Shortlisted as 2023 Finalist
GAPTC was thrilled to be shortlisted for the prestigious national award, County Association of the Year, in November 2023. Each year the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) invites council members from across the country to nominate clerks, councils, councillors and county associations for various awards. Our networking session captured the attention of the judges and ticked all their boxes in respect of the sessions sharing best practice, reaching a wide audience and being both accessible and affordable, they are free of charge. Each month we discuss different topics with clerks and councillors and find out more about what is happening across the county, while sharing valuable information with our members.
BOOK HERE for upcoming Networking sessions
Nov Internal Audit Service
Understand our revamped Internal Audit Service —explore updates, support, and resources on our new website
Nov is for Clerks and Councillors
This is a combined session to support clerks and help councillors understand their role in Internal Controls and the Audit.
Jan '25 Councillors: Engagement
Discover tools and ideas that enhgance community engagement, streamline data collection, and ensure inclusive, representative feedback for local council projects.
Jan '25 Clerks: Risk & Insurance
Join our networking session on risk management and council insurance. Gain essential insights on risk assessments, insurance policies, and protecting your council's operations effectively.
VIEW RECORDINGS from previous Networking topics
Sept Councillors: Village Halls
Angela Gilbert, GRCC, explores the governance and management of village halls, and the responsibilities of Parish Councillors serving as trustees.
Sept Clerks: Legionella
Dee Thornton unpacks the statutory Legionella compliance. Learn about risk assessments, water system management, record-keeping, and training.
Allotments
The National Allotment Society (NAS) provides free initial legal advice to members, manages Allotment Officer Forums, and helps protect allotments from disposal.
Procurement
An informative session on council procurement practices, covering legal frameworks, compliance, and high-value contracts, designed for clerks and officers.
Rural Housing
GRCC discuss rural housing schemes, emphasising Council involvement, affordable housing challenges, and the impact on rural communities' sustainability and inclusivity.
Council as Employer
Taurus HR to explores local council employment practices, including line management, recruitment, appraisals, and emerging legislation.
.gov Domains
Learn about moving to a .gov.uk domain, its benefits, costs, available funding, and practical support from the Parish Council Domains Helper Service.
Digital Councils
Explore Cloudy IT's latest digital tools for councils, and find out how to streamline your council administration and services through digitisation.
Public Rights of Way
Rights and responsibilities for PROW, unrecorded rights of way, the 2031 registration deadline, and how councils can get involved.
Funding
Additional revenue streams are crucial for council projects. We talk about successful grant applications, best practice, possible pitfalls, and available and upcoming funds.
Maintenance Teams & Contracts
Effective green-space management, maintenance contracts, woodland creation, and habitat management, addressing biodiversity and No Mow May.
Land & Property Registration
A vital session for councils with unregistered land. We discuss the importance of registering all council-owned land by 2030 and offer support for the process.
Annual Meeting of the Parish
A workshop on hosting successful Annual Parish Meetimgs. We brainstorm budgets, putting together a team, marketing the evnt and much more.
Litter
Litter hotspots, attitudes of the authorities, legislative base and the culprits; as well as what local councils can do about litter, from local actions to effective lobbying.
The Biodiversity Deadline
We explored the Biodiversity Action Deadline for local councils, and reviewed and adopted a Biodiversity Policy and Action Plan.
Civility & Respect Pledge
We unpack the National Civility & Respect agenda and find out what councils need to do to sign the Pledge, and how effective it is in combatting poor behaviour.
Community Policing
Launch of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner's Councillor Advocacy Scheme which introduces closer working between councils and neighbourhood police
20mph Zones & Limits
Understand how your council can take effective action against speeding motorists and what the difference is between 20mph limits and zones.
Parish Websites
Parish Online launches its website development and hosting service to local councils. A professional look and feel with .gov emails and domain names
Emergency Planning
There is a need to prepare for emergencies like extreme weather and health crises. We learn about emergency resilience planning from Cullompten Town Council.
TICs & Visitor Info Centres
Dursley and other councils shared their experiences with Visitor and Tourist Information Centres: possible venues, staffing, funding, successes and pitfalls.
Climate Conversation Follow up
We kept the climate conversation going talking about projects from across the county as well as how to host a Home Energy Café, and working collaboratively.
LCAS & Star Councils
The Local Council Award Scheme and Star Council Awards are national initiative to raise the standard of work and service in our sector. We find out more on both.
Asset Transfers
Stroud Town Council demystified the complexities of asset transfers, maintaining an asset register and attaching values to Council assets.
Food Pantries & Community Fridges
We focus on community fridges and pantries with Tetbury Town Council, Feeding Gloucestershire, and Northway Parish Council.
Elections: recruitment & retention
Elections, councillor recruitment and retention, and the launch of GAPTC's Election Toolkit. Councils with successful recruitment campaigns shared their experiences
Travellers
Hosted by Cirencester Town Council and Cam Parish Council we explored the contentious topic of Travellers Council responsibilities, and legal options.
Accessibility: council documents
Nailsworth Town Council shared their learning on document and facilities accessibility for residents and councillors with visual impairments.
Youth Councils & Youth Provision
We explored the importance of engaging youth in local councils with Chippenham Town Council and Stroud District Council to inspire effective youth engagement strategies.
Councils & Climate Change
We learned about Climate and Biodiversity actions from the experiences of local and out-of-county Councils. Guests included Kempley Parish Council and Cllr Ed Gemmell.
The Paperless Office
How to transition to a paperless office was unpacked by Stonehouse Town Council and included a digital app walk through by Edge IT.
FOIs & SARs
Our in-person Christmas networking session explained Councils' legal obligations, processing requests, and best practices for compliance and transparency.
SOS: Food & Fuel Crisis
We discuss how local Councils can supports their residents during this rising crisis. Hosted by the Citizens' Advice Bureau, the Grace Network, and GL11.
Gloucestershire's Older Drivers
The Gloucestershire Older Drivers Forum spoke on road safety initiatives, Cllr Whyborn discussed 20mph zones and Cllr Pedrick brought us up to date on ANPR.
Anti-Social Behaviour
Nailsworth Town Council hosted a session on anti-social behaviour, co-hosted by Cainscross Parish Council. Clerks shared experiences and learning.
Cloudy IT
Cloudy IT introduced council apps like Allotments and Green Spaces. Clerks assessed their usefulness and shared insights on other council apps.