Top tips for campaigns creating a new parish or town council

Embarking on a campaign to establish a new parish or town council is a significant and rewarding endeavour. It involves rallying community support, navigating legislative processes, and building strong relationships with local authorities. Whether you're just beginning to explore the idea or are already deep into your campaign, having a clear strategy is essential for success. This resource offers our top tips for leading a successful campaign. These tips are designed to help you persuade your community of the benefits of local governance, effectively engage with residents, understand the necessary processes, and avoid common pitfalls. By following these guidelines, you can increase your chances of creating a parish or town council that truly meets the needs of your community.

1. Persuade residents — It is crucial to convince residents of the benefits of a new parish or town council. Thoroughly research the advantages of local governance and be prepared to communicate these effectively to your community.
2. Engage with the community — Understand your community’s needs by engaging directly with residents. This engagement not only garners support through signatures and votes but also helps recruit volunteers.
3. Be innovative in your outreach methods — Consider community meetings, street canvassing, a campaign website, social media, and local media. Developing a media strategy for local radio stations and publications can help articulate your vision and win residents’ support.
4. Familiarise yourself with the process — Understanding the legislation and potential challenges in establishing a parish or town council is essential. Investigate if there have been previous attempts to create a council in your area and learn from past rejections to avoid similar pitfalls.
5. Maintain good relationships with authorities — Establish and maintain a positive relationship with the principal authority throughout your campaign. They can be valuable allies. Your county association, which likely has previous interactions with the principal authority, can also provide support. Contact us and your county association early in your campaign.
6. Keep party politics out — To prevent controversy, avoid involving political parties in your campaign. Instead, focus on the community’s needs and benefits without political bias.
7. Learn from other campaigns — Every campaign is unique, and strategies that work in one community may not work in another. To help you navigate your campaign, we have compiled case studies highlighting different stages of various campaigns, from initial exploration to the successful establishment of a council. These case studies can offer valuable insights and lessons learned.