Northants CALC

The Northamptonshire County Association of Local Councils (Northants CALC) is a membership organisation representing the parish and town councils of Northamptonshire, England.

The organisation started in 1947 when local government reforms began after WWII. For over seventy years Northants CALC has provided legal and technical advisory services to member councils with the backing of the National Association of Local Councils (https://www.nalc.gov.uk/) based in London.

More than 98% of the 220 parish and town councils in Northamptonshire are in membership. The members range from the smallest of parish councils with just a few hundred electors to the largest town councils with tens of thousands of electors.

The Association provides training and offers courses on such varied subjects as chairmanship skills, council procedures and accounting and budgeting. It also offers the formal qualification for clerks, the Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA).

Councils in Northamptonshire can benefit from the Internal Audit Service operated by Northants CALC. It is a legal requirement for all parish and town councils to appoint an internal auditor and it makes sense to take advantage of the attractive rates for internal audit offered to members. The auditors are all experienced clerks in Northamptonshire and their knowledge and expertise can be invaluable to other councils. Some councils still use accountants or bank managers, or even just someone from their own village, but legislation moves forward at such a rapid pace that it is difficult for these people to keep up. The Northants CALC internal auditors meet regularly to stay up to date and share experiences and examples of best practice with each other.

Northamptonshire County Association of Local Councils
PO Box 7936
Brackley
NN13 9BY

01327 831482

info@northantscalc.com

Northants CALC Limited is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales with company number 7335699.

Northants CALC has over 65 years experience in giving advice and guidance to its member parishes. It is constituted to support local councils and parish meetings in the delivery of services to their communities.

• Advice and information including: Legal advice service; Employment advice service; Advice on council administration; Policy consultation and advice; National Circulars and Information Bulletins; Bi-monthly Update newsletter
• Telephone helpline
• Member Enquiry Service (MES) an e mail service providing member parish and town councils with timely support, guidance and basic advice. Contact the MES on mes@northantscalc.com
• Opportunity to participate in organised meetings, free legal, administrative and employment advice.
• Training - The Association runs an extensive programme of training courses to equip clerks and councillors.
• National affiliation - Northants CALC is affiliated to the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) which seeks to represent local councils at national level as well as providing advice on legal and procedural matters, national publications and regular information bulletins.
• Local Council Award Scheme - Northants CALC supports councils seeking accreditation for the Local Council Award Scheme.

All queries from member councils should be placed by e-mail, telephone or post, and this should be done through the Chairman/Vice-Chairman or Clerk.

Northants CALC is governed by a board of directors who are appointed by the AGM as the sovereign body of the Association. The current Chairman of the Association is Mike Scott (mscott@northantscalc.com).

Peter Allen

My wife and I have lived in Towcester since 1976 and I have served as an independent parish & town councillor for more than 31 years. My first exposure to Northants CALC was being sent, shortly after I was first elected, on their courses in an attempt to turn me into an effective local councillor. This has served me well over the years and left me with a high regard for the work of the Association. Nine years ago, I was honoured to be nominated and elected to the then County Committee. With Northamptonshire County & district councils about to transition to unitary status, our parish & town councils, together with the communities we serve, will undoubtedly be facing some challenging, and possibly rewarding times over the next few years. The contribution and support of the Association could prove particularly crucial to councils of all sizes over this period and if re-appointed to the Board I would be pleased to continue to make the commitment the roll deserves.

Lynn Lavender

I am currently Clerk to Hartwell Parish Council and Ashton Parish Council. I am CiLCA qualified and hold a Masters in Community Education. Professionally I have considerable experience within the Third Sector and more recently the Local Council Sector, of operational and strategic management at a local, regional and national level. I have a strong commitment to community development and equal opportunities. Firmly believing in active participation and involvement of local people in the planning and delivery of local services. A particular interest in quality assurance processes has lead me to join the internal audit team at Northants CALC and having been impressed with the support offered by Northants CALC. I relish the chance to join the board to help further the influence and effectiveness of the Association. On a personal level I have two lovely daughters, I like to travel and enjoy reading.

Richard Lewis

I am now in my fourteenth year as a member of Rushden Town Council and have been on the Board of Northants CALC for some 7 years. I have served Northants CALC as Vice Chair for 2 years and as Chair for 3 years. I am a firm believer in Northants CALC as an organisation, not only in bringing coordinated strength to the representation of over 200 county parishes but also in providing a wide range of services and advice on tap to the parishes. I have also been a District Councillor for 11 years and have experience of chairing meetings at this level. Additionally I am involved with other organisations which operate county wide. I believe that this experience and knowledge is very useful to Northants CALC in firstly balancing the board with large and small parish representation, but secondly in assisting Northants CALC to work with its partners at the different county levels, particularly in these times of uncertainty regarding the future structure of the county's councils.

Geoff Paul

Following service in the Royal Navy I became an accountant, and worked for a number of companies, both large and small, until my retirement in 2012. I moved into Moulton in 1996 and have lived there ever since. My interest in Community matters led to co-option to the Parish Council on three occasions – 2004, 2014, and 2018. Among my other roles, I am now Vice Chairman of Council, and Chairman of the Finance Committee. My other activities have included being a member of the Northants Special Constabulary from 1973 to 2003, a Magistrate for 12 years until my retirement in 2017, an Association Football Referee from 1968-1998, followed by becoming an FA qualified Assessor, and I now regularly watch and advise aspiring referees. It gives me great pride to sit as an Independent member on Northants Football Association disciplinary committee, and also on the National Anti-Discrimination Panel. I have for the last 3 years been a Non-Executive Director for Cognatum Estates, a company which runs a number of Retirement Communities throughout England. Just to be sure I am not idle in my retirement, I have been a Volunteer Lock Keeper with Canal and River Trust since 2013 – helping boaters, meeting people, and getting some much-needed exercise.

Mike Scott

I have been a councillor for Great Addington Parish Council for 4 years and believe that this is an important part of civic life as well as contributing to our community, especially given the push toward greater devolution and all the opportunities that this has to offer. Having lived with my wife in Northamptonshire for the past 30 years I recently retired as a CEO for a global business operating in a highly regulated environment and felt I had the right kind of experience and skill sets to offer NCALC when they were looking for a new board member. Since joining NCALC I have played an active part in helping to formulate their strategy going forward and as Internal Controls Director have worked with the CEO to refine our internal control process. I believe that in today's society organisations in public service need to take in to account best practice from all types of organisations including those in the private sector and I think this is something I can offer NCALC going forward.

Lynne Taylor

Northants CALC offers its member councils a comprehensive service, through advice, training and support. I believed I could offer my experience to our sector and was elected to join the County Committee in 2008. Since then I have continued to be part of an active team of directors who have helped to shape the future direction of Northants CALC. I also represent Northants CALC at the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), where national issues surrounding parish and town councils are discussed. I have served at Daventry Town Council since its inauguration in 2003. I owned a successful day nursery, employing 15 staff, for twenty years until I retired in 2010. My husband and I are Northampton Saints supporters and have held season tickets for many years.

Ally Chang

The wide range of services offered by NCALC has been an amazing support to me, ever since I started my career in the local government sector. I feel the array of benefits the association offers to its member council's are invaluable, which is why I am delighted to be appointed as a Director. I hope to help contribute with the success of NCALC for their members. In my spare time, I thoroughly enjoy spending quality time with family and friends.

David Fuller

I have lived in Northamptonshire on two separate occasions. My first visit was to Wollaston in the 1980s where I purchased my first house. Then 26 years ago I became a teacher at Oundle School. Since then my family have settled in Oundle and we have fallen in love with the town and county as a lovely place to live. After leaving teaching in 2010, I decided to try and see what I could do for my local community and I became a councillor at Oundle Town Council. I have learnt a great during my time as a councillor and also gained a lot of respect for the work that NCALC carries out in supporting councils when they face some difficult issues. As our roles as councillors, particularly in the parish councils, becomes more complex the support Northants CALC can offer them is going to become more important. I am delighted to have joined the board and hope that my service can help it in its role in supporting councils in the county.

Funding
Northants CALC is a company limited by guarantee. It is a not for profit membership association and is not a public sector body. Northants CALC is funded by member council subscription, training fees and contract funding from Northamptonshire Council Council.

Membership
Over 95% of parish councils in Northamptonshire are in membership of the Association. This means that their voice is heard on local issues and at national level. Local councils join the Association to avail themselves of the support available to them in these changing times for local government.

Northants CALC has a positive working relationship with the Northamptonshire branch of the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC) via regular joint meetings.