SALC is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications to the health & wellbeing grant fund, part of a larger health & wellbeing project commissioned by Somerset Council Public health to enable parish and town councils to improve health and wellbeing in their communities.
To find out more, visit our grants page, here.
Accessing health and wellbeing data to understand the population in local areas can be a
challenge, but the information can be very helpful when making grant applications.
SALC is offering free training to show you how to access health and wellbeing data from the main sources of easily available information for parish councils. There will be an overview demonstration of how to use appropriate websites and what to look for when identifying and supporting priorities.
Book via the health & wellbeing section of the SALC website training page
The ico has launched a new topic in its Freedom of Information (FOI) toolkit to enable public authorities to self-assess their performance in dealing with vexatious requests (whether an information request is likely to cause a disproportionate or unjustified level of disruption, irritation, or distress).
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 states that a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request for information if it is vexatious. The ico states that, if used correctly, the toolkit can serve to balance transparency and the protection of resources.
The Good Councillor’s Guide to Employment is now available for free download 
on the SALC website Publications page (login required).
The new guide updates the publication Being a Good Employer and gives practical guidance on recruiting and managing employees effectively and in compliance with employment legislation.
NALC is collating a planning case study document to compliment its existing good practice case study documents: Climate Change, Young People and Points of Light. Parish and town councils with experience of planning, particularly in the following areas, are asked to submit a short case study here by 27 June:
Once complete, the case study publication will be added to a new NALC planning webpage.
De Montfort University student and Bridgwater Town Clerk, David Mears, is undertaking a BA (Hons) in Community Governance and would be grateful for your help. David is asking volunteers to complete a short questionnaire about whether there is a need to improve relationships between local councils and local business.
If you would like to participate, please read the participant research information sheet before completing the short questionnaire, which is anonymised and should take no more than 5 minutes. The questionnaire closes at 15:00hrs on 7 June 2023.
Somerset Cost–of–Living Fund opens to applications on Wednesday 5 June 2023
The Somerset Cost-of-Living Fund is here to help reduce the additional financial impacts of the cost-of-living crisis on your organisation. Ask for between £1,000 and £10,000 for costs you have between September 2023 and March 2024 for costs relating to any of the following:
For more information and to apply by Friday 21 July, click here.
Commissioner’s Crime Prevention Fund – closing on Friday 16 June 2023
This fund is about creating safer communities. You can ask for up to £5,000 if you work or volunteer for a Somerset-based group that wants to run a project:
• in a particular neighbourhood so that everyone benefits from reduced crime and antisocial behaviour, or
• for a specific group of people who are at higher risk of being the victims or perpetrators of crime and antisocial behaviour.
For more information and to apply click here.
Growing and Cooking Grants – closing on 9 June 2023
Growing and Cooking Grants are available to support community-led food projects that make healthier food accessible for everyone. This year SCF is particularly keen to receive applications from projects that promote, encourage or carry out cooking activities in the community. Apply for a grant of between £500 and £5,000, which would need to be spent within 12 months. Requests up to £10,000 to be spent over 24 months can be considered.
Apply here for projects that involve:
For more information and to apply click here.
To see the all the grant programmes that are available visit Somerset Community Foundation’s ‘Grants to Groups’ webpage https://www.somersetcf.org.uk/grantfunding/grants-groups
Right now the following councils/ bodies have active vacancies:
Wincanton Town Council is seeking a part time Administration Officer within the pro-rated salary range £22,369-£24,496
Bishops Lydeard and Cothelstone Parish Council is seeking a Clerk/RFO within the hourly pay range £13.18 – £14.63ph
Sampford Brett Parish Council is seeking a clerk/RFO on the pay rate £11.63ph)
Lion Television has rightly recognised that local councils are a great way to get info out into the community and has asked that we share the flyer below with you.
Lion TV is looking for budding young designers aged 10-14 years old, (they must be aged 11 by September 1st 2023). In each episode viewers will see young creative minds come together to create bold and colourful outfits reusing, re-claiming, and upcycling fabulous fashion by using only vintage, second-hand, and sustainable materials.
Anyone interested in applying can email Fashion@liontv.co.uk or apply through the CBBC Website on the following link – Be on a Show: Style It Out – CBBC – BBC
Company No. 11942896 registered in England and Wales
