Member Benefits

Purpose of the Association:

In 2022 WALC became a Limited Company by Guarantee.  This decision was taken following consultation and legal advice.  Many County Associations have now gone down this route, which has enabled us to look at other associations and find the best way forward for WALC.

WALC is an Association in existence to support Parish and Town councils along with Parish meetings.  There is a separate national body (NALC) National Association of Local Councils, who we work with closely, as well as the West Midlands group of County Associations, branch committees who feed into WALC.

WALC is also the body responsible for the checking and submission of Loan Sanction Approvals by all Parish and Town Councils to the Secretary of State.

The Association is and will still be run on democratic lines and you, the members, will be a part of this.  The annual AGM sees members voting for directors of the association.  WALC was formed by local councils, is run for local councils, and will continue delivering a high level of service for local councils.

Benefits of Membership:

Being a member of WALC is like having an extra person on your council team.  With a wealth of knowledge and experience, there isn’t much that we haven’t seen before.  We offer face-to-face, telephone, online and email support to all member councils, ensuring that you are always supported.  WALC offer a wide range of training courses delivered to the highest standards, ensuring that Local Councils are kept up to date with new legislation, procedures and developments.

WALC is one of 42 County Associations serving local councils.  We aim to deliver a high calibre service to all members.  Member councils rely on WALC to keep them up to date on all the issues, legislation and developments affecting the sector.

Providing a framework for consultation and arrangements for the effective representation and promotion of Local Councils at local, regional and national levels.

Parish and Town Councils are stronger together, and by supporting WALC, members are assured of quality services, value for money and a stronger sector voice, in an ever changing world.

We reinvest any surpluses money into benefits and services for member councils:

Any surplus money is reinvested into WALC services to ensure that we deliver and grow in this fast paced forever changing sector.  Parish and Town councils have moved on in recent years, and the demand for services from Parish and Town councils has increased. We recognise this, and we are working hard to ensure that we can support our members efficiently.

Staff at WALC

 At WALC we pride ourselves on being supportive, approachable and efficient.  We are a small team of 4! Between the 4 of us we have all areas covered.

We have a full time CEO, Part time Advice and Training Manager, Climate Officer and Admin assistant.

We are affiliated to the National Association of Local Councils and work within a network of affiliated Associations.  We are supported by the professional team at NALC.

Our Services:

  • Clerk mentoring scheme
  • A new Councillor Mentoring Scheme
  • Advice on law, procedure & good practice
  • Supported by specialist lawyers
  • Recruitment and selection support (eg for councils recruiting a new clerk)
  • Training, including specialist courses (e.g. burials, VAT, s106, etc.)
  • Recognised trainers for CiLCA
  • Local Council Award Scheme
  • Information
  • Fortnightly newsletter
  • Social media
  • NALC Legal Topic Notes
  • Support on key national consultations & legislative changes
  • Queen’s Garden Party nominations
  • Loan Approval filtering and support
  • Representation on matters of local and national importance
  • Free briefing events (e.g. External Audit, etc.)
  • Policy support
  • Model documents (Standing Orders, Financial Regulations, Contract of Employment, etc.)
  • Exclusive access to the services of the National Association of Local Councils (includes legal, policy, information and financial expertise)

These are just some of the things that we advise you on:

  • S.137 annual cap
  • Annual meetings
  • Public rights at council meetings
  • Precept referendums and “capping”
  • Transparency codes
  • Allotments
  • Neighbourhood Plans
  • National salary scale adjustments
  • Community rights
  • Land management
  • Village Halls
  • Pensions
  • Audit regime and the Annual Governance and Accountability Return
  • Grants
  • Local Council Award Scheme (LCAS)
  • Using volunteers
  • Election and co-option rules
  • Land use and registration and village greens
  • Committees, working parities, and steering groups
  • VAT
  • Councillor and clerk disputes
  • Statutory powers
  • Complaints from the public
  • General Data Protection Regulation and Freedom of Information
  • Recruitment
  • Cemeteries