On Tuesday 23rd January 2024 , the City of Durham Parish Council was officially handed its Quality Award on behalf of the National Association of Local Councils by Cllr David Bell , Chair of CDALC and Audrey Christie CDALC’s Executive Officer. The Parish Clerk, Adam Shanley was also presented with his Certificate in Local Council Administration ( CiLCA ).
The Parish Council was awarded Quality Council status by the National Association of Local Councils late last year.
The Local Council Award Scheme is the parish and town council sector’s peer assessed programme that has been designed to promote and recognise councils that are at the cutting edge of the sector. This achievement recognises the highest standards in governance, community leadership and council striving for improvement.
This is even more extraordinary with the parish council having only been in existence for 5 years and is now only one of three local Parish and Town Councils (out of 106 across County Durham) to have received this accolade. Nationally, it’s just 105 of 10,000 (just over 1%) parish/town councils.
A huge congratulations to you the City of Durham Parish Council on this tremendous achievement.
CiLCA Adam Shanley
The Parish Clerk has also attained the prestigious qualification – CiLCA. This is an extraordinary achievement for any parish council clerk, taking a considerable amount of time (while doing the day job), commitment, self-motivation, discipline and sacrifice.
CiLCA qualified clerks are quite an elite group and particularly those who have achieved the post 2015 qualification when the previous Level 2 (GCSE) course was replaced by a Level 3 (A level standard).
On average about 150 students achieve CiLCA a year so although there are about 3,500 people nationally who have attained it since 2001 there are only about 1200 who have the current level qualification. That’s just over 12% of clerks, assuming they are all still doing the job.
We know that Adam does extraordinary work but I hope that this is yet more evidence of it. Huge congratulations to Adam on this achievement .