This
is an indicative list of websites relevant to the work of town and parish
councils (excluding principal authority sites and the sites of other regional, and local organisations).
The sites provide examples of sites owned by:
• Organisations directly supporting town and parish councils
• Central
government
• Government
agencies
• Voluntary
sector organisations
• European
organisations
• Other
organisations.
Organisations directly
supporting parish and town councils.
1 Association of Larger
Local Councils
Provides support, advice and information for larger local councils
2 National Association of Local Councils
National body supporting the work of town, parish and community
councils in
3 Society
of Local Council Clerks
Supports officers of town parish and community
councils across
Government
departments
4 Department
of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Defra is a government department working “for the
essentials of life - food, air, land, water, people, animals and plants”
5 Crime Reduction (Home Office)
http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk
To help you achieve and sustain reductions in crime and disorder –
guidance on good practice
6 Office of the Deputy
Prime Minister
http://www.local-regions.odpm.gov.uk
Government department responsible for regional and local
government, neighbourhood renewal, social exclusion
and land use planning. Subsidiary address refers to focus on regional and local
government; access to papers and consultation 31 documents.
7 Official Documents
http://www.official-documents.uk
A selection of government titles including green and white papers,
other consultation papers and reports.
Government
agencies
8 Audit Commission
http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk
Responsible for public sector finance,
especially audit management for councils. BVPPS contains a library of best value
performance plans.
9 Charity Commission
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk
Government agency responsible for ensuring
public confidence in charities in
10 Countryside Agency and Countryside Agency (Vital Villages)
http://www.countryside.gov.uk/vitalvillages
Government agency responsible for rural policy Information about
the Vital Villages programme
11 Health
and Safety Executive
Information, guidance, documents related to the implementation of Health
and safety legislation
12 HM Customs and Excise
Provides advice on VAT issues.
13 HMSO
HMSO publications including legislation since
1988.
14 Information Commisssioner
http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
Guidance on the Freedom of Information Act and Data Protection
legislation
15 info4local
A portal for local authorities to get quick and
easy access to information on the websites of other public bodies.
16 Standards Board for
http://www.standardsboard.co.uk
administers the ethical framework in terms of
standards in public life affecting councils.
17
Access to government organisations and
services
Voluntary
sector organisations
18 Action
for Market Towns
Promotes the generation of vibrant and viable small towns,
provides information and debate.
19 Action
with Communities in Rural
National platform for Rural Community Councils and others who work
to alleviate rural disadvantage in
20 Civic Trust
Promotes progressive improvements in the quality
of urban life for communities in the
21 Common Ground
http://www.commonground.org.uk
A voluntary organisation promoting the
links between nature and culture and the distinctiveness of localities
22 Common Purpose (CitizensConnection)
http://www.justdosomething.net
http://www.commonpurpose.org.uk
Advice, information, inspiration and
opportunities for people working with communities. Emphasis
on effective citizenship, and leadership in organisations,
the community and society.
23 Community Development
Foundation
Aims to “pioneer, study and promote new forms of
community development, in order to inform public policy, professional practice
and community initiatives.
24 Council for the
Protection of Rural
Promotes tranquillity, beauty, diversity
and sustainability in rural
25 Directory of Social
Change
Useful publications related to finding grants and fundraising
26 Groundwork Trust
A trust promoting environmental regeneration.
27 InfoRurale
http://www.inforurale.org.uk/inforurale
A searchable database of internet-based rural development
resources
28 Jigso
Welsh community development organisation
29 Local Heritage Initiative
Database of Local Heritage Initiative projects
and guidance on the initiative.
30
Publishes useful guides to the management of
voluntary and community organisations. It also published
guidance on making funding applications.
31 Media Trust
Helps charities to communicate – provides guidance for local
communities and voluntary organisations on PR
32 National Centre for Volunteering
http://www.volunteering.org.uk
Online resource for managers of volunteers
including Health
and Safety, volunteer agreements, volunteer drivers and tax.
33 National Council for
Voluntary Organisations
The voice of the voluntary sector, providing
information, advice and support and representing the views of the sector in
discussions with government.
34 Neighbourhood
Initiatives Foundation
Charity specialising
in community participation, training and development, working with local
authorities, housing associations, voluntary agencies and community groups. NIF is responsible
for the concept Planning for Realâ.
35 NewEconomicsFoundation
practical solutions to the social, environmental
and economic challenges facing the local, regional, national and global
economies.
36 Prince's Foundation
http://www.princes-foundation.org
Promotes human values in architecture, urban design, regeneration and heritage projects.
37 Prince’s Trust
http://www.princes-trust.org.uk
Helps young people through training, skill
building and personal development.
38 See Saw
A fortnightly online newsletter focusing on community development
issues in the South West.
39
A good starting point for information and ideas
about fundraising.
40
Provides a location and resource centre for village websites.
European organisations
41 European Information
Network
Gateway to European information for the
42 LEADER programmes (
http://www.rural-europe.aeidl.be
Information about LEADER EU programmes
(I, II and LEADER +)
Miscellaneous
organisations
43 Chartered
News, information and guidance for members - people responsible
for public sector finance.
44 Improvement
and Development Agency
An agency supporting self sustaining improvement
from within local government.
45 Local Government Association
Represents principal authorities in
46 Local Government
Information Unit
Independent organiszation
advocating strong local government. It promotes partnership and citizenship. It
publishes “Parish, Town and Community Councils:
-The quiet revolution in local democracy” by Nigel Long.
47 Nick Wates (Community planning)
Consultant working on community planning and design, author of
“Community Planning Handbook”
48
Professional body for town and country planners
with information and guidance on planning issues.
49 Shaw and Sons
publishes books and documents of use to town and
parish councils.
50 Tagish
http://www.tagish.co.uk/links/parish.htm
A directory with live links to websites of
registered town and parish councils; other links to public sector organisations.