News & Updates

The next training course on commons, greens, and open spaces is just around the corner, and it's perfect if you're looking to learn the fundamentals of protecting land.

You are invited to attend a course with Open Spaces Society.

Core modules include:

• What are commons and village greens, why they are important and relevant legislation
• Finding out about commons and greens
• Works on common land and greens
• New village greens: registering land as a new green
• Management and dealing with encroachments
• Local Green Space designation

The course will run online (via Zoom) on 31st October and 1st November (9:30am to 1pm both days). The cost is £80 per attendee. You can find out more on our website here.

‘Worcestershire County Council and the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust are thrilled to announce the second phase of the Natural Networks Programme. The programme’s goal is to improve biodiversity and create a network of wildlife-rich habitats throughout Worcestershire. Natural Networks offers free professional Biodiversity surveys and grants between £1000-£15,000 (for up to 40% of project costs) for improving areas of land or water for wildlife. For information on eligibility and how to apply please click here (please note, the programme only offers tree planting advice for Bromsgrove & Redditch Districts and not other forms of advice or grants).’

If the above link on the ‘here’ isn’t copying, here it is again: Natural Networks Programme | Worcestershire County Council

As part of the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Suicide Prevention Programme, Worcestershire County Council are pleased to announce funded Suicide Prevention Training for anyone working or living in Herefordshire or Worcestershire supporting over 18s.

The training is a three hour online session aimed to improve skills and confidence to support someone and guide them to the help they need. After the training, all participants will have the option to sign up to the Orange Button Community Scheme.

Places can be booked through Herefordshire & Worcestershire Group Training Association’s Eventbrite page:

• If you live or work in Herefordshire - Free Suicide Prevention Training - Herefordshire Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite
• If you live or work in Worcestershire - Free Suicide Prevention Training - Worcestershire Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite

For any enquiries please contact HWGTA directly on 01432 274310 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Many Thanks

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Suicide Prevention Programme

Public Health

Worcestershire County Council, County Hall,
Spetchley Road, Worcester, WR5 2NP

Tel: 01905 845312

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) are undertaking boundary review for Worcestershire.

In early June 2023 they undertook a presentation. The slides are available below

Worcestershire Parish Council and Community Group Briefing Presentation

With the formal elections taking place today in the County We are releasing the new Induction Guide which we would recommend giving to all Councillors on taking up their office, especially those who haven't been Councillors previously.

Thank you to Gill Lungley our trainer who has put this together.

Councillor Induction Guide for clerks

The Alliance is a newly formed collective of Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise organisations working together to make health and wellbeing service provision stronger and develop partnerships that benefit Worcestershire communities.  We work alongside statutory agencies using our influence and insights to bridge the gap that exists between voluntary and public sectors, helping to improve public services to better meet the needs of our local population.

The Alliance would like to offer Worcestershire Parish Councils the opportunity to learn more about the work of the VCSE Alliance.

WorcsAlliance

If you would like to be part of a breifing to find out more please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The March edition of the Civility and Respect newsletter is out now - CR Newsletter March 23 v1.0. 

The project team has made some significant progress over the last few months and we are delighted to share with you some of the resources which have been specifically developed to address the issues of civility and respect across our sector. 

The March newsletter includes articles on:

• Councillors responsibilities as employers podcasts
• Launch of civility and respect e-learning
• Sector specific guidance on the LGA code of conduct
• Second early day motion
• Update on the Pledge
• Training workshops still available

Visit the NALC and SLCC websites to find out more information on the project resources, to download the documents and for details of how your council can sign up to the Pledge and training.

Look out for the regular project updates in our NALC and SLCC news bulletins and on social media.

Read the newsletter CR Newsletter March 23 v1.0

Here are the slides fromt he 20 is plenty presentation on the 2nd March 2023.

20 is plenty slides

20's Plenty For Worcestershire

Zoom Presentation to Worcestershire Councils

Come and hear how 20mph limits could work for your village or town

Thu 2nd March 2023, 7-8pm

Free to all Councils, Councillors and interested groups in Worcestershire

Please forward this email to your Councillors and preregister for the meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvc--prDsqHNzM1Mo1MbxZ6sGwadPFpm0L

20's Plenty for Us is a 'not for profit’ organisation with over 700 local groups campaigning to make cities, towns and villages around the world better places to be.

We campaign for a speed limit of 20mph to be normal on residential streets and in town and village centres, unless full consideration of the needs of vulnerable road users allows a higher limit on particular streets. 28 million people in the UK live where this is policy.

Being hit by a car at 30mph is equivalent to an 8.8 metre trench fall. 20mph is 3.6m and is best practice where motors mix with walkers and cyclists.

Quality of life benefits include 20% fewer casualties, half the noise, a quarter less pollution, more cycling, decreases in car use and less fear, with no significant change in trip time

Please put a motion for 20mph to your Town or Parish Council. Briefing at https://www.20splenty.org/parish_council_motion

20's Plenty for Worcestershire: Short Presentation by Anna Semlyen, 20s Plenty National Campaign Manager followed by Q&A

Please put the 20mph motion on your Parish/Town meeting agendas for the next meeting

Motion

[Your Parish or Town council name]:

• Supports the 20’s Plenty for Worcestershire campaign;
• Calls on Worcestershire County Council to implement 20mph in [your place]; and
• Will write to Worcestershire County Council to request 20mph speed limits on streets throughout Worcestershire where people live, work, shop, play or learn, with 30mph as the exception on those roads, where full consideration of the needs of vulnerable road users allows a higher limit.

Any questions, please contact Anna Semlyen 20’s Plenty for Us Campaign Manager, T: 07572 120439  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or see www.20splenty.org search button or FAQ. Adrian Vines from 20’s Plenty for Malvern will be co-hosting.

The Internal Audit

Every council should appoint an internal auditor – preferably at the beginning of the financial year or earlier – so that they can start to inspect the books and processes and, if necessary, give recommendations to make improvements, before it gets to that crucial year end.  The Internal Auditor should then deliver their formal review with a report giving reasons for their AGAR responses.

The internal audit is not just about the financial processes, but it should consider and examine the governance as well.

If you are seeking an auditor, we, at Worcestershire CALC, have established a team of independent internal auditors who will fit the brief and are suitably qualified to fulfil the role. These internal auditors have experience of Parish and Town Councils and are aware of the specific account requirements of the sector. Please see the CALC website for contact details (in the INFORMATION section)

There is also a Good Practice Guide, template and letter of appointment on the Members section (Documents) which supplies a terms of reference for the objectives and responsibilities of the Internal Auditor. We recommend that the document is adopted by the council and reviewed every 2 or 3 years.

General Overview New £3m Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund Accepting Applications With First Deadline of 20 January
Launched just before Christmas, the new £3 million Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund is provided by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and administered by the charity Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE).

This is a national fund managed by ACRE. Their Executive Director, Richard Quallington used to chair the Worcestershire Local Action Group for the Worcestershire LEADER programme when it had a community focus and funded similar projects to those allowed under this fund. So he may be a useful contact. Link https://acre.org.uk/
Announced by Defra to mark the occasion of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in May 2022, the fund recognises the important role that village halls play in supporting rural communities.
The funding aims to support the modernisation and improvement of village halls, so that they are fit for purpose and can provide activities which seek to achieve one or more of the following outcomes for their communities:
• Improved health and/or wellbeing and/or reduction in rural loneliness.
• Positive impact on the local environment, contributes towards net zero.
• Support for the local rural economy.
• Promotion of community cohesion.
The £3 million funding pot offers grants of between £7,500 and £75,000 which will be 20% of eligible project costs. The total project cost can be more than £375,000 but the maximum grant available is £75,000. All project work must be completed by 31 March 2025.
The grants are for capital improvements only, where projects aim to either upgrade, extend or improve facilities or where capital items need to be purchased. This could include, for example, extensions, internal reconfigurations, new roof and roof refurbishment, refurbishment of toilets and kitchens, damp proofing, or new installation of communication systems. The grants cannot be used for maintenance, repair or renewal work.
To be eligible, the village hall must:
• Be charity owned and managed by the community.
• Be located in a local rural area with a population of less than 10,000 people.
• Have a freehold or leasehold in place. If a leasehold interest, there must be at least 21 years left to run on the lease.
There is a two-stage application process.
The deadline for the first round of Stage 1 applications is midnight 20 January 2023. The fund will then close and reopen to new applicants on 20 February 2023. The duration of this will depend, however, on the value of unallocated funds remaining.

Value Notes
The £3 million funding pot offers:
• Grants of between £7,500 and £75,000 which will be 20% of eligible project costs.
The total project cost can be more than £375,000 but the maximum grant available is £75,000.
All project work must be completed by 31 March 2025.

Who Can Apply
Applications will be accepted from the following legal entities:
• Registered charities
• Charitable trusts.
• Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs)
• Community Associations which are registered charities
• Multi-purpose Church Halls, Scout and Guide buildings are also eligible where they are open for the whole community, there is no alternative village hall in the vicinity, they are not single use and they are clearly advertised as multi-purpose.
• Charitable Companies.
To be eligible, the village hall must:
• Be charity owned and managed by the community.
• Be located in a local rural area with a population of less than 10,000 people.
• Have a freehold or leasehold in place. If a leasehold interest, there must be at least 21 years left to run on the lease.

Eligible Expenditure
The funding is for capital improvements only where projects aim to upgrade facilities, extend or improve facilities or where capital items need to be purchased.
The following are examples of project activity that could be considered eligible to be funded (it is not an exhaustive list):
• Extensions
• Internal reconfigurations
• New roof and roof refurbishment which includes insulation
• Improvements which help to increase energy efficiency
• Refurbishment of toilets and kitchens
• Damp proofing
• New installation of communication system.

Restrictions
The following are not eligible for funding:
• Community Interest Companies (CICs).
• Companies - Industrial and Provident Societies, Co-Operatives or Community Associations where no charity registration is in place.
• Sports Pavilions
• School Hall
• Building projects which have already started.
• New build village halls.
• Work that is undertaken solely to ensure compliance with DDA requirements.
• Improvement to car parks, parking areas, adjacent recreational areas and landscaping.
• Architects, surveyors and specialist survey fees.
• Costs for feasibility studies or planning applications or project managers' fees.
• Projects that solely seek to repair, maintain or renew work.
• Hall committees who received a grant from the former Village Hall Improvement Grant Fund (2019-2022).

On Monday the 28th November Worcestershire CALC held its AGM with presentations on Policies and Elections from the Executive Officer and a presentation from Chariman Bakul Kumar who discussed Digital Exclusions, Dementia, and Neighbourhood Plans.

CHAIRMAN'S PRESENTATION CALC AGM

Presentation for AGM Policies

AGM Elections and Councillor Recruitment

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has been notified by the Local Government Association (LGA) that it has come to an agreement on the 2022/23 pay offer with the unions representing local government employees

The unions met on 1 November 2022 and agreed to accept the offer. The terms of that agreement include the following:

• With effect from 1 April 2022, an increase of £1,925 on all NJC pay points 1 and above.
• With effect from 1 April 2023, an increase of one day to all employees’ annual leave entitlement.

E02-22 Pay Agreement 2022-23

Draft news story C&R Newsletter 4 – August 2022:

Updates from the Civility and Respect Project Team

The August edition of the Civility and Respect newsletter is out now - <PDF link>.  It includes the Civility and Respect pledge, a new Dignity at Work policy to replace the Bullying and Harassment policy, and an overview of the Civility Training programme.

We are delighted to announce the launch of ‘The Civility and Respect Pledge’, it’s easy to sign up to and is designed to help define the right behaviours within your council, to prevent bullying and to support councils demonstrating high standards of conduct. We are inviting all councils to please take the pledge.

The pledge is supported by a Dignity at Work policy to written to replace a previous Bullying and Harassment policy, approved for use by both NALC and SLCC

Please also take a look at the bespoke training programme with content designed to address the key issues you told us about, specifically designed to support you, enhance your skills and confidence to handle incivility, disrespect, and poor behaviour. 

Visit the NALC and SLCC websites to find out more information on the project resources, details of how your council can sign up to the Pledge and how you can book onto the bespoke training.

Look out for the regular project updates in our NALC and SLCC news bulletins and on social media.

The August newsletter includes articles on:

• Project progress
• Introducing the Civility and Respect Pledge
• The Civility and respect training programme
• Introducing the Civility and Respect Dignity at Work policy

Read the newsletterCivility and Respect Newsletter August 2022

Introducing the Civility and Respect Pledge

NALC, SLCC, and OVW believe now is the time to put civility and respect at the top of the agenda and start a culture change for the local council sector.

Civility means politeness and courtesy in behaviour, speech, and in the written word. Showing respect can be by listening and paying attention to others, having consideration for other people’s feelings, following protocols and rules, showing appreciation and thanks, and being kind.

We are delighted to announce the launch of ‘The Civility and Respect Pledge’, it’s easy to sign up to and is designed to help define the right behaviours within your council, to prevent bullying and to support councils demonstrating high standards of conduct. We are inviting all councils to please take the pledge.

We’re asking all councils to add an item to your next meeting agenda to discuss civility and respect and sign up to pledge that your council will:

• Treat other councillors, clerks, employees, members of the public, and representatives of partner organisations and volunteers with civility and respect in their roles
• Commit to training councillors and staff
• Sign up to the code of conduct for councillors
• Have good governance arrangements in place
• Commit to seeking professional help at early stages should civility and respect issues arise
• Call out bullying and harassment if and when it happens
• Continue to learn from best practice in the sector and aspire to being a role model/champion council
• Support the continued lobbying for the change in legislation to support the civility and respect pledge including sanctions for elected members where appropriate

Visit the SLCC and NALC Civility and Respect webpages for suggested wording for this as an agenda item.

Find out more details and sign up here

Civility and Respect Dignity at work

Dear Parish Councillor or Clerk

20mph is safer, popular and people and climate friendly – 20mph on the Agenda for a Vote Please

Please propose a vote of support for normalising 20mph on your parish agenda – where people live, shop, work, learn and play.  This does not involve paying for it yourself – the County council or government grants can fund it.  This proposal would reduce casualties by 69 per year - and pay for itself in 6 months. The authorities of 28 million people in the UK have already agreed this policy.

Following the change of cabinet member for transport at Worcester County Council (WCC) to Cllr Mike Rouse, and in light of WCC’s upcoming review on speed policy, a 20mph motion from many parish councils matters. It demonstrates the grass roots popularity that the majority of people feel (70+% in surveys) for 20 mph limits where they live.  

20’s Plenty for Worcestershire held a 20mph presentation on 17^th May where many parish councils were represented along with CALC. There is a video below

There is a shorter 7 min version that is generic at Getting your parish or town council to support 20mph - 20's Plenty for Us (20splenty.org) along with downloadable guides for councillors

Topic: 20's Plenty for Worcestershire Preregister to Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83863305495?pwd=hYu97h-UkinatFesvfc3IGVldMV12b.1

Meeting ID: 838 6330 5495

Passcode: 20mph

Cllr Mike Rouse This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. can make 20mph a reality in your place, by updating the out of date speed policy.

Once you have passed a motion, please tell him This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and respond to 20’s Plenty for Worcestershire too at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so we can add you to our parishes list and tell the media.

Please add a vote on 20mph to your Parish agenda asap:

Motion

[Your Parish or Town council name]:

• Supports the 20’s Plenty for Worcestershire campaign;
• Calls on Worcestershire County Council to implement 20mph in [your place]; and

Will write to Worcestershire County Council to request 20mph speed limits on streets throughout Worcestershire where people live, work, shop, play or learn, with 30mph as the exception on those roads, where full consideration of the needs of vulnerable road users allows a higher limit

There is a lot of info at20's Plenty for Us (20splenty.org) which you can search with the search function. I  (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Anna Semlyen This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 07572120439 would be very happy to answer any questions you may have.

Do join 20’s Plenty for free and get a free starting a campaign pack with stickers for use in your village/s. Stickers and Campaign Materials - 20's Plenty for Us (20splenty.org)

I look forward to hearing from you,

Kind regards,

Martin Ball

Tel.07939535512

20’s Plenty for Worcestershire. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

20's Plenty for Us (20splenty.org) Follow us on Twitter @20splentyforus

Join our 20's Plenty (mph) - Love 30 (kmh) Campaigners facebook page at 20's Plenty (mph) - Love 30 (kmh) Campaigners | Facebook

We support UN and its call for default 20mph and 30km/h urban and village limits.

Please ask your MP to support also at Email your MP to support UN Global Road Safety Week - 20's Plenty for Us (20splenty.org)

The District and County Councils have either agreed or are very close to agreeing a new Code of Conduct. This is the Local Government Associations Model Code of Conduct, which is also endorsed by NALC (National Association of Local Councils).
We recommend that all Town and Parish Councils in the County adopt the new Code of Conduct.

Download 20code

At its recent meeting, the Smaller Councils Committee agreed that it’s chair, Cllr Graham Ford, would write to smaller councils to ask what issues of relevance to them they would like the committee to address and the services they would like NALC to provide.

Accordingly, please find attached a letter from the chair which we would be grateful if you could share with all smaller councils in your area. Please ask for responses to be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 30 April 2022.

Smaller_Councils_Committee_letter_to_smaller_councils.pdf

The Civility and Respect Project first newsletter is available now.

CR Newsletter Nov21