The Council wishes to make an appointment, as soon as possible to allow a period of overlap and support with the current post holder.
The post is part-time for 8 hours per week, working from home. Working hours are flexible, but you must be able to attend the Parish Council meetings, which are held six times a year on the first Thursday of the month at 7.00pm (Jan, Mar, May, July, September, November).
The salary is in accordance with NALC & SLCC recommended rates dependent on qualifications and experience, together with a working from home allowance.
This is an interesting role which involves a range of responsibilities including producing agendas and minutes of meetings, conducting correspondence on behalf of the Council, and dealing with all financial matters.
CiLCA qualification would be beneficial, but not essential, and training will be available. Basic computer skills are essential and experience in this role would be helpful.
While looking for the right candidate for our Clerk, we thought it helpful to give some information about the Parish Council.
We are a proactive group and like to take on lots of projects ourselves; we would involve our Clerk in projects as much as the candidate wanted to be involved. We ensure our Clerk is kept fully informed and seek their advice and guidance. We have been active in securing speed cameras for the village, running our country park, a great village asset, dealing and responding to planning issues and engaging with our community to support their views and respond to their needs.
Emma, the Chair, has lived in the village for 12 years and is a lawyer with a great interest in country sports and shares her land with a flock of pedigree sheep. Lorraine our Vice Chair, has lived in the village 7 years and as well as an international business career, is governor to Wilden V.A Primary School and Ravensden V.A Primary Academy. Beverly has lived in the village most of her life and knows most of our local farmers. She’s represented Great Britain several times in Dressage. Tom has lived in the village a long time and has been on the Parish Council for 9 years and was part of the team that acquired the land for the country park and has been helping to maintain it with the assistance of a team of volunteers ever since. Graham has a background in banking and finance but likes nothing more than spending time with his Labradors and horses around the village and surrounding rural areas. Patricia has been on the Parish Council for a number of years and having run the Post Office for many years, there is nothing or no one she doesn’t know and can always remember the history at meetings.
So we all bring something different to the Parish Council so that we are well run and have all the issues covered.
Our current Clerk is leaving us due to a change in circumstances and is keeping things ticking along in the meantime. They will be able to assist with handing over the work and have provided the following about their experience of working with us.
‘I have found Colmworth to be a very supportive and friendly Parish Council to work for. The Councillors are all passionate about the village and work hard to support and enhance the village and its facilities. The Councillors are all very involved and can be found, amongst other things, maintaining the Country Park, attending meetings with external bodies, seeking quotes, checking the Rights of Ways and liaising with Ward Councillors, neighbouring Parish Councils and our MP.
If you are new to Clerking, Colmworth Parish Council with its experienced and helpful Councillors, would be excellent place to start. The skillset of the Councillors means that you have expert knowledge available around the legal and financial elements of the role. Councillors have excellent local knowledge, well established links with officers in the Borough Council and excellent working relationships with local contractors that undertake work in the village.’
For further information or to submit your CV and covering letter please contact Councillor Lorraine Knight at lknight@colmworthpc.org.uk