East Budleigh with Bicton Parish Council has restored a phone kiosk and installed a life-saving public access defibrillator to help the community of Yettington

East Budleigh with Bicton Parish Council has restored the phone box that sits in the centre of Yettington, East Budleigh and installed a defibrillator.  The phone box had fallen into disrepair over several years and become very unsightly.

Judith Venning, the Parish Clerk said “Sam Storey of Millin Metalcrafts who lives in Yettington, has done a wonderful job of repainting and restoring the box, which now houses a defibrillator, purchased with a generous donation to the Parish Council from Lord Clinton’s Trust.”

The defibrillator will be available to residents of Yettington and visitors alike and will be checked regularly by the Parish Clerk. The nearby Yettington Hall has also been restored, so the availability of a defibrillator nearby will give greater reassurance to users of the Hall.

Local resident Mel Ferrers said “What a fantastic use of an otherwise disused and generally run-down phone box. Thankyou to everyone who helped to make this happen.”

Making a start on the project!

Undercoat nearly finished!

Shiny new phone box with defibrillator!

For more information

A number of Devon’s councils have used BT’s Adopt a Kiosk scheme to adopt a K6 phone box for a huge range of different projects including Brixham’s Telebug Hotels and Kingsbridge’s smallest nightclub. Defibrillators are a popular use for phoneboxes as the kiosk provides perfect housing for this lifesaving equipment. The British Heart Foundation has some information on public access defibrillators and how they can benefit a community.

Tell us about it!

Thank you so much to East Budleigh with Bicton Parish Council for sharing this story, we’re delighted to hear about your new defibrillator which is a fantastic way of restoring a run-down asset and providing reassurance to nearby residents. We love to hear stories from our members, so if you have a project that you’re proud of please tell us about it!

The importance of young people to your community, how to engage them and read about Horrabridge’s newest (and youngest) councillor!

Young people play an important part in our communities and may use a range of council facilities such as playparks, benches and public toilets. Although they have their own needs and desires for the community, they can sometimes be a hard group for local councils to reach but there are benefits to engaging with them. They are the future of our communities so it is critical to support their development. Councils can work to engage young people, either by getting them involved in the work of the council or by delivering services and assets designed to support them.

How can we engage young people?

Councils could try and reach out to young people by working with other organisations, such as schools and local youth groups, to help educate youngsters about local councils and encouraging them to participate. This might include going into schools or youth meetings (such as the Guides or Scouts) to give talks, putting notices or updates in school newsletters, or actively working with groups to promote local democracy. For example, councils could run art competitions in schools to design a logo for the council or to design a poster. South Tawton Parish Council carried out a competition to choose a winning design for their ‘slow down’ road signs.

Streaming or videoing important events may also help as young people could watch them at school or at home; Okehampton Town Council streams their Mayoral choosing event so that schools are able to watch it live.

Other ways to include young people in your community might be to use social media; different media will reach different groups so it may be worth considering an Instagram, or Twitter, page. Perhaps you could use community awards to recognise young people in the parish who are already working hard to benefit the community like South Brent Parish Council’s Community Champion awards

A young councillor at Horrabridge

Meet Harley Carpenter, Horrabridge’s latest parish councillor! Harley was co-opted in April, having just turned 18 years old.

She has lived in the parish for 5 years and felt it was important to join the council to encourage other youngsters to feel more involved with the community and to express any concerns they might have.

Harley also volunteers with the local youth club, youth coffee mornings and U.B.A.K.A. (Urban Bulldogs Against Kids Abuse).

Resources

NALC has a range of resources aimed at how councils can encourage young people to become councillors and make a change in their community, but also the ways that councils can support young people including funding youth groups, consulting young people and installing relevant assets such as skate parks. This includes a Young people case studies publication, which includes several councils from Devon including Bradninch, Peter Tavy, Chulmleigh and Buckland Brewer.

Training

Our partners, Breakthrough Communications, run training on how to effectively engage with young people in your community (please note the course costs £30 +VAT, invoiced by DALC), to help you explore the issues that matter to young people, how to effectively reach and engage with them both online and offline, and how to build partnerships with them to improve your community and the work of your council. More information on our training with Breakthrough Communications is available here, with a range of other courses to help you engage your community.

NALC National Network

If you are a young councillor (under 40) then you may be interested in joining NALC’s National Network for Young Councillors which meets regularly to help connect councillors, share good practice and provide mutual support.

South Brent Parish Council has awarded their Community Champion awards for 2021-22; a great way to celebrate the community and raise the council’s profile!

Many councils look for new ways to raise their council’s profiles within their community and South Brent Parish Council’s Community Champion Awards are a great way to do this, while also providing an excellent way to celebrate the community. The council gives two awards, Community Champion and Young Community Champion, with nominations from members of the public.

South Brent Parish Council Community Champion 2021-22

They received two nominations for Community Champion and gave the award to South Brent Pharmacy. Although Community Champion is historically awarded to an individual, the council was so impressed by the community spirit and excellent service demonstrated by the pharmacy, they decided to break with tradition.

The pharmacy is an extremely important facility in the community, giving excellent service with staff of the highest quality. The pharmacist puts himself out to serve the community; during a period of very bad weather, he stayed in the flat above the shop so the pharmacy could open as normal.

South Brent Parish Council Young Community Champion 2021-22

The Young Community Champion was awarded to Holly Chapman-Burden who is part of Dartside Explorers, always giving one hundred percent. She also volunteers as a young leader with the Ivybridge Scout Group, setting an excellent example and taking care of others in the unit.

Pictured (right): Cllr Glyn Richards (Chairman of the Parish Council) and Holly Chapman-Burden.

Pictured (above): Trish Luker, Phil Beard (pharmacist), Cllr Glyn Richards (Chairman of the Parish Council), Rachael Timmins and Russell Porter.

We love reading the ways that councils work with their communities and raise their profiles! NALC’s Points of Light has a range of case studies from across the country of the amazing work councils are doing including other community awards.

Please do take a moment to tell us about what your council is doing.

Following concerns in the community about speeding, Mary Tavy Parish Council have installed a vehicle activated sign on the A386

The council wanted to address the issue of speeding vehicles on the A386, a busy road in the centre of the village. Several residents had contacted the parish council with concerns regarding vehicle speeds on the road which doesn’t have a pavement all the way along. Some parts of the A386 have a virtual footpath rather than an actual pavement and residents that needed to use the virtual footpath felt vulnerable.

A formal public meeting was held (before the Covid-19 pandemic) and was well attended. Parishioners were presented with a series of solutions to the problem including:

• two village gateways (to raise motorist awareness that a village is being entered),
• a community speedwatch scheme and,
• a vehicle activated sign (VAS).

Residents largely agreed that the parish council purchase a mobile VAS. The aspect that appealed most was that a modern VAS could both display vehicle speeds as well as collecting data. The data can be fed regularly to authorities such as Devon County Council and Devon & Cornwall Police as evidence of the speeding problem in the village. 

Once an appropriate make and model of VAS had been decided by the council, they made contact with the Neighbourhood Highways Officer to outline the proposal. As part of the process, the council had to supply a map of potential locations on the A386 for placement of a mobile VAS. The process of gaining approval was very time consuming; it took almost two years to gain the necessary permission from the highways authority to erect a VAS on the A386 despite assurances from the parish council that they would purchase the VAS solely from its own funds, would conduct its own risk assessment, and be solely responsible for maintenance and insurance.

They got there in the end and received permission to erect a VAS at a couple of approved locations on the A386. It was then the clerk’s task to identify the relevant power to purchase and erect a VAS. They knew that they could use section 137(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 but that would use about a third of the council’s section 137 expenditure allowance for the financial year.

The parish council contacted DALC, requesting advice from NALC’s legal team (a free member service) on possible powers. Three possible powers that the council were considering were ruled out:

• the power to contribute financially to traffic calming schemes (Local Government and Rating Act 1997, s.30),
• the power to provide certain traffic signs and other notices (Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, s.72) and,
• the power to spend money on crime detection and prevention measures (Local Government and Rating Act 1997 s.31).

NALC ultimately advised that the council could ask the highway authority (Devon County Council) to delegate its power for the function (of installing and operating a VAS). In the end, the clerk adapted a sample document found in NALC’s ‘Local Councils Explained’ book of an agreement between a county council and a parish council which she asked the highway authority to sign to confirm that, by virtue of section 101 of the Local Government Act 1972, the parish council may exercise the function of operating a mobile vehicle activated sign at locations approved by the highway authority. 

Now the VAS is up and running perfectly and the council has signed documents to show the internal auditor with reference to the power to purchase and install a VAS without touching their section 137 expenditure allowance for the financial year.

Our advice service is available to all our members and, amongst many other things, can help with identifying powers for a council to carry out a service or function. Please just contact us for assistance and we’re happy to help!

Buckland Brewer were delighted to have an excellent turnout for their Climate Change Awareness Day on 23 October.

Buckland Brewer Parish Council held a Climate Change Awareness Day on 23 October to help raise awareness of climate change in the community, and they were delighted to get an excellent turnout. The Awareness Day featured three speakers: Councillor Peter Hames (Lead Member for Climate Emergency on Torridge Council), Frank Benbow (representing the charity Energy 361 and his own parish council in Bratton Fleming) and  Johnny May (Group Secretary for the local Branch of the National Farmers’ Union). All speakers were interesting and informative, prompting some healthy, and sometimes lively, debate.

The event also attracted exhibitors including:

• Blights Motors, who were demonstrating their range of electric cars
• Buckland Brewer’s Community Shop, promoting the benefits of shopping locally
• Torridge Council Recycling
• Devon Wildlife Trust
• Westcountry CSI (The Rivers Trust)

The Westcountry Rivers Trust took the opportunity to promote a scheme to sample and report on water quality in our local rivers. Following the Climate Change Awareness Day, there have been two new local volunteers and, as a result of this event they have heard from two more who would like to get involved.

Exhibitors Blights Motors were kind enough to organise a ‘Guess the Weight of the Electric Car’ competition, raising £51 which has been donated to the Buckland Brewer Education Support Fund.

We love to hear about your projects so please take a moment to tell us what your council has been up to so we can share your story!

Following a request from a 10 year old, Chudleigh Town Council has installed a new pump track to provide a new facility for the community

It started with a written request for dirt jumps from a 10-year-old resident and finished with a fantastic pump track facility for the community.

This £95,000 project was primarily paid for from Section 106 funding that was provided specifically for sports infrastructure. The main chunk of those funds emanated from the Rivendell development. The final chunk of funding was provided by British Cycling following a successful application for £16,000 to the Places To Ride programme. Delivered through a unique partnership between British Cycling, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and Sport England, the Places to Ride programme has made £15 million available to ensure a lasting legacy in England from the 2019 UCI Road World Championships.

The pump track was designed and installed by Forte Trailscapes. Kye Forte said “Using our many years of experience the track has been designed to make the most of the space adjacent to the play park & concrete skatepark, catering to all abilities, whilst challenging experienced riders & being safe for beginners.

Mayor Martin Tinkler presented Oliver James with a certificate of appreciation nearly 2 years after he wrote to the council, with the request to create dirt jumps in the open space. Stating “it has been a delight for a young person to take an interest in the Town” and that the project “nicely completes the facilities for play, sport and recreation at Millstream Meadow”

Ollie is really delighted with the outcome as he just “wanted somewhere where he could hang out with his mates and ride bikes”. This project has certainly achieved that and more, bringing benefit and enjoyment to the whole community.

NB: Places to Ride is now closed, but there is a new collaboration between British Cycling and Crowdfunder to fund the development or improvement of new or existing cycling facilities and activities in communities across England.

Mayor Martin Tinkler presenting Oliver James with a certificate of appreciation.

Has your council been working on a great project that you would like us to share? Tell us about it!

Mary Tavy Parish Council employed a parish lengthsman to undertake a comprehensive program of roadside ditch, gully and drainage clearance with help from Devon County Council’s Highway Maintenance Community Enhancement Fund

Mary Tavy Parish Council successfully applied for a grant from Devon County Council’s Highway Maintenance Community Enhancement Fund to fund a qualified parish lengthsman to carry out a comprehensive program of roadside ditch, gully and drainage feature (e.g. buddle holes) clearance within the parish over the winter of 2020/21.

Having been contacted by many parishioners with concerns about the flooding of properties from excess surface water due to blocked drainage, the parish council was confident that the program would benefit their community. They were able to estimate that their planned program of clearance would protect at least 34% of parishioners from damage to their homes and possessions as well as harm to health from debris in surface water run-off.

The council consulted extensively with their Devon County Council Neighbourhood Highways Officer on the project to secure his approval. They briefed him on all locations included in the schedule and the potential community benefits. Prevention of excess standing water would also help prevent further deterioration to the country lanes included in the program, allowing Devon County Council to concentrate resources on undertaking essential repairs in the area.

The council had carried out a similar schedule of works during winter 2019/20 so were able to estimate the cost of the works; they applied to the Highway Maintenance Community Enhancement Fund for 50% of the costs, and agreed to fund the rest themselves. They chose a contractor with extensive local knowledge and experience, as well as Chapter 8 training allowing them to work on the roadside. The council noted that the many benefits of the project included:

• helping Devon County Council achieve some of their vision and aims
• providing a service tailored to meet local needs, preventing problems and further expense
• run locally in the way people want

Additionally, the program of works will help build community resilience by preventing some of the problems caused by extreme weather events and flooding such as standing water.

For more information on how the Highway Maintenance Community Enhancement Fund has helped Devon communities, see these case studies. 

Kingsbridge Town Council has been showing Movies on the Square to bring the community together and encourage visitors.

The footage is from their showing of Mamma Mia on Friday 13 August, what a fantastic atmosphere!

Kingsbridge Town Council’s Movies on the Square series is an innovative project to help bring the community together and rebuild the town’s economy post-Covid, which has been a key topic for many of Devon’s councils as restrictions come to an end.

The council had two main aims with Movies on the Square; they wanted to encourage people to arrive into Kingsbridge early on a Friday night to watch the film, helping to give town’s night-time economy a post-Covid boost. The movies were also intended to give both locals and visitors to the town a morale boost, by providing a fun event to enjoy with families and friends in a Covid-safe outdoor space. Many communities are enjoying coming back together to spend time with friends and family, and this one of the fantastic ways that councils can help support that with a joint benefit of boosting the economy. It’s also a great way of showcasing the town itself and using the community square which is accessible to all.

When deciding how to promote the event, the council consciously decided to use their social media rather than traditional press releases in order to appeal to their anticipated audience. As well as using Facebook, the council has an active Instagram page where they can post photos, videos and stories. Their social media has seen lots of engagement, with members of the public excited about the project and suggesting more movies for the future; the council are already keen to continue the movies next year! If you’d like to learn more about how to use social media for your council, why not check out the social media courses in our communications training.

We love hearing your stories, so please do tell us what you and your council have been up to! We’re particularly keen to hear about any summer events that have been running!

Brixton Parish Council has had a busy year with supporting its community during the pandemic and continuing their other projects such as their ‘owl seat’.

Like many other town and parish councils (some Devon case studies here) Brixton Parish Council acted swiftly to meet the demands of the pandemic, and activated its Community Emergency Plan at the time of the first Covid-19 lockdown. The council recruited volunteers to provide a prescription delivery service to people who were self isolating and shielding; volunteer local leaders were alert to any changes in their neighbourhood so they could inform the coordinator of the Emergency Plan or the relevant emergency services if required.  These volunteer services were very much appreciated by the community. A weekly newsletter was produced by Brixton Parish Council updating residents on what was happening as well as signposting to other services like funding, shopping services etc. The Emergency Plan was stood down on the 10^th July 2020 and since then our community has become more self sufficient.

Despite all their work with the pandemic, Brixton Parish Council continued to progress their projects, including:

• improving land at Cofflete Creek, which was purchased by the council in 2019 as an amenity space in the South Devon AONB on the River Yealm for the parish
• restoring a historic dry stone wall along a Public Right of Way
• replacing a major piece of play equipment in one of their play areas
• renovating their ‘owl seat’ (pictured) and stepping stones as part of the village play trail
• working with Yealmpton & Brixton WI and the landowner to agree the site for a seat marking the 100^th Anniversary of the WI on a community path which links the villages of Brixton and Yealmpton.

Brixton Parish Council has been proactive in responding to the Climate Change and protecting our environment agenda. Along with six other parish councils in the catchment of the River Yealm they have set up a Water Quality Group specifically addressing the issue of the spillage of raw sewage into the River Yealm at times of high rainfall. The council held a public open meeting to look at the impact of climate change and what individuals, and the community, can do. One of the outcomes of the meeting is a monthly article in the ‘Brixton Magazine’ with top tips for parishioners to consider in playing their part.  A Bee Friendly Brixton group has been set up to promote pollinating plants and trees across the parish. In collaboration with St. Mary’s Primary School, Sherford School  and Surfers Against Sewage the council is working on two art projects to promote the reduction of use of single use plastics.

During the past year Brixton Parish Council along with their 4 neighbouring parish councils has continued to reduce isolation and loneliness for people living with dementia and their families as a dementia friendly parish council themselves and as a member of Dementia Friendly Parishes around the Yealm. This project has received international recognition.

We love to hear stories from our members that we can share on our website and social media, please do tell us what you’ve been up to!