Podcasts

In the latest episode of ‘What’s on the Agenda?’, our host Michael King is joined by Kevin Roberts, a Consultant in Security Licensing and Events Management, and Helen Ball, Clerk to Shrewsbury Town Council and SLCC Board Director, to discuss Martyn’s Law. They explore how the law will impact local councils, what clerks need to be aware of, and the guidance available to help them navigate these changes. Tune in for an insightful conversation on the future of Martyn’s Law and the role of clerks in its delivery.

In this episode we sit down with John McCarthy CBE and hear his story of the terror and tedium of his five-year captivity in Beirut during the Lebanon hostage crisis in 1986. He details his initial naivety as a young journalist getting to work out in the field, the onslaught of his capture, the enduring friendship with fellow hostage Brian Keenan, and the periods of utter terror and depression. He also touches on the theme of feeling cut-off and isolated, and draws parallels with ordinary people dealing with personal trauma, proving that shared humanity and resilience are vital, regardless of individual experiences.

In our latest podcast episode, seasoned sports broadcaster Rob Nothman gives us a unique peak into the world of sports broadcasting and his fascinating career at the BBC. From Olympic Games to Premier League football, he shares his favourite interviewees, including golf legends Severiano Ballesteros and Tiger Woods. Rob also talks about the difficulties in interviewing high-profile figures such as Jurgen Klopp, and the thrill of interviewing sports icons who have an aura of ‘stardust’ about them.

We also hear about his unforgettable experience playing at the Masters Golf Tournament at Augusta, viewing it like ‘going to heaven without the bother and expense of dying’.

In this episode we sit down with Gina Lopes PSLCC, the 2024/25 SLCC President, following a historic election as president, and re-election as a director of SLCC on the same day. Gina shows her readiness to undertake the demanding nature of her new role, expressing her enthusiasm for the chance to visit as many branches as possible, and raise the profile of clerks globally through meeting international counterparts.

Gina also takes us through her career from how she got into clerking over 20 years ago, to now being President of SLCC, and provides insights into her chosen charities, White Ribbon UK, and the SLCC Educational Trust.

In this episode we talk to Steve Trice PSLCC, SLCC Director and Clerk to Haywards Heath Town Council, Sharron Jones FSLCC, SLCC Director and Clerk to Hawarden Community Council, Gina Lopes PSLCC, SLCC President, SLCC Director and Clerk to Stoke Ferry Parish Council, and Adam Keppel-Green FSLCC, SLCC Chair and Clerk to Knutsford Town Council, about the White Ribbon campaign, how it fits into SLCC’s broader mission, and why it is such an important cause to support.

The White Ribbon campaign promotes an end to violence against women and girls. In this episode we learn about SLCC’s action plan and the ongoing work to communicate and engage with members about the campaign. Using personal anecdotes, we learn about the campaign’s potential to effect positive behavioural change and achieve gender equality in local government and beyond.

In this episode, Michael King, SLCC’s Head of Policy and External Communications speaks to Lisa Garcia, Town Clerk of Florence, Arizona USA and IIMC President, Chris Shalby, IIMC Executive Director, Linda Larter, Clerk to Sevenoaks Town Council and IIMC Region XI Director, and Arnout van Kooij, Griffier (Clerk) to the municipality of IJsselstein in the Netherlands and IIMC Region XI Director who share insights into the world of clerking from an international perspective, describing the evolving roles, challenges, and gratification of the profession.

Lisa Garcia, IIMC President, also speaks on her journey towards presidency and goals to promote the clerk’s profession and ensure transparency in government.

The role of IIMC and its regional structure, specifically Region 11, is elaborated by Linda and Arnout as Region XI Directors who share their experiences of clerking and how the role differs and is portrayed internationally.

In this episode we talk to Sandra Lowe, Communications & Engagement, and Khidr Suleman, Domains’ Governance Lead, from the Parish Council Domains Helper Service Project Team at the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO). This initiative aims to help councils in migrating to .gov.uk domains and provides benefits such as enhanced credibility and security. Sandra and Khidr outline common challenges such as cost and technical expertise while explaining how the service guides clerks through every step, from choosing the right domain registrar, to setting up and maintaining the domain.

With cost being a challenge for many councils we also hear about how the Cabinet Office has secured finite funding of up to £100 + VAT to help eligible parish councils offset the initial cost of setting up a .gov.uk domain.

In this episode we are joined by Simon Dunn, Head of the Circuit Operations and Sam Kennard, Programme Manager, Health Partnerships and Community Resuscitation at the British Heart Foundation.

The British Heart Foundation has been leading the way in promoting the use of defibrillators in communities across the UK. Their Circuit program helps individuals and organisations register and locate defibrillators, ensuring that these life-saving devices are readily available in case of a cardiac arrest. While over 90,000 defibrillators have been registered so far, there is still a need for more coverage. The British Heart Foundation encourages town and parish councils and community groups to register their defibrillators and actively maintain them to serve their communities effectively.

Simon and Sam discuss the importance of registering defibrillators on The Circuit, how straight forward they are to use when needed, and general upkeep of the devices.

Councillor Mike Joyce shares insights into the history and significance of Newton Abbot, a market town located on the outskirts of Dartmoor, between Exeter, Torquay, and Plymouth. The town, founded by the abbots of Tor Abbey, has a rich historical background, and is often referred to as the heart of Teignbridge.

Councillor Joyce reflects on his experience as a councillor and the importance of working together for the benefit of residents and businesses. He expresses his admiration for Clerk Phil Rowe PSLCC, who has been instrumental in supporting and guiding the council since 2007.

Highlighting the unique role of the clerk, Councillor Joyce praises the clerk’s professionalism, knowledge, and the vital role they play in maintaining harmony and efficiency within the council. The council’s recent achievements, such as the transformation of a derelict church into a museum and council offices, further demonstrate the impactful collaboration between councillors and the clerk.

Parish, town, and community councils play a vital role in local governance, and the role of a clerk is central to the success of the council. This podcast episode features Shaun Fishenden PSLCC, Clerk to Meopham Parish Council, and his Deputy Clerk, George Duffort StSLCC, as they discuss their journey into the world of parish councils from a young age. They share their experiences from both the clerk, and councillors perspectives, highlighting the importance of having a comprehensive understanding of both roles. They emphasise the need for clerks to have a deep knowledge of their community and to engage with various groups and volunteers.

The episode also explores strategies for attracting young people to the sector and enhancing community engagement through social media and networking. George and Shaun also highlight how having a network of fellow clerks available through their local branch can provide vital support when facing new challenges.

In this episode we talk to Donna Smith FSLCC, Clerk to Taunton Town Council and Marcus Prouse, Deputy Clerk who provide insights into how the newly created council in Somerset started out through a Community Governance Review, and evolved into what is now a local council successfully working with, and for its community.

The journey involved close collaboration with the principal authority and external experts and despite the lengthy challenges faced, the establishment of Taunton Town Council was successful, leading to a diverse council made up of experienced and new councillors.

In this episode we speak to Shivani H. Menon. Shivani is a Senior Researcher on Onward’s Levelling Up and Social Fabric programmes. She is co-author of the report ‘Levelling Up Locally’, and has worked on topics like philanthropic giving, devolution, vocational education, and economic strategy.

Shivani gives a detailed insight into the ‘Levelling Up Locally’ report and highlights how low cost, fast action policies can be implemented by local leaders with the resources that are already available, despite the financial hardships faced by local councils.

From protecting local community assets, high streets, and town centres to providing support to the most disadvantaged members of the community, Shivani discusses how a range of different policies can be applied to enable local councils to level up.

In this episode, we’re joined by Mark Galbraith, SLCC’s Former Wales Policy Liaison Officer, and Emma Smith, SLCC’s Welsh Advisor who will be taking over the Wales Policy Liaison Officer role.

Mark discusses the wide variety of projects and work he has completed following on from the Williams Commission Report on Public Sector Reform in 2012 that started his formal relationship with SLCC, from writing regular articles for The Clerk Magazine, to taking on the role of Wales Policy Liaison Officer. Mark also offers some advice and guidance to Emma on taking over the role.

At our National Conference last October, we had a chance to chat to the Chairman of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), Councillor Keith Stevens. NALC is a really important partner for SLCC, and here we can listen in on how the organisation works and how its hugely experienced Chairman uses his role to promote the work of England’s town and parish councils and campaign on their behalf.

Reducing serious violence and particularly murder are among top priorities for the government. Following a 30-year career in policing, retired Chief Constable, James Vaughan, has been appointed by the Home Secretary to chair a new national oversight committee, leading Offensive Weapon Homicide Reviews across England and wales, in a structured pilot to understand how we can prevent murder in adults.

In this epispode James will discuss recent upward trends in serious violence and how new measures such as the Violence Duty, Violence Reduction Units and Offensive Weapon Homicide Reviews are contributing to the response. We explore the vital role of local councils in working with other local partners to reduce violence and share some good practice on knife crime reduction from Dorset. James also reflects on the perception that knife-crime and serious violence is only a problem in large cities.

In this episode we’re joined by Tilly Lockey. Tilly is a multi-talented, hardworking rising star who has proven herself time and time again. Making a name for herself since she was 2 years old, overcoming her own battle with meningitis, and losing her hands but coming through with an admirable mindset, her past doesn’t define her at all.

Tilly speaks on her journey, the challenges she has faced and how she found confidence to want to achieve her dreams and beat any obstacle in her way. Far from only thinking of her own severe challenges in life, Tilly draws on the deep resources of her heroism as a woman who refuses to be held back or disadvantaged by physical disability.

In this episode we’re joined by Henry Massey, Chair to Broadclyst Parish Council in Devon. Henry shares his local council journey with us and highlights the wide range of work his and other parish councils are involved with, including local projects, raising the precept and being at the heart of planning and development.

In particular, he champions the importance of having a well-trained clerk to guide the council through the challenges that come with all of this alongside the running of services and facilities – that training is a real investment for the future of our communities.

In this episode, we’re joined by Helen Ball FSLCC, Clerk to Shrewsbury Town Council. Helen discusses her fascinating 25-year career where she started as a part-time clerk to a small parish council to now clerking for one of the largest councils in England. We discuss youth engagement, youth centre provision and working with external agencies, the challenges county lines brings, Martyn’s Law, and putting practices in place to ensure staff and the council are prepared for situations in future.

Meet Jane Olds, SLCC General Advisor, parish clerk and experienced internal auditor who is affectionately known as one of SLCC’s three Charlie’s Angels helping guide us through the world of local council audit.

Jane helps to demystify the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR), explains the differences between internal and external audit, introduces a new qualification and shows how examining the effectiveness of procedures, controls and governance is fun.  All really useful, especially for those clerks working for smaller councils.

SLCC President, Linda Carter, Andrew Towlerton, National Planning Advisor, and Shelley Parker, External Affairs & Policy Development Manager talk to Sam Stafford, Planning Director at the British Home Builders Federation which represents 80% of the developers of all new homes built in England and Wales. This episode features an in-depth discussion about issues facing local councils and developers and the importance of working together at an early stage.

Various Level 4, 5 and 6 graduates from the 2023 Community Governance (CG) graduation ceremony highlight why they completed their qualification and how it has helped them to work within the local council sector.

Alistair Jones, Associate Professor from De Montfort University, discusses his role within the Community Governance (CG) qualifications, working as a liaison between SLCC and the university. He talks about the importance of the qualifications and how he examines academic standards.

David Preston shares his journey from market trader to Chief Executive of the National Association of British Markets (NABMA), as well as providing an insight into the benefits of markets for local councils and communities. Join this podcast to learn the importance of a Market Policy to detail your vision and to find out why initiatives such as Love your Local Market, are now celebrated by 25 countries around the world.

Shelley Parker FSLCC, SLCC External Affairs and Policy Development Manager, and Naomi Bibi, Head of Member Services, discuss crisis communications with Karen Ainley, lead trainer and CEO of Mosaic Media Training. Karen explains how to recognise a crisis and how you can prepare. We discuss the key components of a crisis communications plan, tips and tricks to creating one, and the skills you need to develop your key messages.

Andrew Towlerton, SLCC National Planning Advisor, discusses planning from the Levelling up and Regeneration Bill (LURB), the latest National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) Prospectus and much more.

Ben Fogle is an award-winning broadcaster and adventurer. He has written nine Sunday Times Best selling books and is the United Nations Patron of the Wilderness and now he joins us at the 50th National Conference for local council clerks and senior council employees, to tell us about how action on climate change must move from engaging to enabling.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is a famously charismatic Paralympian and disability rights champion. One in a series of interviews we recorded at the SLCC National 50th Conference in November 2022.

Click here to read the transcript for Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson 

We speak to our Academic Leader, Elisabeth Skinner MBE FSLCC, about the ‘qualified clerk’ and her work with promoting the Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA) for local council clerks. Elisabeth talks about many subjects all of which are vitally important to the modern clerk.

Adrian Corder-Birch and Alan Fairchild talk with us about not only the 50 years of the SLCC, with the growth and challenges of managing clerks from 1972 to today – and touching on how the SLCC is helping clerks & councils tackle climate change.

Condescending comments, demeaning emails, disrupting meetings, reprimanding someone publicly, talking behind someone’s back, giving someone the silent treatment, not giving credit where credit is due, rolling eyes, and being yelled at, are regular occurrences for many councils. This podcast talks about the issues we face in our council roles.

We are facing a Change Challenge. One in a series of interviews we recorded at the SLCC National 50th Conference in November 2022.

Does your council care about the environment? That’s the question we ask Katherine in this episode. One in a series of interviews we recorded at the SLCC National 50th Conference in November 2022.

The inaugural podcast from the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC), the professional body for local council clerks and senior council employees, and an interview with Rob Smith, SLCC Chief Executive.

If you would like to suggest any topics that you would like to hear, ideas for discussions, or would like to feature in an interview, please email [email protected].