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The Councillor's Corner

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The Councillor's Corner

Welcome to the Councillors' corner!

We offer an open support network for Councillors to Town & Parish Councils via an exclusive closed member group where live discussions take place daily covering a vast range of relevant topics.

27/05/2026

Get ready for something a little bit different for our next webinar!

We’re going behind the scenes of a New Forest council with Gale Pettifer, Clerk & Proper Officer at Brockenhurst Parish Council. Gale is going to give us a real look at what it’s actually like to run a council when commoners’ livestock are casually wandering through the village—and all the unique benefits and challenges that come with it.

🐷 Ponies, Pigs, and Parish Councils: Life in the New Forest National Park
Thursday 4th June, 11AM - 12PM
Register your free spot: https://resources.scribeaccounts.com/ponies-pigs-and-parish-councils-life-in-the-new-forest-national-park

Here's a quick look at what we’ll chat about:

- The Living Landscape: An introduction to the grazing system that shapes the Forest and why these animals are essential to its biodiversity.
- Governance in the Wild: The practical reality of managing a village where ponies, donkeys, cattle and pigs always have the right of way - from road safety to open-gate policies.
- The "National Park" Layer: How a Parish Council interacts with the New Forest National Park Authority, Verderers, and Agisters to protect the area’s unique status.
- Sustainable Future: How local councils contribute to the goal of creating a place where both nature and people can thrive together.

13/05/2026

Every pound in your reserves is a future investment in your community—whether it’s for playground repairs or village hall upkeep. Are you making that money work as hard as it can?

Join Jamie Charters, Client Relationship Manager at CCLA Investment Management, for a practical masterclass on moving beyond basic bank accounts to a smarter, more diversified investment approach.

📈 Investing Wisely: Key Considerations for Council Funds
Thursday 21st May, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Register your free spot: https://resources.scribeaccounts.com/investing-wisely-key-considerations-for-council-funds

In 60 minutes, you will discover:
✅Risk Management: Why diversification is your best shield against credit risk.
✅The Balancing Act: How to maintain liquidity while earning more on your long-term reserves.
✅Ethical Standards: Aligning your council’s funds with environmental, social and governance standards.
✅The PSDF Explained: Why the Public Sector Deposit Fund is a staple for local authorities.

05/05/2026

📝 Procurement doesn’t have to be a minefield - discover how to get it right!

Join Tom Sykes, Architect, Client Advisor and Founder of Common Works on Wednesday 13th May at 11am where he'll unpack the best way to procure consultants and contractors for your local projects.

Having previously served as Head of Design for Transport for London and as an Expert for the Design Council, Tom understands that at the heart of every tender document is a relationship, and he’s here to show you how to make those relationships thrive from day one!

Register your free spot: https://resources.scribeaccounts.com/getting-positive-outcomes-from-procurement

You Will Discover:
✅ Supplier Attraction: How to position your project to attract good suppliers and get high-quality responses from them.
✅ Proportionality: How to set up a procurement route that is proportionate to the specific work you want to do.
✅ Relationship Building: How to use the procurement exercise to build positive relationships.
✅ Technical Mastery: A practical look at thresholds, levels of detail, and how to structure your tender documents effectively.
✅ Scoring & Evaluation: How to understand and implement scoring routes that lead to the best project outcomes.
✅ A New Perspective: Why procurement doesn't have to be "boring" when it is focused on people and partnership.

09/04/2026

Your council website is more than just a legal requirement—it is your most powerful tool for community engagement.

But how do you move beyond "broadcasting" and start actually engaging? 🤔

Join Mark Tomkins, Founder & Creative Director at Aubergine, who will strip away the technical jargon and delve into strategies to maximise your council website functionality, boost digital interaction, and foster meaningful engagement with your community.

💻 Improving Community Engagement Using the Council Website
Wednesday 15th April, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Register your free spot: https://resources.scribeaccounts.com/improving-community-engagement-using-the-council-website

31/03/2026

🚨 Don’t miss these FREE training webinars!

Season 15 will be landing at the Scribe Academy in the next few days and we're bringing you another exciting line-up of expert speakers, practical sessions, and valuable insights to help your council thrive.

Here's a sneak peak of some topics coming this season:
- Improving community engagement through your council website
- Getting the most from the Big Yellow Book
- Finance and accounting fundamentals for clerks and RFOs
- Preparing for external audit queries with confidence

📬 Join the mailing list and be the first to receive webinar updates: https://resources.scribeaccounts.com/local-council-free-webinars

19/03/2026

🤩 Access the Ultimate Year End Toolkit for Town & Parish Councils

Take the pressure out of March 31st with our all-in-one Year End Toolkit specifically designed for Town and Parish Councils.

Brought to you by Scribe’s Head Accountant, Hannah Driver, this toolkit draws on years of experience supporting hundreds of councils through the audit season. Whether you use dedicated accounting software or spreadsheets, Hannah has mapped out the step-by-step framework you need to achieve a smooth internal and external audit.

🎯 What’s inside your Year End Toolkit:
- On-Demand Training Webinar (45 Mins): A deep-dive into the year end process led by Scribe's Head Accountant, Hannah Driver.
- Step-by-Step PDF Guide: A comprehensive guide detailing the key stages of the year end process.
- Year End Checklist: A practical, tick-box resource to keep track of progress and know where you're at.
- Webinar Slide Deck: A handy PDF reference of all the key tips, audit requirements, and AGAR box explanations discussed in the training.

Perfect for Clerks, Responsible Finance Officers (RFOs) & Councillors wanting an improved understanding of the year end process.

👉 Access the Free Toolkit: https://resources.scribeaccounts.com/year-end-toolkit

06/03/2026

📢 Free Webinar - Tweens & Teens Love Playgrounds: The Basics of Playground Safety

‘Tweens’ and ‘Teens’ do still love to play, so let’s discuss what engages them best and how to keep them active and engaged in unsupervised outdoor spaces.

Join Millie Manton, Areas Sales Manager for KOMPAN UK, next Thursday as she shares her top tips on how to design a playground or outdoor space that will engage all ages.

Millie will also discuss how we can we can use design to attract more girls to these spaces and ensure they feel included as well as the basics of safety in playground design, inspections and maintenance, basic equipment placement and safety surfacing standards.

You Will Discover:
- How to make your public open space attractive to ‘tweens’ and ‘teens’
- What gets girls active
- Safety basics in play space design

🛝 Tweens & Teens Love Playgrounds: The Basics of Playground Safety
🗓️ Thursday 12th March, 10AM - 11AM
👉 Register your free spot: https://resources.scribeaccounts.com/tweens-teens-love-playgrounds-the-basics-of-playground-safety

18/02/2026

With Year End just around the corner we are delighted to be joined by Eleanor Greene, Chief Accountant at Do the Numbers Limited, who will be sharing practical guidance for a successful internal audit.

Eleanor is Chief Accountant at Do the Numbers Ltd as well as Secretary to the Internal Audit Forum and has been auditing accounts since 1997. Auditing for over 50 Town & Parish Councils, Eleanor will share her top tips when it comes to getting the internal audit right first time, and common mistakes to avoid! 🪄

You Will Discover:
- Making the SAPPP Practitioner's Guide your friend
- Financial requirements of the internal audit
- Governance requirements of the internal audit
- Best practices and common pitfalls

🎯 Preparing for a Successful Internal Audit
Thursday 26th February, 11AM - 12PM
Register for free: https://resources.scribeaccounts.com/preparing-for-a-successful-internal-audit

05/02/2026

As local councils take on more responsibilities, the need for a skilled, future-proof workforce has never been greater. But how do we bridge the gap between today’s vacancies and tomorrow’s qualified Clerks and RFOs?

Join Nigel Hayes and Keira Lake from Dorchester Town Council to explore the value of apprenticeships, CiLCA and beyond within local government and how these career pathways can help to grow and strengthen your team.

Career Pathways in Local Councils: From Apprenticeships to CiLCA and Beyond
🗓️ Thursday 12th February, 10AM - 11AM
👉 Register your free spot: https://resources.scribeaccounts.com/career-pathways-in-local-councils-from-apprenticeships-to-cilca-and-beyond

You Will Discover:
- The benefits of hiring an apprentice
- How to go about recruiting an apprentice
- Why apprenticeships work so well in local government

Meet Our Guest Speakers:
- Nigel has been the Responsible Financial Officer (RFO) at Dorchester Town Council since 2023, having served as Finance Officer since 2014. He is currently completing a Level 6 Bachelor’s degree in Community Governance with SLCC and De Montfort University.
- Keira began her role as a Finance Apprentice at Dorchester Town Council in July 2024 at the age of 18. Since then, she has fast-tracked through ILCA, FILCA, PIALC and AAT Level 2, and is now working towards CILCA and AAT Level 3.

08/01/2026

🚀 Season 14 has landed at the Scribe Academy!

We're bringing you another exciting line-up of expert speakers, practical sessions, and valuable insights to help your council stay compliant, build confidence, and plan ahead.

We're kicking things off next Thursday at 11am with Mark Tomkins, Founding Director of Aubergine, who will be sharing the practical steps you can take now to ensure your council is 'Assertion 10' compliant and ready for the 25/26 AGAR.

👉 Register for free here: https://resources.scribeaccounts.com/is-your-council-assertion-10-compliant-ready

🤩 Check out more of our free, upcoming webinars: https://www.scribeaccounts.com/blog/scribe-academy-tm-season-14---free-webinars-for-local-council-clerks-and-councillors

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