Partnership and Networking Opportunities

The survey was conducted in January and February 2026 with 26 respondents representing areas across the whole of North Yorkshire. The Consultation Panel were asked a series of questions to understand what partnership and networking opportunities there are in the Parish Sector.

You Said

Parish councils are keen to work with each other. Most already share knowledge or resources (73%) and even more want to collaborate further (81%). Partnership working is seen as supportive, timesaving, and a way to avoid “reinventing the wheel.”

Current collaboration tends to happen through YLCA meetings, ad-hoc conversations, or personal networks. More formal structures exist in a few places but attempts to formalise partnerships often stall due to time pressures, politics, or lack of coordination.

Respondents expressed interest in collaborating on:
• Community engagement
• Environmental and sustainability projects
• Joint training
• Shared procurement
• Emergency planning

The main challenges include:
• Limited clerk hours
• Slow decision-making cycles
• Coordination difficulties between parishes of different sizes
• Travel and capacity constraints

High interest in a networking event with 69% saying yes, 27% said maybe and only one respondent said no.

What We Aim To Do

Create structured ways to connect:
• Explore ways to enable networking for Clerks and Councillors
• Offer both in person and virtual options to reduce travel barriers
• Provide opportunities for sharing good practice, troubleshooting, and peer support
• Coordinate with partners such as YLCA to avoid duplication

Develop joint opportunities in the areas you prioritised:
• Community engagement
• Environmental and sustainability projects
• Joint training and skills development
• Shared procurement
• Emergency planning
• Cross-parish issues such as planning and highways

Improve coordination and reduce duplication
• Make it easier for parishes to find and contact each other
• Offer light touch facilitation to help partnerships form and stay active
• Share templates, case studies, best practice and practical tools to save time

Address capacity challenges
• Consideration that Clerks have limited hours and capacity challenges when planning Parish Liaison activities
• Share guidance on efficient processes and signpost relevant support

November 2025 - The Role of the Parish Clerk

The survey was conducted in October and November 2025, with 30 respondants which respresent areas across the whole of North Yorkshire. The Consultation Panel were asked a series of questions to understand the tasks they undertake in the role of Parish Clerk.

What You Said

Clerks manage a wide range of tasks, including planning responses, finance, GDPR, community engagement, project management, fundraising, policy work and asset management.

Many feel overburdened due to isolation, time pressures and high expectations. Most feel confident and equipped for their roles, but some highlighted training gaps, limited IT support and needing to use personal equipment as barriers.

Clerks felt their work is partly recognised by their communities but less so by North Yorkshire Council, noting poor communication and limited information-sharing as key obstacles.

What We Aim To Do

The Parish Charter emphasises communication, partnership and support. Based on the findings of the survey, we aim to do the following:
Strengthen Communication
• Launch Parish Website (2026) and keep clear feedback loops.
• Maintain the Parish Liaison inbox and Monthly Parish Update.
• Increase NYC staff awareness of Parish Clerk pressures.
Enhance Support & Resources
• Create parish training for new NYC starters.
• Provide communication templates for parishes.
• Encourage inter-parish task-sharing for specialist tasks.
Improve Partnership Working
• Explore a networking forum for Parish Clerks.
• Embed the Parish Charter across NYC and update services on PSO work