 persons and in the main is used for weddings, birthday parties and other special occasions and directly linked to our multi-function room is our fully licensed bar; which has been operated by a local provider since 2015.
East Grinstead Town Council is committed to achieving best value and has a duty to regularly review its contracts to test the market and obtain value for money.
The agreement in place with our current provider is due for renewal in January 2025, and as such we would like to offer you the opportunity to provide a quotation for the provision of the bar facility for the East Grinstead Town Council.
East Grinstead Town Council views the bar service as a partnership and will work with the appointed provider to develop the facilities, equipment and promoting of the bar services, where possible.
The Remembrance Parade will take place on Sunday 10th November. Road closures will be in place from 10:15am to 12 noon. The following roads will be closed: King Street (which will be reopened after the parade has passed approx. 10:50am), London Road, High Street and Church Lane (as far as Chequer Mead Car Park) (see attached notice and road closure map).
There will be a minute’s silence at 11am, the Town Mayor and Mims Davis MP will each lay a wreath at the War Memorial in the High St. There will be a temporary halt of the traffic at 10.59 – 11.01 to allow the minutes silence and wreath laying to take place.
East Grinstead Town Council are pleased to announce the Sidney Betchley, Henry Smith Charity and John Smith’s Trust application form for 2024 is now live. The charity is a small trust that provides monetary support towards the cost of Christmas for those over 65. All applications are means tested by a trustee committee. If you know someone who would benefit from this provision, please do share the application form.
Printed copies can be collected from East Grinstead Town Council & The East Grinstead Library, or are available to download here.
The form should be completed and returned to the Deputy Town Clerk, East Grinstead Town Council, East Court Mansion, College Lane, East Grinstead RH19 3LT as soon as possible but no later than 10 November 2024. Please mark it as confidential.
Message from Jane Dickson Chief Nurse at Queen Victoria Hospital:-
I am really pleased to be able to share some excellent news today: our hospital has been ranked top in the country in the national inpatient survey.
The results of the latest Care Quality Commission Adult Inpatient Survey released today ( Wednesday 21 August) show that across the 49 questions our patients rated their experience of receiving care in our hospital as the best in the country.
Every single member of our staff and volunteers contributes to the positive experience patients have of our hospital. Thank you for your excellent clinical care. Thank you for your hard work behind the scenes. Thank you for every time you have stopped for somebody in the corridor, helped somebody in the line for coffee, or talked to a visitor in the carpark who’s looking for the right place to be.
In questions specifically about nurses, QVH came top in the country. Patients felt nurses answered questions in ways they could understand, included patients in conversations about their care, and patients felt there were enough nurses on duty to care for them.
QVH also came top in the country for the experience of leaving hospital. Patients felt they left hospital with the right information about how to care for themselves in the days ahead, and felt involved in decisions around leaving hospital. Patients also said that they knew what would happen next with their care after leaving QVH.
We improved in questions relating to the hospital overall and the ward or room a patient was staying in, in the confidence patients had in their nurses, and in how a patient was treated with dignity and respect when they stayed with us.
The Adult Inpatient Survey asks patients to rate their whole hospital journey from time on the waiting list before admission, through choice and quality of food, help with eating, wards quiet enough to sleep at night, being involved in decisions and given the right amount of information, being supported to leave hospital and go home safely.
Paralympian Fabienne Andre
Many of you may have met Fabienne Andre at the Mid Sussex Marathon or the Bluebell Railway accessible train carriage opening. Fabs is a Paralympian and while not from East Grinstead is a Sussex girl.
She will be competing in Paris for the parlympics starting next week – she is a wheelchair racer and she is in the T34 women’s final on Sunday 1st September (around 7.30 UK time) and the T34 800m women’s final Saturday 7th Sept (around 8.20pm).
Please cheer her on!
With best wishes
Julie Holden
Mid Sussex District Council Community Grants Programme
Mid Sussex District Council is delighted to announce the opening of the next round of applications for its Community Grants Programme. groups can apply for grants of up to £5,000, with the deadline for submissions set for 23rd September.
Councillor Anne-Marie Cooke, Interim Cabinet Member for Communities and Communications said: “Our District has many local organisations and charities that are all making a difference in our communities, and the programme is designed to celebrate and support these groups.
“We want to encourage groups to be creative in supporting sustainability goals and ensure that funding is actively benefiting our communities.”
Please see the full release below. For anything further, please get in touch.
Mid Sussex District Council opens applications for Community Grant applications
Mid Sussex District Council is delighted to announce the opening of the next round of applications for its Community Grants Programme. This initiative underscores the Council’s commitment to fostering a vibrant community by supporting local groups in the delivery of their projects and events. Eligible groups can apply for grants of up to £5,000, with the deadline for submissions set for 23rd September.
The Council has recently expanded the programme’s criteria to include pressing challenges such as the cost-of-living crisis, poverty, and climate change. These updates reflect the Council’s dedication to promoting sustainable development and enhancing the well-being of residents across the district. Importantly, applicants will now need to demonstrate how their projects contribute to the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Councillor Anne-Marie Cooke, Interim Cabinet Member for Communities and Communications said: “Our District has many local organisations and charities that are all making a difference in our communities, and the programme is designed to celebrate and support these groups.
“We want to encourage groups to be creative in supporting sustainability goals and ensure that funding is actively benefiting our communities. I urge all local organisations to review the criteria and consider applying.”
Earlier this year, the grants panel approved 9 community grant applications, totalling over £35,000. These grants have supported a variety of impactful initiatives, including the establishment of a repair café for The Dudley House Trust, the procurement of musical instruments for Burgess Hill Marching Youth, and the facilitation of dementia-friendly film screenings for The Chequer Mead Arts & Community Trust.
Community groups interested in applying for a grant are encouraged to visit the Council’s website for more information and to review the updated criteria. Where possible, we advise groups to arrange a call with the communities team before submitting for a higher chance of success. For any questions, groups can contact the Council directly via email at communities@midsussex.gov.uk.
GCSE results : congratulations to West Sussex Students
Students across West Sussex are celebrating today as they receive their eagerly anticipated GCSE results, marking a significant milestone in their academic journey. West Sussex County Council and partners are once again offering support to students opening their results.
Councillor Jacquie Russell, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Learning and Skills said: “Congratulations to everyone receiving results today, you should all be proud of your achievements. I would also like to highlight the work put in by West Sussex schools, teachers, parents and carers who have helped students fulfil their potential.
“Our careers team are on hand to provide support for you, whatever you choose to do next. There are plenty of opportunities available including further education, apprenticeships and other training, or employment, and support is available to help you fulfil your potential.”
Careers advice available
West Sussex County Council’s careers advisors are available to provide free, one-to-one advice.
It could be the grades you received weren’t what you were hoping for, or you’re wondering if further education, training or employment is the right route for you.
Chat with the careers team by calling 0330 222 7175 or emailing careersadvice@westsussex.gov.uk. You can also visit the careers guidance webpage for more information.
Supporting your wellbeing
Whether you’ve just had your GCSE grades today or you opened your A-Level results last week, if you’re feeling down, stressed or anxious after opening your grades you can find support, advice and plenty of useful resources to help you with your emotional wellbeing on the Your Mind Matters webpage. Mental health and wellbeing support is also available via NHS Sussex. Text SUSSEX to 85258 to access free, discreet and confidential support via your mobile phone.
A breakdown of all grades by region can be found on Ofqual’s website.
Ofsted praises West Sussex County Council for helping care leavers flourish
West Sussex County Council has been praised for its ‘substantially improved’ services that help young people leaving care to develop and flourish.
Ofsted said the council has created ‘a culture of excellent support’ for care leavers and that ‘leaders value them, their opinions matter to them and their work translates into meaningful change in how services are delivered.’
Inspectors visited the county council in July when they assessed arrangements for care leavers aged 18 to 25, including support into adulthood and for care leavers with specific needs.
Cllr Jacquie Russell, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, Learning and Skills, said: “I am incredibly proud of all of our staff who support care leavers. I’m delighted that their hard work and dedication, and the positive impact it has on young people’s lives, has been recognised by the Ofsted inspectors.
“Their findings are testament to the amazing work done every day by our teams to help care leavers fulfil their potential as they move into adulthood, and to continually improve the services we offer to those who need our support.”
Cllr Paul Marshall, Leader of West Sussex County Council, added: “We have invested in people and infrastructure, including our Children and Young People services, to deliver the sustainable services our residents need as part of our council priorities.
“I’m pleased that the positive impact this has had on our services to support care leavers has been recognised by Ofsted.”
A letter to the county council from Ofsted, published today, says services for care leavers in West Sussex have substantially improved since a previous inspection in 2023. It adds that improvements have been made to help young people make the transition into adulthood safely and at their own pace.
The success of the West Sussex House Project, which provides young people leaving care with a safe home and supports them to live independently, was also highlighted.
Launched in January 2023, the project has already seen eight of the first 11 young people to take part now living in their own homes.
The council’s localised approach to housing support for care leavers was also hailed by Ofsted. This means that many young people can maintain local links and have access to local services, such as colleges, employment and training opportunities.
Ofsted inspectors did identify a need to reduce caseloads on personal advisors who work with care leavers. It also said the transition into the care leaver service for some young people is sometimes happening too late. However, it said the council recognises this and is actively recruiting to bring in additional staff to resolve these issues.
West Sussex social work staff shortlisted for three prestigious national awards
Social work staff from West Sussex County Council have been shortlisted for prestigious national awards in recognition of their outstanding work and extraordinary practice.
Susan Banyard, a long-serving social worker for West Sussex County Council, has been shortlisted for the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Social Worker of the Year Awards.
Susan, who dedicated more than 30 years to working with children and young people, has been recognised for her passion, commitment and enthusiasm for social work. This includes her contribution to improving the wellbeing of children in foster care, as well as furthering the support provided to foster carers.
Susan has recently retired from her role as a social worker but continues to play an active role in the local fostering community through groups and supporting with training foster carers.
West Sussex County Council’s Children’s Mental and Emotional Health Team has also been shortlisted for the Children’s Services Team of the Year Award. This nomination is in recognition of the council’s pioneering approach to suicide prevention and the role played by the local authority and social care.
The third nomination, for the Supportive Social Work Employer Award, is in acknowledgement of the council’s work to support a cohort of overseas social workers who are new to the UK.
Councillor Jacquie Russell, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, Learning and Skills, said: “I am incredibly proud of the dedication and hard work from all our staff working to help and support children and young people.
“I’m delighted that these efforts have been recognised by peers from across the country. They highlight not only the work of those nominated, but also the significant steps forward we have made on our continued journey of improvement.
“I wish all of our nominees the best of luck for the awards.”
The winners will be announced at a special event this November in London.
The finalists were chosen by panels of independent judges including previous award winners, social workers, industry leaders and people with lived experience of social work.
The Social Worker of the Year Awards is the only major national awards event for social work in England, attracting hundreds of entries every year.
County council plan to reduce emissions and increase climate resilience in West Sussex
The first phase of a six-year plan to become carbon neutral and climate resilient by 2030 has been set out by West Sussex County Council.
A Climate Action and Adaptation Plan for 2024–2027 has been published which identifies 20 priority actions to be taken across the council and in partnership with key stakeholders in the county.The actions are broken down into six pathways focusing on issues such as buildings and energy, transport, and nature and environment. Key actions include:
Continuing to decarbonise county council buildings, following the recently completed works on seven libraries, six fire stations, and a day centre
Installing electric vehicle chargepoints at key depots to enable county council vehicles to switch to electric models
Working closely with schools to help them address their most pressing sustainability challenges
Working with partners to produce the West Sussex Local Nature Recovery Strategy
Supporting the clean energy transition for the community through Local Area Energy Planning and solar PV group purchasing schemes
Cllr Deborah Urquhart, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said: “Protecting the environment underpins everything we do and all the priorities in Our Council Plan. Through this plan and our Climate Change Strategy we have made a commitment to be carbon neutral and climate resilient in the county council’s own operations by 2030.
“We have already made significant progress, we’ve helped to install 2,500 solar systems in people’s homes, and generated almost 17 million kWh of renewable energy last year from our solar farms and solar panels installed on our buildings.
“Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we will ever face so it’s important we do all we can to protect our environment. The significant changes we are now seeing in our climate are not only presenting difficulties for our communities, but also the work we do as a council to support them. It’s vital that we take steps now to address our carbon emissions and ensure we are ready to cope with the impacts of our changing climate.”
Read the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, find out more about how the county council is tackling climate change, and what you can do to help by visiting www.westsussex.gov.uk/ClimateAction
You can also sign up to receive a monthly environment and climate change eNewsletter.
West Sussex Secondary School places application process opens online
Applications for secondary school places in West Sussex for September 2025 are now open. The easiest way to apply is online via our website. The process is quick and simple to do, and you will receive an automatic confirmation when your application has been submitted.
Applications close on Tuesday 31 October 2024. It is vital applications are made on time for the best chance of being offered one of your preferred places.
Cllr Jacquie Russell, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Learning and Skills said: “Our priority is to ensure all young people have access to education which helps them to achieve their potential.
“To make the process as simple as possible all the information needed to make an application is available on our website. Additional support is available at our libraries across the county and there is the option to complete a paper version of the form if you don’t have access to the online application.
“I encourage parents and carers to look on school websites or contact schools directly to find out about open evenings for prospective students when considering preferences.”
Free use of computers with internet access is available in all West Sussex libraries. Parents and carers can visit and use them without booking. The library service also offers digital support, which includes help with filling in online forms, on 0330 222 3455.
If you are unable to apply online, please request a form through the post by calling 03330 142903.
Important information to consider when making an application:
Parents and carers are strongly encouraged to apply for three schools and list them in order of preference
Parents and carers need to select the catchment school as part of their application for it to be considered You can find out more about catchment areas on our website.
Living in a school’s catchment area does not guarantee a child a place at that school
If you do miss the deadline, you must still submit an application form, as a child will not automatically be allocated a school
West Sussex County Council staff are available to provide support and advice to parents/carers on the admissions process. Parents can telephone 03330 142 903 or email the admissions team north or email the admissions team south.
Primary and junior school applications for September 2025 will open on Monday 2 October 2024 and close on Monday 15 January 2024.
West Sussex Highways
Grass Cutting Update
With the onset of warm, sunny weather we have seen significant levels of grass growth across the county.
West Sussex County Council is responsible for maintaining in the region of 12million sqm of grass verges and these are cut for safety and functional reasons only. The cutting regime is split into an urban and rural schedule to reflect the different environments and levels of use. We spend approximately £1.2million on grass cutting in West Sussex each year. Both the urban and rural cutting schedules are loaded onto our website here Grass cutting – West Sussex County Council
The urban cut currently consists of 5 overall cuts to verges maintained at public expense and equates to in the region of 5 million square metres. At the current time, the arisings from the cuts are left on site, and the contractor should blow arisings that have fallen onto the footway back onto the grass verge area before leaving site. It is not possible at the moment to collect and dispose of the arisings due to this being financially prohibitive, and any proposal to do so would likely impact the number of cuts we could undertake to make up for the cost difference. The council is exploring ways in which arisings can be used to create usable bi products such as supplements for road surfacing – for more information please see our Greenprint website pages here Greenprint – West Sussex County Council
It takes a minimum of 7 weeks for our grass cutting teams to complete a cut, and you’ll appreciate that with the right weather conditions, that is a long time for grass to grow quickly. Bringing a cut forward due to longer grass would run the risk of having long grass on verges right through the winter, as the number of cuts is fixed at 5.
Our rural verge cutting schedule recognises the positive impact these verges have on our pollinators and wildlife corridors. In light of that we only cut 3 times per year, focused on highway safety and sideways clearance. The first cut is a safety visibility splay cut at junctions only, the second cut is a visibility splay and one metre swathe cut for sideways clearance and the final cut is an overall cut of the verge in October/November. This gives wildflowers time to set seed and pollinators time to take advantage of wildflowers and valuable habitat in rural environments.
If you are made aware of issues that may impact the safety of highway users in between cuts (such as visibility at junctions), please do report to us in the normal way and we’ll organise for an inspection and any subsequent works, as necessary.
Project updates are frequently posted on the West Sussex Highways X account (formerly Twitter). Just search @WSHighways if you aren’t already following.
In this week’s online meeting between NALC and county association officers, we were pleased to be joined by pageantmaster Bruno Peek CVO OBE OPR who briefed us on next year’s commemorations for the 80th anniversary of VE-Day. This year, many local (parish and town) councils led commemorations for the D-Day anniversary, and councils are again being encouraging to organise similar events in 2025. The meeting also saw a further update on the new NALC website, in particular looking at the communications plan for its launch and how county associations can be part of that.
On the blog: Parish Domain Helper Service
This week’s blog, from the Parish Domain Helper Service team, informs local councils about the current funding status for moving to a .gov.uk domain. Currently, 50% of the available £100 +VAT funding per council has been claimed, with nearly 50 councils taking advantage of the offer. The funding is expected to be fully allocated by late February 2025, so councils are urged to act quickly to secure financial support. The blog post also highlights the ongoing support available, including workshops, virtual sessions, and educational resources, which will only be offered during this financial year. Councils are encouraged to register their interest promptly to access funding and support. Read the blog to find out more!
LGA event on handling online abuse
The Local Government Association (LGA) held an event on 23 July 2024 on handling online abuse and intimidation for newly elected councillors. The event provided practical advice on handling online harassment and stalking, cyber bullying and threats and being a responsible digital citizen. Although the event was aimed at principal authority councillors, I’m sure the guidance is also useful for local councillors. The presentations from the event are now available, do check them out.
National Allotment Week
Last week was National Allotment Week! National Allotment Week emphasizes the importance of allotments in communities as essential green spaces that benefit wildlife, enhance air quality, boost health, and help reduce carbon emissions. And it was great to see many local councils actively engaging with 2024 National Allotment Week. Hook Parish Council in Hampshire celebrated the week by encouraging local engagement with allotments and sharing gardening tips. In Essex, Buckhurst Hill Parish Council hosted an Open Day at their allotments, inviting residents to explore and learn about growing their own produce. And Weymouth Town Council in Dorset marked the occasion with the “Top of the Plots” awards, recognising outstanding local gardeners and fostering community spirit around allotment cultivation. These initiatives emphasise our councils’ role in tackling climate change and community wellbeing. If you also got involved this year, please do let us know what you did to policycomms@nalc.gov.uk.
Office for Place mini conference on urban design and placemaking
The Office for Place will be holding an online mini conference on 18 September from 10am-12pm. Called Places at Pace, the conference will look at how urban design and placemaking can contribute to economic and social outcomes, champion the benefits of raising place quality, and how the different organisations involved in the planning system can effectively work together to deliver better homes and places. Sessions at the event will cover good placemaking, the benefits of design codes, creating sustainable neighbourhoods, the opportunities of digital and data, and the role of the Office for Place and local government. This event is free to attend and open to all. Anyone interested in attending can register here.
And finally…
At the end of this month, we say goodbye to Steve Walker, our head of finance and administration, who is retiring. When Steve joined NALC at the end of the last century there were just five members of staff. This rapidly developed to meet the changing needs of the sector, and whilst numbers have varied, we currently have 21 based in London and across the country. Steve has travelled around the country and met many of you at events and conferences, considering many to be friends as well as colleagues. I understand his initial plan when he started was to put our financial records in order and move on after a couple of years, which seemed appropriate given at the time a government minister made a remark about abolishing local councils! Needless to say, we ensured this didn’t happen, and local councils remain an important part of communities and local government, outlasting Steve after all and well placed to outlast us all. I’m hugely grateful for Steve’s dedication, contribution and hard work over the years and wish him well for his next chapter
Celebrating climate champions
Is your parish or town council a trailblazer in climate resilience? Does it demonstrate a deep understanding of climate change impacts and take proactive steps to mitigate, adapt, and build resilience for its community? If so, it’s time to shine a spotlight on their efforts!
The Climate Response of the Year award honours parish or town councils that lead by example in climate action, showcasing long-term strategic thinking, robust community engagement, and effective partnerships. This award is a testament to local councils’ vital role in preparing and protecting their communities against climate change.
To nominate someone, complete the nomination form available on our website. Along with the form, provide a concise 150-word supporting statement for each criterion, showcasing strategic planning, community engagement, preparedness measures and collaborative efforts. Anyone can submit a nomination, and council members or staff can nominate their council.
Don’t miss this chance to honour the unsung heroes in your community. Nominate your council today, and let’s celebrate the champions of climate action! Nominate them for the Star Council Awards today! The deadline for nominations is 6 September 2024, so submit your nomination before then.
Clear Councils Insurance, Blachere Illumination, CCLA, Cloudy IT, Facilitating the Future, Unity Trust Bank and Utility Aid sponsor the awards.
Leader of West Sussex County Council, on the civil unrest seen across the country
“I am sure that we are all shocked and appalled by the scenes we have witnessed across the country of rioting and civil unrest, scenes that will upset all of us who don’t understand the thinking of those who are organising and undertaking these events.
“I know that we live in a tolerant society, one which accepts all no matter what race, religion, or sexuality they are, and I am proud of the role West Sussex County Council plays in ensuring all of our communities can feel safe and secure no matter whether they were born in this country or have chosen our county or country to settle in. The council does not and will not tolerate discrimination in any way, shape or form and continues to work with our partners including the police and Government to ensure this happens. Hate has no place in a modern society; tolerance does, and this is what we, as a council, promote and will continue to do so.
“I condemn all of those who have taken part in the civil unrest and state that it has no place in West Sussex or anywhere in the country and support Sussex Police in all it is doing to ensure our residents, communities and businesses do not suffer from the minority who set out to disrupt our lives through their actions.
“They will not win their argument, because their argument is against all we value.”
For urgent out-of-hours enquiries please call 07767 098415
Sussex Police statement on recent criminal disorder across the country
We are aware of growing public concern following the recent criminal disorder seen across the country. Protecting the public is our priority and Sussex Police is mobilised and fully prepared to respond swiftly and effectively to any incidents.
This includes an ongoing, visual presence within our communities for reassurance, alongside robust, well-rehearsed plans to allow us to respond to local incidents.
There are unverified reports circulating online about potential activity across Sussex.
We are constantly reviewing information and working with partners to identify any emerging concerns, and will keep local communities updated with known facts.
The public are urged to challenge what they see online, report where appropriate and consider the source of the information.
Follow updates in local news or Sussex Police social media channels for the very latest updates
Assistant Chief Constable Paul Court said: “We recognise that recent events across the country have left our communities feeling unsafe, particularly people of colour and our Muslim communities.
“Please be reassured that racist, criminal behaviour will not be tolerated and we are working hard to keep you safe and ensure anyone involved in criminal disorder is held to account.
“To those thinking about taking part in disorder, be in no doubt that we will make you regret your actions. We will use all powers at our disposal to make sure you are held to account for your actions.
“Our neighbourhood officers are out and about, actively engaging with our local communities – please do speak to them directly if you have any concerns.
“We are asking residents to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity or concerns to us immediately online, via 101 or by calling 999 in an emergency, quoting Operation Skylark.”
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I am delighted to share with you this week’s edition of our Rural Bulletin, packed with important updates and insights that reflect our ongoing commitment to addressing the needs of our rural communities.
Last week, we hosted two significant RMTG Sounding Board meetings, each focusing on different but equally vital segments of our rural population. The first meeting focused on the older members of our rural communities. This meeting was particularly poignant as it addressed the potential impact of proposed changes to the Winter Fuel Allowance – a critical issue that could severely affect rural pensioners. You can read more about this here.
The second meeting turned our attention to the unique challenges faced by young people in our rural areas, providing a platform for discussion on how we can better support their aspirations and opportunities. With representatives from councils across the country, these discussions underscored the urgent need for policies that protect the most vulnerable in our rural areas.
Looking ahead, we are excited to spotlight two of our esteemed speakers for the upcoming National Rural Conference 2024. With over 960 delegates booked on already, we are confident that this year’s conference will be an invaluable experience for all participants.
Lastly, I want to remind members that I will be on the judging panel for this year’s NALC Star Awards. These awards are a fantastic opportunity to recognise and celebrate the incredible work of local councils, councillors, clerks, and county associations across England. The dedication and impact of these individuals and organisations play a vital role in strengthening our rural communities.
Don’t forget, the nomination period ends on 6 September 2024, so make sure to submit your entries HERE soon.
Concerns Mount Over Proposed Changes to Winter Fuel Allowance
The proposed changes to the Winter Fuel Allowance (WFA), recently announced by the Chancellor, have sparked widespread concern, particularly among organisations dedicated to supporting older adults. The changes would see the allowance means-tested, limiting it to those already receiving Pension Credit. This has drawn strong criticism from various quarters, including Age UK, which warns of the severe impact on the well-being of millions of pensioners across the UK. Read more
This week’s blogfrom CloudyIT highlights their dedication to championing community heroes by sponsoring the Clerk of the Year category.
Chief executive’s bulletin
15 August 2024
Audit Matters
As a founding body of Smaller Authorities’ Audit Appointment (SAAA), NALC has welcomed the publication of its first annual report setting out a clear mission to provide an effective and sustainable audit regime enabling communities to hold their local (town and parish) councils to account. The report includes a straightforward strategic plan. The strategic plan emphasises market development, supporting practitioners and improving limited assurance review.
NALC has also welcomed the Government’s recent announcement on the local audit backlog in principal councils. The announcement addresses the backlog of unaudited principal authority accounts and aims to put local audit on a sustainable footing. This will be an opportunity for NALC to press for several improvements, including working with SAAA to urge the Government to act on the £6.5m threshold, which triggers our largest councils into a much more costly and onerous regime.
On the blog: International Youth Day
This week’s blog emphasises the importance of empowering young people to build sustainable and prosperous communities. On International Youth Day (12 August 2024) and throughout the year, NALC advocates for creating opportunities that nurture the potential of young leaders through the young councillor national network, Star Council Awards Young Councillor category, and social media campaigns. The blog highlights the need for local councils to actively engage and support youth initiatives, celebrate their contributions, and provide platforms for their voices to be heard, ultimately fostering a brighter and more inclusive future for all. Read the blog to find out more!
Star Council Awards 2024
Don’t forget to consider nominations to our Star Council Awards 2024! These awards recognise the positive impact of the parish and town council sector on communities across England. We want the awards to be even bigger and better than before. And we want more nominations to provide even more opportunities for all councils, councillors, county associations and clerks to shine. Entrants can apply for six award categories: Council of the Year, Councillor of the Year, Young Councillor of the Year, County Association of the Year, Clerk of the Year, and Climate Response of the Year. These categories recognise excellence in different areas of council operations and highlight the varied contributions of councils. The nomination period ends on 6 September 2024. We’ll announce the winners at our parliamentary reception in the House of Lords on 25 February 2025. I also want to thank our award sponsors, Clear Councils Insurance (formerly BHIB Councils Insurance), Blachere Illumination, CCLA, Cloudy IT, Facilitating the Future, Unity Trust Bank and Utility Aid, whose support is invaluable in making these awards possible.
New Legal Topic Note on basic contract law
As part of transferring content to our new website (launching on 7 October 2024!), our legal team has refreshed Legal Topic Note 35 on basic contract law. The advice considers how contracts are formed, types of contractual obligations, breach of contract and termination, and council powers in respect of contracts. To read the note, please login to our website and visit the LTN section.
Advertise your job with NALC
Are you looking to advertise your job vacancy? Did you know we advertised over 140 jobs for parish and town councils in England over the last financial year? We offer two packages (standard and premium) that use a range of platforms, including our website, social media channels, and e-marketing, to help you share your vacancy. For multiple job listings, we also offer further discounts! You can find out more about how to advertise your job with NALC on our website.
And finally…
Congratulations to Portland and Weymouth on being chosen as Dorset’s joint towns of culture for 2025. The initiative, established by the Arts Development Company, aims to give towns, villages or hamlets in Dorset the opportunity to lead a year of cultural activity and deepen relationships between communities, cultural venues and organisations. As joint winners, Portland and Weymouth will each receive £30,000 from Dorset Council, which will be match funded by Portland and Weymouth Town Councils to support a programme of activities. Currently, Bridport, which has been hosting various performances and visual art, holds the title of Dorset’s town of culture.
Details of the National Planning Policy Consultation can be found on the link below and the consultation deadline for comments is the 24 September 2024.
Proposed reforms and changes to the planning system
The government this week announced plans to overhaul the planning system and increase housebuilding. These include introducing mandatory planning targets to deliver 1.5 million new homes over the next five years, updating the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to bring back mandatory housing targets, ensuring every area has a local plan and building the next generation of new towns. Among the proposals in the eight week consultation on the NPPF are restoring mandatory housing targets and updating the method used to calculate them, not implementing the Infrastructure Levy as introduced in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, introducing the concept of grey belt into green belt considerations, changing affordable housing and mix policy, refocusing design policy on good design rather than ‘beauty’, and no changes to neighbourhood planning. We will be responding to the NPPF consultation as well as seeking engagement with the New Towns Taskforce.
Smaller Councils Committee
NALC’s Smaller Councils Committee met online on 30 July 2024. In advance of the draft minutes being made available, here are some highlights:
A further discussion about the committee’s 2024-2025 workplan which was well underway, committee members emphasised how important it was that they were given the opportunity to contribute to NALC’s work in particular the development of publications and guidance.
The committee agreed to support proposed changes to the Local Council Award Scheme (LCAS) criteria, including embedding civility and respect into the scheme, adding a requirement for communication of democratic activity at all levels, the option to provide evidence that the council has actively promoted engagement and participation in the democratic process instead of demonstrating that two thirds of seats were filled by councillors who had stood for election, and changing the name of the different levels.
Action with Communities in Rural England’s (ACRE) chief executive, Corinne Pluchino, and policy advisor, Jeremy Leggett, were our guest speakers and gave a presentation on ACRE’s fair deal for rural communities, the 30 asks they had of government prior to the general election and their plans for engaging with the new government now the general election is over.
The committee received updates on the inaugural meeting of the national network for micro councils, NALC’s Star Council Awards and the work of the Martyn’s Law Steering Group.
It was also noted the Policy Committee had supported a motion on the reuse of graves which had been referred from the committee.
National network: micro councils
NALC’s national network for Micro Councils – aimed at local (parish and town) councils with an annual budgeted precept or turnover of £10,000 or less – held its inaugural meeting on 25 July 2024. Cllr Mark Valladares was elected co-chair, with other network members encouraged to put themselves forward to fill the remaining co-chair vacancy. The network heard from Charlotte Lewis and Natalie Turner from the Centre for Ageing Better about actions micro councils could take to make their communities Age Friendly. The meeting also discussed its purpose and how members could share good practice. The next meeting will take place on 4 October 2024 and I would encourage more micro councils to join the network.
NALC online event on artificial intelligence (AI)
The latest NALC online event – Decoding the Future of Artificial Intelligence in Local Governance – took place on 24 July 2024. Our expert panel featured Jenny McEneaney, senior improvement policy advisor on cyber, digital and technology for the Local Government Association (LGA), and Steve Walker, head of local government at the Cloudy Group. Jenny emphasized the need for AI policy to address the digital divide and proposed a local government centre for digital technology. Steve explained how AI can help local councils with tasks like information retrieval, meeting minutes, and surveys, and stressed the importance of preparing data for AI use. Both experts underscored the importance of targeted resources to ensure all councils can benefit from AI advancements. You can find out more about upcoming NALC events on our website.
On the blog: Star Council Awards 2023 Councillor of the year
This week’s blog is from the outstanding Cllr Lorna Berrett from Botley and North Hinksey Parish Council who was crowned councillor of the year in NALC’s Star Council Awards 2023. She writes on her reflections of being named councillor of the year, shares that the awards show in Westminster was a highlight for her as a politics enthusiast and recalls connecting with fellow councillors, clerks, and local council representatives who shared similar challenges and successes. She states that NALC’s Star Council Awards celebrate the crucial roles of town and parish councillors, highlighting their dedication and the positive changes they facilitate, and encourages readers to get their nominations in today! Read the blog to find out more!
Rural Coalition
On 24 July 2024, the 12 national organisations making up the rural coalition held their first meeting since the General Election. Its chair, Margaret Clarke CBE, had written to the new prime minister and secretary of state at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Steve Reed MP, stressing the potential of rural areas to support the government’s five missions, especially growing the economy. The coalition will shortly be publishing a major report it commissioned on how rural communities can help drive economic growth and the meeting considered how best to seek to influence the new government’s approach to rural affairs. We also received a briefing from senior DEFRA officials who advised that the new minister responsible for rural affairs is Daniel Zeichner MP, who has previously attended the coalition and will be invited to future meetings. The coalition was also briefed on the work of the Office for Place by Nicholas Boys Smith, interim chair. NALCs chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, and I stressed the importance of neighbourhood planning to support the growth and housing agenda in rural areas, as well as highlighting concerns about the impact of land management company service charges on the affordability of housing costs in some new developments. After the meeting, Keith met with the chair of our coalition partner Campaign to Protect Rural England, Simon Murray, to swap intelligence on what the new Government means for rural areas. They agreed on the importance of working together to promote neighbourhood planning and on guidance to local councils and communities on planning.
Meetings with DEFRA and MHCLG
After the general election interregnum, the machinery of government has cracked into action! Justin Griggs, head of policy and communications, and I were briefed on new ministerial teams and plans for the new government’s five missions in separate meetings with senior officials from DEFRA and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). We stressed that NALC was keen to play a positive part and that our councils can contribute much to the government’s missions on economic growth, clean energy, community safety, promoting opportunity and improving health. We used the opportunities to press the importance of extending the devolution agenda to rural areas and including our tier of local government, not just stopping at metro mayors. As our president, Baroness Scott of Needham Market said in the House of Lords recently, neighbourhood planning is crucial in providing housing and promoting economic prosperity, and we pressed for the continuation of grant funding and other support. On funding, we called for a multi-year financial settlement with no extension of referendum principles and for our councils to have direct access to funding streams such as the continuation of the Community Ownership Fund. We also urged the government to revisit standards as part of their reset and plans to rebuild local government. Officials committed to further meetings as the new government’s priorities and policy programme become clearer.
New report on devolution
Staying on the subject of devolution, Justin was at a Future Governance Forum event at County Hall in London last week for the launch of their report Impactful Devolution: a new framework for inclusive local growth and national renewal. Principally focussed on regional devolution, the report puts forward a programme to help deliver Labour’s missions for government and drive local growth, calling for a new devolution framework built on partnership. Justin was at the event to engage with attendees and speakers on the role our councils can play in devolution, taking the opportunity to speak to the new MHCLG minister Jim McMahon MP where he congratulated him on his appointment, welcomed his remarks that “with more devolution we need more localism and community empowerment”, and stressed this should include our councils as local leaders. Both LGC and TheMJ have write ups of the minister’s speech.
Out and about
Jane Moore, legal services manager, attended the Lincolnshire Association of Local Council conference held in Grantham on 24 July 2024. Jane joined a panel discussion and Q&A with other participants, including the assistant director of democratic services at North Kesteven District Council, County Council representatives speaking on flood prevention and emergency planning and a health and safety consultant from NALC’s partner Worknest.
And finally…
Local government annual pay increases for those on Green Book terms are determined through negotiations between Employer Representatives, through the LGA, and Trades Unions. Currently, the employers’ full and final pay offer has been rejected by Unite and UNISON. UNISON will conduct a ballot for industrial action from 4 September to 16 October, while Unite’s ballot for strike action will run from 27 August to 15 October. GMB members voted to accept the offer. NALC is not involved in these negotiations and has no influence over the timing, although we regularly press for early settlement as the delay in awarding pay increases is a concern in our councils. You will be familiar from previous years that the National Employers advise very strongly against imposing any pay offer before the collective bargaining process has concluded. Further updates will be provided in due course.
Mid Sussex draft District Plan 2021-2039 – Regulation 19 Consultation
Dear Town and Parish Councils,
Following Regulation 19 consultation, I am writing to inform you that the draft District Plan 2021-2039 has been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate (PINs) for Examination in Public.
We are anticipating the Examination to take place around late October / early November 2024. We will of course update you when we hear more from PINs.
Mid Sussex District Council – Notice of Proposals Off Street Parking Spaces
Please find attached a copy of the Notice of Proposals, Statement of Reasons and the draft Amendment Order, relating to the proposed changes to the charging hours for off street parking in the District. The Notice of Proposals will appear in the Mid Sussex Times on 11 July 2024 and will be displayed within the relevant car parks. We will make the necessary documents available for public inspection at our offices.
Any objections to the proposals must be made via email to parkingconsultation@midsussex.gov.uk or in writing specifying the grounds of objection to the Monitoring Officer, Mid Sussex District Council, Oaklands, Oaklands Road, Heath RH16 1SS. Any objections must be received no later than 12 noon on 2 August 2024.
West Sussex County Council proposes to make a permanent Traffic Regulation Order that will prohibit waiting at any time (introduce double yellow lines) on both sides of De La Warr Road in East Grinstead from a point 25m east of its junction with Church Lane, westwards for appx 95m.
In addition to these new restrictions the Order also enacts a scheme of revised waiting restrictions in the Lowdells Lane area of East Grinstead advertised in March 2021. These restrictions were approved following public consultation but could not be installed before the proposed order timed out. The proposed restrictions have all been installed and this part of the Order has no effect other than to make restrictions already present on site legally enforceable.
Notice is also hereby given that West Sussex County Council, under the provisions of the Highways Act 1980 (Traffic calming) Regulations intends to install two raised traffic calming features on De La Warr Road in East Grinstead.
These features will be full width speed tables, with one located immediately east of its junction with Church Lane, and the other located on the bend in the road, west of its junction with Church Lane. Both features will be appx 65mm high and constructed in black McAdam.
Below is a link to the TRO Team’s consultation web page, containing plans showing the new parking restriction, the public notice, statement of reasons for proposing the Order, and the draft Order itself. I should be grateful if you could accept this message as the formal consultation on the proposed new Order. If you wish to make any comments or objections to the scheme, please make them to me by e-mail before 1 August 2024.
The next meeting of GATCOM will be held on Tuesday 16 July 2024 commencing at 10.00am. The agenda papers for the meeting are attached. The agenda papers are also available on GATCOM’s website.
Please note the meeting will be held virtually, via MS Teams. Members of the public are welcome to observe the meeting. To register your interest to observe the meeting please contact the GATCOM Secretariat by reply to this email by no later than close of business on Monday 15 July.
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NALC News
Chief executive’s bulletin
11 July 2024
General Election 2024 and new government
The Labour Party won a large majority in last week’s General Election and now form the new government, with Sir Keir Starmer MP becoming prime minister. Here’s a summary of the results and some key developments:
Labour won 411 seats, up 209 on their total from the 2019 election. The Conservatives won 121 seats, down 244 from their 2019 total of 365 seats. The Liberal Democrats gained 61 seats for a total of 72, while Reform won 5 seats and the Green Party won 4.
335 successful candidates are becoming Members of Parliament for the first time, and among them are some current or former parish and town councillors!
In his first address to the nation outside Number 10 Downing Street, the prime minister said his government will be one of “service”. He emphasised his mandate stating “…we will use it to deliver change, to restore service and respect for politics, end the era of noisy performance, tread more lightly on your lives and unite our country”. He concluded by saying “So, with respect and humility, I invite you all to join this Government of service in the mission of national renewal”.
In the new Cabinet, Angela Rayner MP was appointed deputy prime minister and secretary of state in the renamed Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Jim McMahon MP and Matthew Pennycook MP have become ministers of state, with Alex Norris MP, Rushanara Ali MP, Lord Khan of Burnley and Baroness Taylor of Stevenage were each appointed as a parliamentary under secretary of state. Specific responsibilities are yet to be announced.
Other cabinet appointments include Rachel Reeves MP as the chancellor of the exchequer, Steve Reed MP as the secretary of state for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Yvette Cooper MP as the Home Secretary and Lisa Nandy MP as the secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport.
Our chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, has already commenced our engagement with new ministers, including congratulating Angela Rayner MP and Jim McMahon MP (who is likely to be the minister for local government).
And our advocacy with the new government and Parliament, as well as the political parties, will continue over the coming days and weeks, building on my call for the new government to think local by writing to and seeking meetings with ministers and briefing Parliamentarians ahead of the King’s Speech on 17 July.
National Assembly
Councillors from across our network of 43 county associations met in London at the meeting of our National Assembly on 9 July at NALC’s office in London, here are a few highlights:
The focus of the day was a workshop to help define NALC’s new big theme on community safety and to identify how councils and county associations could help. Also, the Assembly took initial stock of the recent General Election results. With so many new MPs, often with no experience of local (parish and town) councils, it will be vital that councils and county associations get to know their MPs and impress upon them the importance of our sector.
Councillors supported actions identified by county officers at one of our recent fortnightly meetings including encouraging councils to write congratulating their MPs on their election, invite them to events and publicise MP details in newsletters, and for county associations to put engaging with MPs on the agenda for their upcoming executive or board meetings.
The Assembly also received an extensive report on NALC’s finances from Cllr Peter Davey, vice-chair of finance. The report included confirmation from our external auditors that last year’s accounts were good and would be unqualified and that “adequate systems, appropriate for the size of the Association, appear to be in place for all major aspects of the Association’s business and that they are working well.” Assembly members were encouraged to discuss emerging proposals for next year’s affiliation fees, which are up from 7.94p per elector to 8.34p per elector, capped at £2,139 for the very largest councils, with their county association colleagues to enable a final decision to be made in the Autumn.
Proposals to increase diversity on our committees and were also agreed and the Assembly is urging councils and county associations to encourage people from all backgrounds to get involved in their work.
Star Council Awards 2024
Don’t forget to consider nominations to our Star Council Awards 2024! These awards recognise the positive impact of the parish and town council sector on communities across England. We want the awards to be even bigger and better than before. And we want more nominations to provide even more opportunities for all councils, councillors, county associations and clerks to shine. Entrants can apply for six award categories: Council of the Year, Councillor of the Year, Young Councillor of the Year, County Association of the Year, Clerk of the Year, and Climate Response of the Year. These categories recognise excellence in different areas of council operations and highlight the varied contributions of councils. The nomination period ends on 6 September 2024. We’ll announce the winners at our parliamentary reception in the House of Lords on 25 February 2025. I also want to thank our award sponsors, Clear Councils Insurance (formerly BHIB Councils Insurance), Blachere Illumination, CCLA, Cloudy IT, Facilitating the Future and Utility Aid, whose support is invaluable in making these awards possible.
Online event recordings
Our suite of 45 online event recordings allows members to access content conveniently. These recordings serve as valuable resources for those unable to attend live sessions, ensuring they get all the essential information and discussions. Additionally, members can revisit the content for clarification, further study, or professional development. This asynchronous access supports diverse schedules and enhances the overall accessibility and value of the event. They cover topics from climate change and planning to youth engagement and finance. Our online recordings are published one month after the event and can be found on our website, so do check them out!
On the blog: Net Zero Week
This week’s blog published during Net Zero Week urges local councils to reflect on their critical role in achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Net zero involves balancing greenhouse gas emissions with their removal through methods like tree planting and technology. Local councils, due to their close community ties, can drive significant changes in areas such as energy, transportation, waste management, and community engagement. Steps include developing a net zero action plan, promoting energy efficiency, encouraging sustainable transportation, enhancing green spaces, raising climate awareness, and using neighbourhood planning to achieve net zero. Read the blog to find out more!
Updates to Legal Topic Note on staff pensions
Our member services team has updated Legal Topic Note 79 on staff pensions (auto-enrolment) to make the content more readable and relevant and link to useful guidance. You will need to login to the member’s area of our website to access the advice note.
NALC speaks at Lawyers in Local Government Work Experience Week
Jane Moore, NALC’s legal services manager, was invited to speak to law students as part of the Lawyers in Local Government Work Experience Week 2024 on 5 July 2024. Jane took part in a panel discussion, which included colleagues from Lawyers in Local Government and the Association of Democratic Services Officers. Jane spoke about increasing diversity in the local council sector and the initiatives NALC has taken, such as the national networks and Make a Change campaign. She also spoke about the barriers to improved diversity, including the inability for councils to hold remote meetings.
Fortnightly meeting with county officers
This week’s online meeting between NALC and county association officers was used as a workshop on the taskforces set up by the Improvement and Development Board (IDB). This was an opportunity for county officers to have early input into the three themes for the taskforces which are civility and respect, intervention and workforce. Each group was led by a different county officer, and the discussions will now be fed into the work of the IDB.
Next week’s Policy Committee meeting
The agenda for our Policy Committee meeting on 16 July 2024 is now available in the Committees section of the NALC website. The agenda includes the committee work plan, motions from county associations, the creation of new local councils in metropolitan district council areas, and the results of the General Election. Additionally, there will be a guest speaker from the Local Government Association’s Special Interest Group for Municipal Areas.
English Rural Housing Association launch event for a new guide on affordable rural housing
Last week, during Rural Housing Week, NALC’s chair, Cllr Keith Stevens, attended the launch of the English Rural Housing Association’s groundbreaking Design Guide, which aims to transform the perception of affordable rural housing. The guide is endorsed by HRH The Princess Royal and is structured into five comprehensive sections, each addressing an essential aspect of rural housing, such as the future of communities, the layout of houses, the landscape of villages, designing new homes in rural areas, and building sustainably and responsibly. The guide includes a practical toolkit for villages looking to inform the design of new homes in their community. This toolkit is a powerful resource that empowers local communities to take an active role in shaping the future of their built environment. You can learn more about the guide on our website.
And finally…
The Joint Panel on Accountability and Governance (JPAG) held its latest meeting last week. The panel is responsible for the Practitioners’ Guide, which is published to help smaller authorities (those with a turnover of less than £6.5 million) prepare the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR). Each year, JPAG reviews the Practitioners’ Guide, and this year is asking clerks and responsible finance officers to complete a short survey to give feedback on the guide and make any suggestions for improvements. These suggestions will help JPAG review the Guide for 2025. The survey deadline is 30 September.
The Gatwick Noise Management Board is heading towards its third term. Anyone can now apply to attend online the morning of 14th August email nmb@gatwickairport.com.
Reduced Noise Night Trial. This report provides information on 4 weeks of data (17 May – 13 June) report here
Modernisation of airspace – see the Civil Aviation Authority letter here
Assurances had been obtained by Jeremy Quin, the then MP for Horsham, that the mapping would be better from Gatwick at the next stage of the CAA CAP 1616 consultation process. Obviously we do not know how this will stand now post election.
Many of the local Members of Parliament have changed Please see attached the Labour manifesto on aviation and the list of Gatwick area MPs. We are presuming their email addresses will become the standard – name.surname.mp@parliament.uk
Louise Haigh is the new Transport Secretary and Steve Reed the Environment Secretary.
Night movement at Gatwick Airport report by Cllr M Filmore here
New report on ultra fine particles from aviation – here
Update on the DCO planning process for a new runway –
New environmental hearing on 30th July at 2pm and possibly 31st/1st August – register here
PINS specifically are asking questions of Gatwick concerning the Supreme Court hearing relating to the production of fossil fuel and the burning thereof.
Gatwick announced at DCO hearing they had conducted a survey of residents to find out if they knew of any community groups. The survey asked residents of Horley, Ashford, Croydon, Brighton if they were concerned about aircraft noise. Policy and Gatwick do not recognise noise above 7,000ft so asking these areas makes the survey unbalanced. CAGNE was the community group most known by those asked. Air quality and carbon emissions were the top two concerns.
GATCOM (Gatwick statutory body) and the NMB are seeking to ban photography, recording or filming of meetings. As elected members are present this would seem to go against their code of council to be accountable. GATCOM agenda for this month here
Gatwick Airport newsletters The latest offers Rapid Taxiway as an improvement. This potentially adds 11 extra aircraft movements a day for residents of Sussex, Surrey, and Kent to endure the noise of.
This week, we published our quarterly activity report covering April to June 2024. The quarterly activity report details progress in delivering NALC’s strategic plan, including information on internal issues, parliamentary and government affairs work, events, finances, media coverage, publications and legal advice. This quarter’s report summarises the organisation’s strategic direction and significant milestones during the reporting period. Key highlights include NALC chair Cllr Keith Stevens’ letter to themainpolitical party leaders ahead of the general election outlining our manifesto for building stronger communities across England, we made history by attending our first-ever Pride event at Corby Pride with the support of the LGBT+councillors network, we moved to use an automated phone menu system for the main telephone number that aims to provide clearer options to all callers and direct them appropriately, NALC’s Management Board and Policy Committee backed the Mumsnet campaign for public bodies to publish their parental leave policies and we’ll be publishing ours shortly, and updated versions of The Good Councillor’s Guide and the Model Financial Regulations. The subsequent report covers July to September 2024 and will be published on 16 October 2024.
Meeting with Reach Foundation
Last week, colleagues in the policy and communications team attended a meeting with the Reach Foundation, a charity based in Feltham which is supporting residents to explore the possibility of setting up a local (parish and town) council in the town. Justin Griggs, head of policy and communications, highlighted NALC’s experience supporting other communities to establish local councils such as Queen’s Park Community Council. During discussions we also emphasised the need to communicate the benefits of having a local council to residents and Hounslow Council and to garner support from other community groups in the area. We’ll be providing further support and sharing useful information, including case studies outlining the work of existing local councils, and keeping in touch with the Reach Foundation as the campaign progresses.
Policy Committee
The NALC Policy Committee held its latest online meeting on 16 July 2024. Here are a few highlights:
The committee supported a motion from the East Riding and Northern Lincolnshire Local Councils Association regarding principal authority engagement with local councils. The committee reiterated our encouragement for county associations and local councils to frame charters with their principal authorities to help forge effective working relationships.
The committee also supported a motion from the Warwickshire and West Midlands Association of Local Councils regarding the reuse of graves. Our next steps on taking this forward will include engaging with the Ministry of Justice, Church of England and Local Government Association (LGA).
The external speaker was Zoe Adams, assistant research and communications officer at the LGA Special Interest Group for Municipal Areas (SIGOMA) who gave an excellent presentation on their work, challenges facing their members and local government finance lobbying priorities of certainty, fairer funding and sustainability. The committee supported ongoing collaboration with SIGOMA particularly around the creation of new local councils in metropolitan urban areas, noting the list we’ve developed of local councils in those areas, as well as unparished areas.
Councillors also noted the ongoing delivery of the committee’s work plan 2024-25 and Keith’s open letter to all political party leaders ahead of the General Election 2024, considered the results and its implications for local councils, as well as discussing the LGA’s Local Government White Paper which they broadly supported.
National Network: Climate emergency
The NALC Climate Emergency Network met online on 12 July 2024. Abby Charlesworth, local authorities coordinator at the Carbon Literacy Project, updated the network on the carbon literacy toolkits for local councils. She introduced them and the learning methodology as the main focus and delved into the issues specific to local councils. Andrew Maliphant, environment and sustainability advisor at the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC), provided updates on the place-based initiative in the most recent pre-election session of the Local Net Zero Forum Task and Finish Group hosted by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and development of sector specific biodiversity net gain guidance. NALC’s response to the previous government’s consultation on barriers to community energy projects was briefly considered. The consultation response can be viewed here – you will need to log into the members’ area of NALC’s site to access this response. A helpful summary of WhatsApp group links and posts made since the previous meeting on 9 May 2024 was provided by Cllr Katharine Keats-Rohan. All attendees were also encouraged to promote and consider applying for the new Climate Response of the Year category in the NALC Star Council Awards by the 6 September 2024 deadline.
National Network: LGBT+ councillors
Our national network for LGBT+ councillors held its latest online meeting on 15 July 2024. Cllr Callum Reilly from Corby Town Council in Northamptonshire delivered a presentation to the network that reflected on their recent Pride event and parade in Corby. He highlighted the importance of effective communication, community engagement, and sponsorship support. He emphasised the significance of community involvement and making the event inclusive and reflective of the local community. The primary focus of this session was discussing the emerging LGBT+ toolkit the network is designing for local councils. The toolkit will serve as a model of best practice, celebrate the community, and share experiences and challenges faced by LGBT+ local councillors. The network will be focusing on the completion of the toolkit over the next few months. The next network meeting is on 3 September 2024. Find out more about the LGBT+ national network and how to join on our website.
On the blog: RECOUP
This week’s blog stresses the crucial role local councils can play in addressing climate change and promoting sustainability by partnering with RECOUP, a leading charity focused on plastic resource efficiency and recycling. Overconsumption of natural resources threatens future generations and contributes significantly to climate change and habitat loss. RECOUP advocates for a “buy less” mindset, encouraging communities to extend the life of their purchases through reuse, repair, and sharing. For example, the charity has collaborated with East Hunsbury Parish Council to organise a coat exchange, promoting eco-friendly wardrobe updates. RECOUP invites other councils to engage in similar initiatives, such as reducing plastic packaging, establishing toy libraries, and setting up recycling bins in parks. They offer practical project support, including toolkits and funding advice. Councils interested in collaborating can contact RECOUP at enquiry@recoup.org. Read the blog to find out more!
Out and about
The leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Cllr Liz Leffman, launched the Oxfordshire Council’s Charter at the Oxford Association of Local Councils (OALC) Annual General Meeting on 15 July which I was pleased to attend. Recognising the importance of local councils, the Charter aims to enhance partnership working across the three tiers of local government in Oxfordshire to empower a vibrant local democracy. I spoke on the importance of partnerships in tackling many of the challenges the country faces and the work of NALC. OALC’s annual report describes an impressive training programme and range of services and initiatives, including this Charter, which the county association provides to its member councils, 97% of which are in membership.
Improvement and Development Board
The latest meeting of the Improvement and Development Board (IDB) welcomed the new Board members of John Austin, chair of Association of Democratic Services Officers (ADSO), Deborah Evans, chief executive officer of Lawyers in Local Government (LLG), and Annie Child, chief executive of the Smaller Authorities Audit Appointments (SAAA). Anders Hanson, NALC’s member services manager, gave a presentation on our review of the criteria for the Local Council Award Scheme. He explained the extensive consultation process which included using focus groups that informed the review. The Board approved the proposed changes and recognised that NALC would be undertaking further consultation on the reviewed criteria. They also endorsed the importance of the LCAS to improvement and development and encouraged all local councils to consider applying. Also, the Board agreed to develop an additional Taskforce to examine qualitative and quantitative data, discussing how data was critical for evaluating and guiding improvement and development along with providing an evidence base for lobbying, decision making, and most importantly, improving local communities. The Board also gave early consideration on what the new government might mean for the sector, agreeing to encourage the renamed Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government to send a representative to the board.
And finally…
NALC’s young councillors network is meeting on 23 July 2024 between 18.00 to 19.15. Yate Town Council will be joining the meeting to discuss youth engagement in their council. The group will also discuss the youth engagement summit event and a young councillors guidance toolkit. Find out more about the network and how to join!
MSVA Updates and News
Spotlight on Trustees
Gathering your feedback
At MSVA we have been focussed on gathering your feedback about what the priority needs are for your organisations. We know that recruiting and retaining volunteers is an essential part of ensuring that you can deliver your services and support in order for our communities to thrive. We have noticed an increase in the number of Trustee roles needed across Mid Sussex and we thought we would focus on this important volunteering role in this E-Bulletin. Please share this information within your networks and newsletters to help share and support our community to find more Trustees!
Why do we need Trustees?
Charity trustees play a very important role in making sure that the charity is run in the interests of the people it is there to support. They strategically oversee the management and administration of the organisation.
Who can be a Trustee?
Everyone! Anyone can volunteer to be a trustee, regardless of how junior or senior you are in your career, whether you are in paid employment or not, regardless of your ethnicity, class, gender orientation, sexuality or any other difference. Boards thrive on diversity and need a mix of all the different groups within society to deliver robust governance and fulfill a charity’s mission.
Why become a Trustee?
Trustees often say that being a board member has been one the richest sources of learning in their professional lives. It is estimated that almost half of all charities are looking for trustees at any time, so you will be filling a vital role in the voluntary sector.
As a trustee you have the chance to be involved with a charity focused on a cause you are passionate about. It is also a great way to get involved in a community and support and shape the work and strategic direction of an organisation, and you can make a significant difference to a cause that matters to you. This can be very rewarding.
Being a trustee offers the opportunity for professional development.
An opportunity to apply your unique skills and experience, be part of a team and learn from others. Working closely with a passionate team of people who have different perspectives is often one of the most enjoyable aspects of the role. Gain experience of strategy and leadership, and boost your CV.
How much time does being a trustee take?
Each organisation will have different requirements. The charity’s needs are likely to be made up of a range of activities that may occur at different times of the day and vary across the year. Questions you should ask include:
How many trustee meetings are there each year?
How long are the meetings, where and at what time of day?
Are trustees expected to serve on committees?
What opportunities are there to spend time with the organisation observing its work, both when joining and on an ongoing basis?
What contact is there in between trustee meetings and how does this usually take place?
Are there any one-off events or annual occasions that trustees are expected, or will have the opportunity, to attend?
What induction and training will the organisation provide, and how much time will that take?
Why not start the conversation and find out today!
Date for the diary! 4-8 November 2024 – Trustees’ Week 2024
Trustees’ Week is a time for us to come together to celebrate the achievements of nearly one million trustees across the UK and thank all of our Trustees for their time, commitment and effort they bring to to charities to help them thrive.
For more information on becoming a charity trustee, have a look at Getting On Board’sexcellent free resources.In addition to a large bank of trustee vacancies, they have how to guides for aspiring trustees, guidance for charities, lots of related further reading and this helpful 1-minute video:
Our community hub at the Cherry Tree Centre is a busy venue these days, with lots on offer for the community.From July 25th, we’ll be trialling Stay & Play on Thursdays from 10am – 12:15pm leading into our Messy Lunch in the Cherry Tree Cafe.
Stay & Play is a chance for little ones to meet and play and caregivers to connect and enjoy a beverage.
£1 per child
Toys, games & activities for early years, but older children welcome too
Entry via café
Low cost refreshments available
Dates – 25th July, 1st August, 8th August (possibly more coming)
Other interesting news:
We’ve recently added a new fitness class called Bounce on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings for men and women of all ages.
We look forward to welcoming CSL Behring for a day of corporate volunteering at the Cherry Tree Centre again this month. They will be helping to spruce up our community hub with donated paints from Crown Decorating Centre in Burgess Hill and plants from B&Q
Don’t worry, room hire is still available at the Cherry Tree! For more information, have a look on our website or contact one of our centre managers, Ali & Dawn via email: enquiries@msva.org.uk
MSVA FORUMS
East Grinstead Networking
We are delighted to announce that our next East Grinstead networking event for community groups and charities takes place at on Thursday 12th September from 9.30 to 11.30 AM at The Apron Café, Chequer Mead community theatre.
The networking event provides an informal drop-in environment and an opportunity to connect with other local community groups, and speak to the MSVA team.
*Representatives from East Grinstead Town Council and the East Grinstead Common Good Trust will be in attendance to discuss their upcoming grant offers and can answer any questions you may have.*
Please drop in, grab a hot drink and piece of cake or fruit and say hello! All MSVA members are very welcome to attend.
There is paid parking opposite Chequer Mead theatre, buses run to the high street and it is located a 15 min walk from the train station.
This networking group is part of our regular series of events and is aimed primarily for groups in East Grinstead and surrounding villages, but all members are welcome to attend. For further information please ask by return of email.
Thank you, we look forward to welcoming you!
FUNDING
GSK IMPACT Awards and Community Health Programme
GSK Impact Awards
For charities with income between £150,000 and £3 million
The GSK IMPACT Awards provide funding, training and development. They are judged by a prestigious panel of judges and give national recognition for the winning charities. Up to 15 awards will be made, ranging from £4,000 to £50,000. In addition, the training and development is valued at a further £13,500. Organisations will also receive help with press and publicity, be given a set of promotional materials and receive pro bono offers from GSK.
Deadline for stage one applications is 5.00pm on Friday 30 August 2024.
GSK Community Health programme
Supporting small charities tackling health inequalities
For charities with income between £20,000 and £150,000
Running alongside the GSK IMPACT Awards, the programme supports small charities tackling health inequalities in their communities. It is open to registered charities that are at least a year old, located and working in the UK. Up to 15 charities will receive up to £10,000 plus access to training and development valued at £3,500.
Deadline for applications is 5.00pm on Monday 12 August.
Asda Foundation – Investing in Spaces and Places Grant
Opens on 9th July 2024 and closes on 28th July 2024. Not-for-profit organisations with an income below £100,000 can apply for a capital grant of between £10,000 and £25,000 to transform spaces at the heart of their local community. Match funding of at least 50% of the total cost is required.B&Q Foundation Grants, deadlines: 6pm on 9th August 2024 and 15th November 2024. Registered charities can apply for a capital grant of up to £10,000 for building or indoor projects or £5,000 for garden projects. Funding is for projects that improve homes and community spaces for those who are experiencing homelessness, in financial hardship, impacted by health, disability or other disadvantage or distress.Screwfix Foundation, deadlines: 12 noon on 10th August 2024 and 10th November 2024. Registered charities and not-for-profit organisations can apply for a capital grant of up to £5,000 to improve, fix, and repair a physical building (or land attached to it) that is used by people in need.Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust – Impact Fund, deadline: 1st August 2024. Registered charities and constituted community organisations can apply for a project grant of up to £10,000 to enhance the environment and support communities (fuel poverty), encouraging a just transition to clean energy.
Bespoke Fundraising Webinar with Lucy Stone
18th of September (11-12pm)
The Sussex VCSE Mental Health Network are running a bespoke fundraising webinar with guest speaker Lucy Stone from No Stone Unturned.
The webinar will provide the opportunity for network members to raise challenges they experience around fundraising and funding applications.
The webinar will also help you to:
Learn how to make your funding applications stand out
Guidance on fundraising challenges
Suggestions for evidencing service impact in funding applications
There will time for a Q&A with Lucy Stone
Please sign up and send suggestions of particular fundraising challenges you would like guidance on from Lucy during the webinar by 11th July at: MHNetwork@VCSE-MHTransformation.org
About Lucy Stone
Lucy is an award winning fundraiser. She has 20 years’ experience in the charity sector. Her key skills lie in strategy, fundraising and impact measurement. Lucy has helped to raise £97 million for a wide range of causes.
250 free online fundraising packs available
easyfundraising is offering 250 free fundraising toolkits to help local organisations raise money online.
Through easyfundraising, when your supporters shop with any of 8,000 retailers, including Tesco, trainline, eBay, Argos, Sainsbury’s, John Lewis, Asda and Booking.com, a donation is made to your organisation.
All you need to do is use the free packs to tell your supporters about it
To get your complimentary pack, register with easyfundraising and when prompted, schedule a call with a member of the easyfundraising team who will arrange your toolkit and explain the process.
Treasurer – Haywards Heath Food Bank Trustee/Director – East Grinstead Memorial Estate Ltd Trustee – Jigsaw South East Trustee – Relate North & South West Sussex Trustee – Mid Sussex Counselling Centre Treasurer – Kangaroos – Mid Sussex Treasurer – Mid Sussex District Scouts
Here is a flavour of some of the new volunteer roles added to Volunteer Plus in June!
Job opportunities can be included in the E-Bulletin and advertised on our MSVA social media channels for a fee of £15 per job posting.
Please email: helen.crofoot@msva.org.uk for more information or to post a role.
EMPLOYEE LAW & STAFF WELLBEING UPDATES
TRAINING
Summer Trustee Learning Programme from Getting On Board
To infinity and beyond! An introduction to charity finances for trustees
Thursday 11th July 5-6pm
This introductory webinar is for trustees without a finance background who want to make sure that they are able to engage fully with the organisation’s finances, in order to be an effective trustee. For many trustees, the finances are a bit of a mystery and we’re on a mission to change that!
Ever found yourself day-dreaming about a trustee-free utopia? Fear not, because we’ve got the event you never knew you needed: How to get rid of trustees (without breaking the law). Now that we’ve enticed you in with that naughty event title, this session will of course tackle serious issues around:
Why we let trustees stay past their sell by date
Identifying common reasons trustees may feel stuck or reluctant to leave
Identifying common pitfalls that can lead trustees becoming ineffective
Every effective trustee needs to understand charity governance and their legal responsibilities (and we have just the webinar for that). However, being an impactful trustee requires more than this. Good governance is essential but not enough.
This session is for those trustees and aspiring trustees who have a passion to take their charity forward, to grow impact, to leave a personal legacy and feel the sense of personal fulfilment from the time they volunteer.
MSVA Lunch & Learn
Getting Started with CanvaJoin us for a 90-minute introduction to Canva and unlock your creative potential! Learn how to design stunning digital posters and images for both print and social media.Canva Basics: Master the essentials to get you started quickly.Design Tips & Tricks: Enhance your creativity with professional techniques.Accessibility: Ensure your designs are accessible to everyone.Free Canva Pro Account: Discover how to access premium features at no cost (for charities).Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your design skills and make your projects stand out!Thursday July 25th, 12:00pm – 1:30pmBook your free place hereBring your lunch and your curiosity, and let’s create together!
FREE English conversation classes for the residents of Mid Sussex
These classes are a great opportunity for individuals to improve their English, build confidence, and make new friends over a cup of tea or coffee.We are hosting these classes in three locations across Mid Sussex, and they take place from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM:
Burgess Hill: Cyprus Hall, Cyprus Rd, Burgess Hill RH15 8DX
The course enables a first aider to give emergency first aid to someone who is injured or becomes ill while at work.
The workshop also gives people the confidence to know that if someone needs help, they will know what to do. The content of the course is equivalent to those provided by well-known national first aid organisations and covers topics relevant to the delegates’ workplaces. Delegates completing the course successfully will be awarded the Emergency First Aid at Work Certificate, valid for three years from the date of issue.
The aim of the surgery is to improve access to the service for vulnerable Mid Sussex residents with a particular focus on those who may be at risk of homelessness.
Prevention is better than cure so we are really keen to engage with clients who maybe struggling with their housing situation, here are some examples:
Service users who are in arrears with their rent
Their rent has increased, and they are no longer able to afford it
Their income has reduced, through loss of employment or change in benefits and are starting to get in arrears with their rent
Service users who are already in arrears with their rent and haven’t sought help
Service users who have been given notice to leave their current accommodation, whether that’s a tenancy or living with family and friends.
Service users who may be experiencing domestic abuse or other forms of violence or harassment
Service users who are experiencing disrepair in their property that has not been addressed.
In the future clients will also be able to book themselves an appointment via a QR code that will be on posters advertised in various locations.
At the appointment the housing officer will obtain information regarding their housing situation and either provide advice or, if they meet the threshold for a duty to be owed be allocated to an officer for an in depth assessment.
It includes an online form which service users can complete or if they are having difficulty they can contact the housing duty line (01444 477574) or email housingadvice@midsussex.gov.uk
It also contains useful information regarding rough sleeping, domestic abuse, hospital and care leavers amongst other things.
If a service user advises that they already have an open case and a caseworker then they should be advised to contact them directly or contact the advice line or housing advice mailbox.
Mental Health Support
If a service user is advising, they are feeling suicidal then suggest they contact their GP or present to their nearest Accident & Emergency department. They will be able to provide them with the support that they need at this time. I have detailed below some information as to where a person can get help immediately:
If they are experiencing a mental health crisis, phone Samaritans. Calls are free from any phone in the UK, available 24 hours, 7 days a week. Phone: 116 123.
Support from local specialist NHS services
If they need more support than their GP can provide, it is likely they will be referred to an organisation such as Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust -the major provider of specialist NHS services locally, including both community and hospital-based services. For more information visit: www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk
Other Local Support
• Time to talk therapies – offers a range of talking therapy treatments to people in West Sussex: 01273 666480. In Mid Sussex call 01444 251084. Visit Time to talk therapies website for more information and online self-help resources.
• www.pathfinderwestsussex.org.uk – is an alliance of organisations supporting people with mental health needs and their carers to improve their mental wellbeing.
• Call NHS 111 and select option 2 for mental health
• Text the word SUSSEX to 85258
• Download the Stay Alive App: www.stayalive.app
Domestic Abuse Support
If you are in immediate danger call:
Tel: 999
If you or someone close to you is suffering from domestic violence please contact: National Domestic Violence Helpline Tel: 0808-2000-247 Online: National Domestic Violence Helpline
The Freedom Programme
A free 12 week rolling programme open to women who want to find out more about domestic abuse Tel: 01903 231069 Email:info@safeinsussex.org.uk
We work with Turning Tides to provide outreach floating support to rough sleepers in the Mid Sussex area.
We are not under a legal duty to provide emergency accommodation for everyone who is sleeping rough. However, rough sleepers are encouraged to work with us and Turning Tides to access all their housing options. We may arrange short term accommodation for people sleeping rough during severe weather conditions.
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner
Hello
This week marked the first anniversary of Immediate Justice (IJ) in Sussex – a dedicated taskforce working to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) in our communities.
Under the IJ pilot, anti-social behaviour offenders are asked to complete some form of reparative activity to make amends for the harm and damage they’ve caused to an individual or community. This can include activities such as litter-picking, graffiti cleaning, repairing damaged items or providing maintenance to public spaces.
Our IJ taskforce continues to go from strength to strength. With 174 referrals made to date, it is clear that those causing ASB in our county are being held accountable for their actions and we have many examples of offenders recognising they need to change their negative behaviours.
The IJ scheme in Sussex is seen as being one of the most successful and effective in the country and other police forces are looking at our model as they roll out their own.
I’ll be sharing more updates on some of the great work on my website and social media channels soon.
Sussex rollout national programme providing support for women in custody
Last year, my Independent Custody Visitor (ICV) scheme established a new referral pathway to provide support for those experiencing menopause whilst in custody.
The referral pathway provides women in custody who are over the age of 40 with the opportunity to speak to a healthcare professional about perimenopause and menopausal symptoms and includes producing an individualised care plan for those who may need support.
Following the success of the recommendations and toolkit created by Sussex’s ICVs and partners, the Authorised Professional Practice (APP) for policing, issued by The College of Policing, now states all forces across England and Wales should have the menopause referral pathway in their custody centres. The College’s APP must be adhered to by all police forces and it also sets out mandatory policies.
When someone gets placed in custody, it is important to remember that they are a detainee at this point, not a convicted prisoner and their human rights (including dignity) must be recognised and protected at all times. They should have access to age and gender-specific health care provisions which can allow detainees to be better engaged with the custody process, including during interviews.
The announcement of the changes to the APP comes in the same month that Sussex’s ICV scheme was selected out of 43 ICV schemes to launch a new toolkit developed by the National Preventive Mechanism on the ‘prevention of ill treatment in places where people are deprived of their liberty’.
I’m delighted that our ICV scheme in Sussex continues to lead the way in identifying any gaps in provision or vulnerabilities that may occur during the criminal justice process. The work carried out by my team of volunteers is crucial in helping me to hold the police force to account on behalf of the public and I commend them for their dedication and commitment.
The WSALC and ESALC Boards have launched the first Summer edition of a new quarterly newsletter.
It would be great to hear any feedback you may have on the newsletter or any ideas/articles for inclusion in future editions. If you have any inspiring stories from your council that you would like to share, please let us know!
The Citizens Advice partnership between West Sussex and Arun and Chichester work to support local residents and give them the help they need, when they need it. Read on for our latest service updates, upcoming opportunities, and news on legal or other changes which you may find of interest.
Benefit advice is the biggest issue affecting our cilent’s at the moment , we do expect there will be an increase during the year with Universal Managed Migration rollout. We will issue regular updates on this as it progresses. We have seen a 51% increase in Debt compared with last year and an 18% increase in Housing problems.We are currently researching the impact of disability benefits on residents to inform local and national thinking, please get in touch if you have reports you can share or would like to take part in our research .
Our Benefits Calculator has been used by nearly 5,000 people in the last year. As a result, it identified that over £800,000 of unclaimed benefits.
We can use the Benefit calculator to identify trends, with the most under claimed support being Council Tax Single resident discount and benefits. Please join us in promoting awareness of this and encourage people to access help that is available.
We are asking community leaders to join us to become information champions in Crawley. Our team will train advocates in communities on key information issues so they can help their community and sign post to appropriate services.
Following recent funding, we have recruited a link worker to support Chaggosian nationals with identifying the support needed and connecting with local services including our specialist advisor based in Crawley.
SEND Webinars
Children and young people may be missing out on DLA or PIP which is a non-means tested benefit. It is not dependent on having an EHCP but this webinar can help families and carers to understand more about what is available and how to claim.
The household support fund will continue to support financially vulnerable clients who can demonstrate they need assistance with energy related help. Clients will receive a holistic advice including energy options.. Please use your referrer link or if you would like to become a referral partners, get in touch.
Legal Updates:
Child Care Changes from April 2024 will increase support for working parents of 2 year olds and further help for working parents in September.
Increase in Local Housing Allowance towards private rent – which means the maximum rent which can be paid by benefits has been increased.
To find out what this means and check the correct amount is being applied, Click Here.
Our Community Engagement Work:
The free English classes in Mid Sussex have been popular with 35 people joining us so far. These classes allow our communities to connect and learn about information and support in a relaxed and proactive setting.
“I have met so many wonderful people and already feel more confident in English” – an Attendee.
The positive feedback has been great and we look forward to welcoming even more students in the coming months.
Volunteers are at our heart, they are the connection with our community and allow us to be more than a service provider. We are proud of the 300 volunteers who support us and to celebrate their contribution during volunteers week. Each volunteer was sent a token of our gratification and we look forward to seeing them grow.
We are excited to expand our work with universities and in work experience placements during the last month. Over the coming months we will be relaunching our roles and promote the benefits of volunteering and build our community as we approach our 85th anniversary.
We made a historic and important appearance at Corby Pride on 22 June 2024, marking our first-ever participation in a Pride event. The idea originated from our National Network: LGBT+ councillors, who helped guide us through the journey as well as identifying the Corby Town Council event. It underscores the commitment and leadership of local (parish and town) councils to build stronger communities that are diverse and inclusive. Corby Pride featured a parade, live entertainment, community stalls, and various activities to celebrate and promote LGBT+ inclusivity. We participated in the parade, met the town council’s mayor, and discussed the event and ongoing initiatives with other council representatives. I also wanted to give a special thanks to Cllr Luke Trevaskis, chair of our network and Charmaine Keatley, chief executive of the Kent Association of Local Councils, who made their respective journeys from the northwest and southeast to join us on this landmark occasion. Our attendance is part of our broader strategy to promote diversity and inclusivity across all local councils, from our Make a Change campaign to creating content and writing blogs to creating the national network for LGBT+ councillors.
National Network: Coastal communities
Our national network for coastal communities held its latest online meeting on 19 June 2024. Kirsty Davies, community water quality manager at Surfer’s Against Sewage, delivered an informative presentation on water quality and how bathing waters are a solution for improving water quality. She also discussed the Surfers Against Sewage’s Citizen Science Programme, which replicates the Environment Agency’s water quality testing regime but with more frequent testing. The network was also joined by Ali Pretty, founder of Kinetika, who gave a fascinating presentation on Beach of Dreams, which is a UK-wide coastal festival programme that starts from 1 May – 1 June 2025. The next network meeting is on 3 September 2024 – if you’re a local council in a coastal area or are interested in coastal issues and want to connect with your colleagues, please sign up!
On the blog: Celebrating Pride 2024
This week’s blog highlights how local councils celebrate Pride Month and offers ideas for 2025. Beginning the celebrations early, Hertford Town Council in Hertfordshire held a Family Pride Day, featuring a Conversation Corner that acted as a safe space and Express Yourself dedicated to dance and music. Leighton Linslade Town Council in Bedfordshire kicked off Pride Month by hosting their first-ever working party where the community would give their ideas. Hailsham Town Council in East Sussex hosted Stand Proud in Hailsham, a special family-friendly event with festival vibes. Weston-super-Mare Town Council in Somerset partnered with local groups for a month-long programme of events. And Crewe Town Council in Cheshire honoured older LGBTQ+ members with Silver Rainbow Pride. Some ways your council can get involved in 2025 include forming Pride committees, collaborating with local organisations, hosting educational workshops, planning family-friendly activities, organising parades, implementing inclusive policies, and promoting awareness. Read the blog to find out more! Please drop us a line to let us know what your council did during Pride Month at policycomms@nalc.gov.uk.
Fortnightly county officers meeting
In this week’s regular meeting between NALC and county officers, there was an update from Steve Parkinson of The Parkinson Partnership about the latest model financial regulations. This highlighted some key changes, areas where councils must pay particular attention, and the main queries received so far. There was also a discussion about an issue from HMRC with some county associations and corporation tax. NALC provided a short briefing on the parental leave campaign from Mumsnet, which NALC is backing and is encouraging local councils to support. There was also an update on the progress of the NALC website, which we’ll launch in October this year.
Global Civility Summit 2024 on tackling toxicity and cultivating civility
Local councils can attend the groundbreaking Global Civility Summit 2024 on tackling toxicity and cultivating civility. This unique gathering on 10 October 2024 will feature visionary civic leaders from the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia, who will share their strategies for addressing toxicity, bridging divides, enhancing discourse, and renewing civic culture. Participants will gain insights into current trends and access valuable resources. The summit is free and will be held online, but places are limited, so I recommend early registration to secure your spot! You can find out more on the event including panellists, the agenda, and additional resources, on the event website.
Youth summit hosted by NALC, One Voice Wales and SLCC
We are hosting a joint youth engagement summit with One Voice Wales (OVW) and the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC). The virtual event on 18 July 2024 for local (parish, town and community) councils, councillors, clerks and council staff across England and Wales will explore innovative ways to engage and inspire young people. The summit will look at discovering how to create meaningful apprenticeship opportunities that equip young individuals with valuable skills and experience, cultivating the next generation of political leaders, learning ways to empower young people in the community to take their rightful place in the political arena, and delving into the intricacies of how young people can influence policy decisions. The summit promises to be a transformative experience that will equip attendees with the tools and knowledge to unlock the full potential of youth influence in policy-making, celebrate the remarkable achievements of young councillors, be inspired by their dedication and leadership and explore how local councils can support and promote the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Award, fostering personal development and community service among youth. You can find out more about the event and how to book tickets on our website.
General election and rural prosperity
We have joined with 11 other national bodies on The Rural Coalition to urge political parties and policymakers to boost rural economies after the general election. The Rural Coalition is clear there is huge potential to increase productivity within rural areas. With the appropriate support, rural economies could generate additional billions a year in tax receipts for the Treasury. Productivity in rural areas in England is currently lower than the national average, suggesting significant potential for future improvement. Such a boost could significantly fund vital national priorities, emphasising the interconnectedness of rural prosperity with national success.
And finally…
Come join The Carbon Literacy Project’s Local Authorities team for the final Connect & Catch Up session before a summer break. The next session is on 3 July at 2 pm on MS Teams. It will be an opportunity to chat informally about all things Carbon Literacy. As well as the chance to chat, swap ideas and network in breakout rooms. You will be joined by Chloe, the Carbon Literacy Action Day Coordinator, to hear all about this year’s campaign and how you can be involved. From strategic tips to paid social media ads for open courses, there’s something for all approaches!
Recognising county association excellence
We understand the crucial role that county associations play in supporting local (parish and town) councils across England. These associations provide invaluable advice, support, and training, ensuring that councils are well-equipped to serve their communities and enhance residents’ lives.
The awards will spotlight county associations that have excelled in addressing the needs of their member councils, delivering their work to high standards, providing value for money, and showcasing innovation and enterprise. We invite anyone, including county associations and their member councils, to nominate deserving associations for this prestigious award.
To submit a nomination, complete the form on our website. Along with the form, please provide a brief 150-word supporting statement for each criterion, highlighting specific examples of the county association’s achievements.
It is essential to recognise and appreciate the dedication and commitment of county associations in supporting local councils to build stronger communities. Take advantage of the opportunity to honour an outstanding county association by nominating them for the Star Council Awards. The deadline for nominations is 6 September 2024, so submit your nomination before then.
Clear Councils Insurance, Blachere Illumination, CCLA, Cloudy IT, Facilitating the Future and Utility Aid sponsor the awards.
Does your local (parish and town) council provide platforms where young people can voice their perspectives and contribute to decision-making processes? NALC, the Society of Local Council Clerks, and One Voice Wales are joining forces to host the Youth Engagement Summit. The virtual event will be held for local councils, councillors, clerks, and council staff across England and Wales to explore innovative ways to engage and inspire young people. Join the summit to discover how to create meaningful apprenticeship opportunities that equip young individuals with valuable skills and experience, cultivate the next generation of political leaders – learn ways to empower young people in your community to take their rightful place in the political arena, delve into the intricacies of how young people can influence policy decisions.
Decoding the future of AI in local governance
24 July 2024 — 12.00 – 13.15
Dive into the world of artificial intelligence (AI) and explore the realm of predictive analytics in local council settings. While our initial thoughts about AI might drift towards Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey, the current focus is on predictive analytics and harnessing historical data to forecast new instances or cases. Hear directly from experts who have conducted a groundbreaking report for the Local Government Association on AI in local government, a principal authority utilising assistive technology, and a communications stakeholder in the sector. Gain valuable insights into how predictive analytics could shape the future of local councils and grapple with the broader moral dilemma presented by AI.
Speakers: Jenny McEneaney (Local Government Association) and Steve Walker (The Cloudy Group)
The future of neighbourhood plans
25 September 2024 — 12.00 – 13.15
Despite the government dragging its feet on supporting funding for neighbourhood planning, the confirmation eventually came through, solidifying its commitment to neighbourhood planning. In this area, local (parish and town) councils shine. Rediscover the passion for launching and shaping a neighbourhood plan in your area and access indispensable tips, guidance, and advice necessary to embark on this pivotal undertaking.
Speakers: Shar Roselman (Newport Pagnell Town Council) and Andrew Towlerton (Society of Local Council Clerks)
Mastering emergency planning
23 October 2024 — 12.00 – 13.15
The impact of COVID-19 has underscored the undeniable truth that local (parish and town) councils must always be prepared for emergencies, regardless of the cause. Fortunately, local councils are key players in supporting recovery from various emergencies. Take this opportunity to gain exclusive insights into how your local council can proactively plan for and champion recovery in emergencies from an insider’s perspective, complete with tips and guidance on navigating these critical scenarios to benefit your community, including applying Martyn’s Law for potential local terrorist incidents.
The quest for devolution in local governance
20 November 2024 — 12.00 – 13.15
Despite the promising rhetoric of levelling up, devolutionary outcomes for local (parish and town) councils must be more impressive. With minimal attention in the Levelling Up the United Kingdom White Paper in 2022 and ongoing delays in the government’s planned neighbourhood governance review, it appears the commitment to devolving more powers to local councils has not been fully realised. Reignite your passion for advocating increased devolved services in your area and receive practical advice on empowering your local council to navigate the evolving landscape effectively.
Empowering the young councillors of tomorrow
13 December 2024 — 12.00 – 13.15
Recognising that young people shape our future, it is imperative for all local (parish and town) councils to actively involve them in vital service areas that impact their lives. Moreover, the young individuals engaged by local councils today might emerge as tomorrow’s local councillors, emphasising the ongoing necessity for such engagement. Gain a strategic advantage for your local council in effectively involving young people in caring for their community. Discover how to cultivate their interest in becoming the local councillors of the future.
Navigating rural realities
29 January 2025 — 12.00 – 13.15
While approximately 70% of local (parish and town) councils thrive in rural areas with populations under 10,000, the national spotlight often leans towards urban agendas, assuming that the most deprived areas are urban. Gain a competitive edge in addressing the intricate challenges that rural councils face, and leave with valuable, practical advice and tips to steer your local council confidently into the future.
Is the fight for standards a losing battle?
26 February 2025 — 12.00 – 13.15
It’s no secret that without robust sanctions, local government at every level faces an uphill battle against the declining standards of behaviour. Yet, it’s a moral imperative to strive to reverse this tide. Unlock the strategies your local council can employ to support national campaigns to enhance behaviours during council meetings. Learn practical measures that local councils can implement to drive positive change.
Breaking the mould of local councils
26 March 2025 — 12.00 – 13.15
The prevailing notion of retired, predominantly male local (parish and town) councillors persists, echoing the enduring image from the Vicar of Dibley era despite ongoing national campaigns to challenge this perception. Uncover the secrets of success for your council in attracting a broader, more diverse range of candidates willing to volunteer as local councillors against all odds.
Chief executive’s bulletin
4 July 2024
NALC pushes for greater role for local councils in community energy projects
In NALC’s recent response to a consultation from the Department for Energy Security and Zero, we advocated for a greater role for local (parish and town) councils in delivering community energy projects, making the case that local councils can significantly contribute to improving biodiversity and reducing carbon consumption. We also suggested that government support and investment in electricity infrastructure should be improved to facilitate small-scale community projects. The previous government committed to consult on the barriers to community energy projects by launching this call for evidence. We now hope the new government will utilise the evidence and information from this consultation to understand the issues facing the energy sector more widely. Read the full consultation response.
Next week’s meeting of National Assembly
The agenda and supporting papers for next week’s meeting of our National Assembly are now available in the committees’ section of the NALC website. Responsible for overseeing the delivery of our objectives, our National Assembly consists of one councillor from each of the 43 county associations of local councils. Taking place in person at our office in London, next week’s agenda includes a workshop on our latest big theme on community safety, an update on our finances including a recommendation on next year’s affiliation fees, a briefing on the Sustainable Communities Act and NALC’s policy making, updates from committee chairs and Management Board champions, and considering the outcome of today’s general election and next steps engaging with the new government and Parliament.
Improvement and Development Board
At their most recent meeting, the Improvement and Development Board agreed to set up task forces to make recommendations for improvement and development in the sector. Three task forces have been established so far, focusing on civility and respect, intervention, and workforce, each having held their first meetings and agreed on initial priorities. The intervention task force plans to have two additional meetings, aiming to present its final recommendations to the board on 12 November 2024. Meanwhile, a fourth task force will explore data implications for local council improvement and development, with a report on its terms of reference and membership to be presented at the next board meeting, following presentations from De Montfort University and the Local Government Association on the role of data analysis in improvement. Additionally, the board has agreed to appoint new members, including the chief executive officers of Lawyers in Local Government and Smaller Authorities’ Audit Appointments, and the chair of the Association of Democratic Services Officers, all of whom will join the board at its next meeting on 11 July 2024.
NALC online event on tackling climate change and biodiversity loss
The latest NALC online event – Unleashing the power of local councils to tackle the climate emergency – took place on 26 June 2024. The sold out event discussed initiatives and examples of how local councils can fight against climate change. Our expert panel featured Richard O’Callaghan, regional lead external affairs officer at The Woodland Trust, Garry Ford, environmental projects officer at Corsham Town Council, and Allan Wilson and Richard Watkins, chair and vice-chair of Save our Shropshire. Richard O’Callaghan explained how The Woodland Trust supports local councils in combating climate change by offering resources such as model wording for neighbourhood plans, a tree planting sites finder, funding, and free tree packs. Garry showcased Corsham Town Council’s efforts to achieve net zero by 2030 through environmental task groups focused on public transport, active travel, plastic waste reduction, and biodiversity. And Allan and Richard Watkins stressed the importance of carbon literacy and the Carbon Literacy qualification. A huge thank you to our amazing speakers and I also want to thank Katherine Brown from NALC’s partners, Blachere Illumination, for hosting the event.
On the blog: Royal Garden Party
This week’s blog, written by Claire Fitzgerald, NALC’s administration manager, provides a delightful recount of the Royal Garden Party held on 21 May 2024 at Buckingham Palace. The Royal Garden Party is a prestigious event hosted by the British monarch at a royal residence, honouring and celebrating individuals who have had a positive impact on their community. NALC manages the invitations for the local council sector working with county associations. The blog post features reflections from various guests who attended the event, highlighting their excitement and honour despite the rainy weather. Overall, the blog post captures the joy and honour felt by guests attending the Royal Garden Party, reflecting the community spirit and the unique experience of participating in such a prestigious event. Read the blog to find out more!
Out and about
I joined over 60 local council representatives for this week’s Suffolk Association of Local Councils (SALC) annual general meeting. It was impressive to be reminded of the tremendous support that county associations provide to local councils. SALC has delivered an outstanding range of member services, including training, advice, events, payroll and internal audit. They have also delivered big projects, including their partnership with the county council to provide advice on handling Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. Future plans include enhanced information on highways matters, planning and a digital skills training programme. Charlotte Eisenhart, head of member services, this week joined the Annual Parish Conference hosted by Leicestershire County Councils and Leicestershire and Rutland Association of Local Councils. This was another great example of the work of county associations and local councils with a wide range of partnership working showcased at the event. In her presentation, Charlotte spoke about the civility and respect work delivered by NALC, county associations and the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC).
Latest legal bulletin
Our member services team has issued their June 2024 legal bulletin for county officers. The bulletin includes guidance on a scenario of a chair resigning with no volunteers to stand, councillor resignations, charging voluntary organisations for advertising and an update on new hedgerow regulations.
80th anniversary of VE Day on 8 May 2025
The 8 May 2025 will be the 80th anniversary of VE Day, a celebration of the moment in 1945 that marked the end of the Second World War in Europe. This year, many local councils commemorated the anniversary of D-Day, and I hope many will also choose to mark this similarly. On Thursday 8 May 2025 a range of activities are being encouraged including lighting of Beacons and Lamp Lights of Peace, the raising of a unique VE Day flag and holding parties of celebration throughout the day in the streets, gardens at home, churches, villages and towns, and all manner of locations throughout the country. A new VE Day 80 website has been launched, which includes details of next year’s plans, a guide to taking part and a form to register your involvement so you can be up to date with the plans.
And finally…
As I am sure you don’t need any reminding, the UK general election takes place today! According to our colleagues at Democracy Club, a record 4,515 candidates have been nominated to stand, beating the previous record of 4,150 set in 2010. A whopping 98 different political parties are standing, plus 459 independent candidates. And thanks to the great work of My Life My Say through the #GiveAnX campaign, which NALC has been supporting, over 600,000 people registered to vote on the recent National Voter Registration Day, of which just under half were 18-34. I’d like to wish everyone who has put themselves forward to serve their constituencies – from all parties and none and including many local councillors – the very best of luck. Please do take the time today to exercise your democratic right to vote if you haven’t voted by post already!
As Mayor of East Grinstead, I had the enormous pleasure of witnessing the phenomenal achievements of our young students and their dedicated teachers from Sackville School, who recently returned from the Town Twinning Youth Games—Jeunes sans Frontières (Youth without Borders). This prestigious event held this year in Bourg de Péage, France, brought together youth from our twin towns in Spain, France, Austria, Italy, and Germany for a brilliant four-day competition of sports and fun. This year’s games were particularly special, coinciding with the passage of the Olympic Flame through the town, adding an extra element of once in a lifetime memories.
Our incredible team—students Lizzie, Evie, Hannah, Addy, Freddie, and Lucas, along with their wonderful teachers Mr. Dupoy and Mrs. Plumb —incredible ambassadors for East Grinstead. They fully immersed themselves in the multicultural community that embodies the true spirit of town twinning and cultural exchange. Their conduct was exemplary, their enthusiasm boundless, and their positive energy really contagious.
From the moment they arrived, our students demonstrated a willingness to engage and immerse themselves with peers from different cultures, initiating conversations and forging meaningful connections. The feedback from other delegates was overwhelmingly amazing, all praising the kindness, friendliness and sportsmanship of our team. Hearing such glowing comments filled my heart with joy and reaffirmed the high regard in which our students are held. I could not have been prouder of them all.
The entire town of East Grinstead shares in this immense pride. The achievements of the Sackville team have made our community proud and really highlighted the spirit and value of town twinning. Not forgetting that without our Town Twinning Association this would not have been possible. Their hard work, passion and exemplary conduct are a credit to both the town and their school. They have set a high standard for future delegations, and their success is a testament to the values and standards fostered at Sackville School.
In an age where global connections and understanding are more important than ever, our students have shown that East Grinstead is not just a town of high achievers but also one of compassionate and engaged global citizens. They have truly embodied the spirit of “Youth without Borders,” demonstrating that through sports, friendship, and cultural exchange, we can build a more connected and harmonious world.
As we celebrate our conquerors of Europe, let us also look forward to continuing our tradition of Town Twinning engagement and celebrating the achievements of our young people, in whatever they do, in the months and years to come.
Congratulations to our champions—you have made East Grinstead incredibly proud!
