Caring for the Parish

Final Evaluation Report

December 2012

By

Gillian Muir, Project Officer, Dales Millennium Trust, The Old Post Office, Main Street, Clapham, Lancaster, LA2 8DY 015242 51002

Katy Penn, Partnership Manager, Nidderdale Plus, 7 The Old Workhouse, King Street, , HG3 5LE 01423 714953

CARING FOR THE PARISH Final Evaluation Report, December 2012

1. Introduction to the project

1.1 The aims of the project: Caring for the Parish assisted Parish Councils located in the Dales LEADER area to deliver Caretaker Schemes in their area. The aim was to help Parishes to: • Understanding the aims of the LEADER project • Use best practice • Work with each other • Access and make use of the support of partner organisations • Attract other funding • Think of alternatives to funding

1.2 The specific objectives of the Caring for the Parish project were to: • Run events to engage, train and share information • Encourage and arrange more informal contact between Parishes • Provide technical training to Parish Caretakers • Provide resources to Parishes such as sample contracts • Encourage joint working between Parishes • Help Parishes to seek external funding for individual projects • Connect Parishes to partner organisations for support and advice

1.3 Duration The project commenced on 1 January 2010 and ended on 31 December 2012

1.4 Partnership The lead body for this project was the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust. An agreement was signed with the Nidderdale Plus Partnership, who assisted with delivery of the project to Nidderdale Parishes. Other partner organisations that agreed their support (through work in kind) were the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the Nidderdale AONB, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT), and North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) Conservation and Rights of Way Department.

1.5 Project beneficiaries Caring for the Parish aimed to target the following key beneficiaries: 50 Parishes within the LEADER area of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale AONB and 10,000 people over the 3 year period of the project.

1.6 Funding The project was resourced by • Yorkshire Dales LEADER programme • YDMT and Nidderdale Plus internal resources and personnel • Gift in kind from partner organisations

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2. How have we evaluated the project?

a. Evidence has been gathered from Parish Clerks and Parish Councillors, using a feedback/comment form on 4 different occasions: December 2010, November 2011, July 2012 and November 2012.

b. Annual project evaluation reports have been submitted to the LEADER management Group in 2010 and 2011.

c. Evaluations of training events.

d. Discussions have been held with partner organisations on a regular basis throughout the project.

e. A case study (Appendix A) has been undertaken focussing on the experience of one Parish Clerk.

3. What activities have been undertaken to ensure that the project met its objectives?

Project Activities Details Events (and activities) Information Event (Mar 2010): to engage, train and Provided an introduction to LEADER, and the role of the share information Caring for the Parish Officers and representatives from partners including YDNPA, YWT, NYCC and NYFVO. Attended by 18 Parishes. Feedback: ‘useful information’, ‘worthwhile’, well run’.

Sharing Best Practice meeting (Nov 2010): Topics for discussion: how the Parish Caretaker scheme has been managed in Lancashire and how it is organised by Parishes in the Dales and in Nidderdale. Attended by 14 parishes Feedback: ‘very interesting to hear other people’s experiences’, ‘I have learned how to communicate with the village about how they want it to be’.

Sharing Best Practice Meeting (Jul 2012): Main topic for discussion: sustainability of the scheme beyond the lifetime of the LEADER grant. Speakers from Hutton le Hole Parish in the North Moors, Rural Action Yorkshire and the Funding Advisors Network. Attended by 7 Parishes. Feedback: ‘well presented’, ‘I have benefitted from the opportunity to network and ask advice face to face’.

Promotional activities: Caring for the Parish Project officers

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have provided input to LEADER newsletters, a promotional stand at the LEADER AGM meeting, a leaflet distributed to all Parishes within the Dales LEADER area, a promotional banners for use at events and a series of press releases (including article in the Yorkshire Post). Encourage informal Achieved at every event organised by the project, with contact between networking during the meetings, coffee and lunch breaks. Parishes These discussions also led to Nidderdale Parish Clerks setting up a twice-yearly ‘Parish Clerk symposium’ in order to And share information and best practice on all matters relating to the work of Parish Clerks, to improve their efficiency and Joint working between effectiveness. Parishes Joint working was also encouraged. Some Parishes had already decided to share a Parish Caretaker (e.g. Askrigg/Bainbridge/Carperby and Menwith with Darley/Grantley/Azerley/Tanfield/North Stainley). Others have liaised with regard to partner working (eg High/Low Bishopside/Bewerley Parishes with YWT).

Feedback: ‘I have found myself working more closely with our neighbouring Parishes to share experiences and ideas. This has been very positive and the contacts I have made have been useful in other aspects of Parish Council work’. Provide technical Land Registry training (Dec 2011 & April 2012): – training for Parishes specifically ‘Introduction to Land Registry Information’ and and Caretakers ‘Developing Land Registry Knowledge’. Attended by 9 Parish representatives. Caretaker skills training (Sept/Dec 2011, Dec 2012): specifically First Aid, Brush-cutter, Use of Pesticides, and Health and Safety in the workplace. Attended by 7 Parish Caretakers. Desk Top Publishing training (Sept 2012): specific skills and advice for Parish Councils. Attended by 5 Parish representatives. Risk Assessment training (Oct 2012): focus on requirement and practicalities of risk assessments. Attended by 9 Parish representatives. Feedback: ‘Attending this [Desk Top Publishing] course not only showed me what the package was capable of but also gave me some much needed time to play with it whilst there was someone available to question when things didn’t go quite according to plan. All in all it was an exceptionally worthwhile day’. ‘Courses like this, whilst delivering the specific skills intended by the subject, also allow us to network with new people, understand more about life outside our small Parish, and help me bring a fresh approach to my role’.

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Provide resources A sample job description, application form and contract were such as sample available to every Parish at the start of their LEADER funding contracts (21 Parishes), and later to those Parishes who wished to set up their own schemes once LEADER funding was unavailable (contact with a further 14 Parishes).

Feedback: ‘It has provided our Parish with the tools to set up our own Caretaker role and also provide the knowledge to safeguard our village greens’. ‘I have valued being able to contact you and feel that the project has been reasonably straight forward which is good’. Help Parishes seek Funding Workshops (Jul 2010, Jul 2012): external funding for Held at Bainbridge and Pateley Bridge, speakers from the individual projects Funding Advice Network. Attended by 15 Parish representatives.

Feedback: ‘excellent training course – already used information provided’. ’Useful information’. ‘Very helpful’. Connect Parishes to Information Event (Mar 2010): partner organisations An introduction to partners (see above). Health & Safety and Working with Partner Organisations (May 2011): Held at and Pateley Bridge: course covering Health and Safety issues related to working on road verges, met with YDNPA and NYCC to discuss wildlife and PROW project ideas. Attended by 14 Parish representatives. Sharing Best Practice Meeting (Jul 2012): Discussed the sustainability of the scheme with Rural Action Yorkshire and the Funding Advice Network. Attended by 7 Parish representatives.

Links were also made with the Safer Nidderdale group (June 2011), bringing together the Parish Caretaker, 2 Parish Councils, NYCC Youth Services and local Police to discuss ways of working together to improve experience of living in the 2 Parishes.

Feedback: ‘I learned about funding, managing Council property and land, health and safety, and other links to organisations which might be useful in the future to help with other projects.’ ‘The support of those working on this project has been much appreciated’.

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4. How successful has the project been in reaching its target beneficiaries?

Beneficiary Target Actual Actual Actual TOTALS number 2010 2011 2012 Parishes / 50 21 140* 161 Villages Residents 10,000 14,947** 14947

People assisted 50 15 28 16 59 in skills development

*140 parishes were reached through a promotional leaflet. This and newspaper coverage led to enquiries from 14 parishes. **14,947 is the number of residents living in the original 21 parishes with whom we worked. ***The original target was 120 but was revised downwards mainly for reasons outlined in section 6.3

5. What has been learned about the methods used to deliver the project?

5.1 The provision of opportunities for Parishes to meet together and discuss issues face to face has been most successful. Personal contact has been developed across Parishes and partner organisations resulting in opportunities to discuss training issues, best practice, and support for any issues of concern.

5.2 One-to-one support has been offered by YDMT and Nidderdale Plus to local Parishes and this has worked well, providing a direct point of contact for all Parishes. One Parish Clerk commented: ‘excellent communication and personal contact helped me to forward the Parish’s ideas about looking after the village’.

5.3 Training events led by specialists have proved valuable. One Clerk commented: ‘an excellent practical course with an opportunity to practice real- life examples relevant to our work’.

5.4 Press releases, the leaflet ‘Caring for your Parish’ and LEADER newsletter articles and AGM ensured communication to all Parishes in the LEADER area and resulted in a number of additional contacts and enquiries to which we were able to respond.

5.5 Good team working between YDMT and Nidderdale Plus made it easier to plan activity, respond promptly to need and share good practice.

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6. What could have been improved in the project?

6.1 A lead-in to this project of 6 months prior to the allocation of funding for the Parish Caretaker Scheme would have enabled Caring for the Parish to undertake groundwork with Parishes, particularly in relation to Parish Council liaison with partner organisations such as YDNPA, YWT and the NYCC PROW team.

6.2 This project was set up as a ‘voluntary option’ for Parishes in receipt of LEADER funding for the Parish Caretaker Scheme and all other Parish Councils in the LEADER area. This has meant that there has been no direct incentive for Parishes to engage with the idea of getting the most out of their Parish Caretaker, sharing best practice with others or working with partner organisations. We believe that engagement with more Parishes would have been more likely if these 2 LEADER projects had had a direct relationship and been established differently from the outset

6.3 Budget decisions taken by NYCC part way through the LEADER project meant that the second round of funding available for the Parish Caretaker Scheme was far less than originally anticipated. This resulted in fewer Parishes engaging directly with the Parish Caretaker Scheme. The Caring for the Parish project therefore worked with more Parishes in an initial, advisory capacity only than was originally anticipated.

6.4 Arranging events and training sessions is always difficult and whilst we chose to use venues in a variety of locations across the LEADER area, we also chose to hold our events during the day, as this suited the majority of those with who we were in contact. However this inevitably resulted in others (who worked elsewhere during the day) being unable to benefit from the face- to-face meetings.

7. Conclusions and Future Actions

7.1 What are the key messages emerging from the evaluation?

The Caring for the Parish project delivered ‘added value’ to the funding for the Parish Caretaker Scheme, by encouraging Parishes to get the best out of their Caretaker through working with others, sharing best practice and engaging in areas of specific training.

Caring for the Parish has provided Parish Clerks in particular, opportunities to discuss issues, share ideas and work together. As well as discussing Parish Caretaker issues, they have gained in many more ways that will benefit their Parish. In Nidderdale, for example, the group of Parish Clerks now meet on a regular basis to share information, ideas and support, which will increase effectiveness, efficiency, and professionalism of the work of Parish Clerks.

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7.2 What actions are required of the project/partners?

Parish Councils recognise the positive impact made by the caretaker scheme in their area. As such many Parish Councils will use their precepts to fund the work of their Caretaker e.g. Askrigg, Bentham, Menwith with Darley, and North Stainley with Sleningford.

The relationships established with YDMT and Nidderdale Plus and the Parishes through the Caring for the Parish project can continue albeit on a one-to-one basis rather than through the facilitation of group gatherings. Close links between neighbouring Parishes will hopefully be maintained if their shared caretaker scheme carries on. Links developed with partner organisations should allow any future environmental or heritage work to be carried out under professional advice and guidance.

Partnership working was very successful between YDMT and Nidderdale Plus and would be welcomed by both organisations again for future projects, offering the opportunity for Parishes to have local points of contact across the National Park and AONB area, whilst sharing the tasks of project delivery.

8. Appendix A

Case Study: Parish Clerk Iona Taylor’s experience and involvement in the Caring for the Parish project

See attachment

9. Acknowledgements

See attachment

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8. Appendix A

Case Study: Parish Clerk Iona Taylor’s experience and involvement in the Caring for the Parish project

Parish Clerk Iona Taylor took the lead in administering the LEADER funded caretaker scheme for four Parish Councils: North Stainley with Sleningford; Azerley; Tanfield and Grantley, Sawley Skelding and Eavestone. Each Parish is located near , close to the eastern border of Nidderdale AONB.

Iona Taylor is very motivated and attended many of the events set up as part of the Caretaker’s sister project, Caring for the Parish.

Iona attended the first information event held in March 2010 at Pateley Bridge which gave Clerks and Councillors a more detailed explanation of the aims of the LEADER programme and an opportunity to meet partner organisations such as North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC), Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT) and North Yorkshire Forum for Voluntary Organisations. This introduction was well received by Iona as it enabled her to discuss the claims process in detail with the Economic Development Manager from NYCC. It also led to a meeting with James Ferguson, of YWT to discuss conservation work the caretaker could carry out to woodland and vegetation at Know Hill near Azerley, a piece of open access land that had previously been neglected.

The next networking meeting was in November 2010 at . Here, Iona and the Caretaker for her Parishes, Rob Gooderidge from Ripon City Walled Garden, were invited to discuss how tasks in their areas were organised. The discussion centred on the use of work programmes as a tool to organise and timetable each job. This method was used as an example of best practice. At the same meeting attendees were informed about the caretaker schemes in Lancashire, some of which have been running for 12 years. Dave Oyston, a Countryside Officer from Lancashire County Council (LCC) discussed how their schemes are funded by the County, Borough and Parish Councils as well as Charitable Trusts. Iona found this useful and was impressed by how proactive LCC had been in making the scheme work.

Between them, Iona and her caretaker attended most of the training courses set up by Caring for the Parish project:

• Health and safety training for Parish Councils involved with minor works on the Highways was delivered by NYCC’s Health and Safety Risk Service Manager in response to requests made by Iona’s and other Parishes. The course made caretaker Rob Gooderidge much more aware of the many safety issues associated with working on road verges,

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something that he does on a regular basis. Iona had hoped that Caring for the Parish would forge better links between NYCC Highways Department and Parishes that operate caretaker schemes. Richmond Highways did produce a set of risk assessment forms for different tasks to assist parishes. However, Clerks were disappoint that a representative from Highways did not attend the training session as they were then unable to discuss specific queries with them directly.

• A Risk Assessment course was delivered by Tyro Training the following year. Iona felt the training on this subject, given by Tyro Training, was, “good, but could have been better if it had focussed more on realistic examples relating to our work. We had been invited to bring real-life examples with us but these weren't referred to.” This opinion was echoed by other course attendees: in general course attendees felt the trainer made a very dry subject, interesting and in some cases fun.

• The Land Registry course gave an introduction to the information and advice available from the Land Registry regarding ownership of land and property and how to interpret it. The Parishes who attended owned or are responsible for land or property in their area, e.g. in North Stainley, the Parish Council is responsible for the playground where the caretaker has worked. Iona felt the course was, “Excellent and very informative. It answered a lot of questions and will be of use in the future when situations arise.”

• Iona thought the Desk Top Publishing course run by Tyro Training was an, “excellent practical course with an opportunity to practice real-life examples relevant to our work”. The training showed Clerks how they could use this software to promote LEADER funding and the work of the caretaker as well as other Parish events.

On reflection, Iona felt that the Caring for the Parish project helped to forge closer links between Parish Clerks which gave more opportunity to swap ideas and share best practice.

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9. Acknowledgements

YDMT and Nidderdale Plus would like to thank the Yorkshire Dales LEADER Programme for its support, in particular the advice and help of:

Rima Berry, LEADER Co-ordinator, Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust Catherine Maudsley, LEADER Co-ordinator, North Yorkshire County Council

Thanks also go to a number of key partners provided very helpful support including:

Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority: Matt Neale, Upper Wensleydale Area Ranger Mark Hewitt, Parish Wildlife Officer

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s James Ferguson, Conservation Officer

North Yorkshire County Council: Stephen Barker, Maintenance Manager, Highways Stephen Piper, Health and Safety Risk Service Manager Matt Millington, Biodiversity Officer Aiden Rayner, PROW Team Leader Iain Burgess, Senior Ranger

Nidderdale AONB, Paul Burgess, AONB Manager

North Yorkshire Forum for Voluntary Organisations Ellen Cross, Funding Advice Network Co-ordinator

Funding Advice Network Nina Muir, Funding Advisor, CVS John Atkins, Funding Advisor, CVS

Rural Action Yorkshire Maggie Farey, Community Engagement Officer

Special thanks go to all the parishes that we worked with throughout the project. You made the project valuable and worthwhile doing. Good luck for the future.

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