Pod-on-the-Parish https://pod-on-the-parish.com/ Practical advice, real stories, and a bit of fun for everyone working in parish, town, and community councils across England and Wales. en-GB 2026 John Fagan Sat, 18 Apr 2026 18:54:59 +0000 John Fagan John Fagan hello@scribeaccounts.com false episodic https://pod-on-the-parish.com/assets/images/cover.png Pod-on-the-Parish https://pod-on-the-parish.com/ Tweens and Teens Love Playgrounds — Designing Outdoor Spaces That Actually Work https://pod-on-the-parish.com/episodes/4-tweens Millie Manton explains why councils are getting it wrong with outdoor spaces for tweens and teens — and shares the research-backed design principles that actually get young people active. In this episode, John talks to Millie Manton from KOMPAN UK about why tweens and teens are the forgotten age group when it comes to playground and outdoor space design — and what councils can do about it.

Millie draws on research from KOMPAN's Play Institute to explain how young people aged 8–16 play differently, what motivates them to be active (ball games, climbing, areas away from the main playground, and active participation), and why only 23% of 11–17 year olds currently meet the WHO's minimum activity guidelines. She covers designing for teenage girls through the Make Space for Girls initiative, the role of creative seating, social swings, trim trails, and hangout spaces, and why teens want non-prescriptive, open-ended play rather than structured equipment.

Plus: shark cage diving in South Africa, hot pod yoga on the road, and what Millie would tell her 18-year-old self about pasta and Nesquik at uni.

Get the video and slides: Watch the full webinar recording and download the speaker's resources.

]]> Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://pod-on-the-parish.com/episodes/4-tweens Tweens and Teens Love Playgrounds — Designing Outdoor Spaces That Actually Work Millie Manton 1649 false 4 full Millie Manton explains why councils are getting it wrong with outdoor spaces for tweens and teens — and shares the research-backed design principles that actually get young people active. Preparing for a Successful 25/26 Internal Audit https://pod-on-the-parish.com/episodes/3-internal-audit Eleanor Greene shares practical advice on getting through your internal audit — covering remote vs face-to-face audits, Assertion 10, governance pitfalls, and the Daily Mail Test. In this episode, John sits down with Eleanor Greene — Chief Accountant at Do the Numbers Ltd and Secretary to the Internal Audit Forum — for a straight conversation about internal audit best practice ahead of Year End.

Eleanor covers a wide range of ground: remote vs face-to-face audits and when each makes sense, what the updated Practitioner's Guide means in practice, Assertion 10 and what councils actually need to do about emails, FOI, and council phones, common governance pitfalls she sees, how to read audit reports properly, auditor independence, website accessibility, and the ever-useful Daily Mail Test.

This was recorded as a dedicated podcast conversation rather than a webinar conversion, so it's a more intimate, back-and-forth discussion. You'll also learn about Eleanor's unexpected passion for minerals and fossils — and yes, she really does own a dinosaur egg.

Get the video and slides: Watch the full webinar recording and download the speaker's resources.

]]> Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://pod-on-the-parish.com/episodes/3-internal-audit Preparing for a Successful 25/26 Internal Audit Eleanor Greene 1497 false 3 full Eleanor Greene shares practical advice on getting through your internal audit — covering remote vs face-to-face audits, Assertion 10, governance pitfalls, and the Daily Mail Test. Career Pathways: From Apprenticeships to CiLCA and Beyond https://pod-on-the-parish.com/episodes/2-career-pathways Nigel Hayes and Keira Lake share how Dorchester Town Council made apprenticeships work — and map out the full career pathway from entry-level qualifications through to CiLCA and a degree. In this episode, John is joined by Nigel Hayes (RFO at Dorchester Town Council) and Keira Lake (Finance Apprentice) to talk about the value of apprenticeships in local government and the full career pathway available to council officers.

Nigel explains why Dorchester went the apprenticeship route — closing the demographic gap in the 20–39 age group, succession planning, and risk mitigation — and walks through the funding available, including apprenticeship levy transfers, government incentive payments, and local grant schemes. Keira shares her experience starting as an 18-year-old apprentice, completing ILCA, FILCA, PIALC, and AAT Level 2, and offers practical tips for the End-Point Assessment.

The conversation covers the full academic pathway from ILCA through CiLCA to the Community Governance degree with De Montfort University, making the case that apprenticeships are a strategic investment, not just a cost.

Plus: does Keira ever sleep? Is Nigel worried she'll take his job? And why he's secretly a director at Dorchester Town FC.

Get the video and slides: Watch the full webinar recording and download the speaker's resources.

]]> Thu, 26 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://pod-on-the-parish.com/episodes/2-career-pathways Career Pathways: From Apprenticeships to CiLCA and Beyond Keira Lake, Nigel Hayes 2215 false 2 full Nigel Hayes and Keira Lake share how Dorchester Town Council made apprenticeships work — and map out the full career pathway from entry-level qualifications through to CiLCA and a degree. Is Your Council Assertion 10 Ready? https://pod-on-the-parish.com/episodes/1-assertion-10 Mark Tomkins breaks down what Assertion 10 of the Annual Governance Statement really means for parish and town councils, covering the key updates in the 2025 Practitioners' Guide. In this episode, John talks to Mark Tomkins — Founding Director of Aubergine — about Assertion 10 of the Annual Governance Statement and what councils need to do to ensure compliance for AGAR 2025/26.

Mark walks through the key updates in the 2025 edition of the Smaller Authorities Practitioners' Guide (SAPPP), covering domain name ownership and security, official email use for councillors and officers, website compliance expectations, and the IT and data policies every council should have in place.

Along the way, there's a bit of banter about Star Wars art, tattoos, and the best advice you could give your 18-year-old self (spoiler: buy Bitcoin).

Get the video and slides: Watch the full webinar recording and download the speaker's resources.

]]> Thu, 29 Jan 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://pod-on-the-parish.com/episodes/1-assertion-10 Is Your Council Assertion 10 Ready? Mark Tomkins 3256 false 1 full Mark Tomkins breaks down what Assertion 10 of the Annual Governance Statement really means for parish and town councils, covering the key updates in the 2025 Practitioners' Guide.