The Review of Non-Financial Support to Community Councils Working Group met to discuss the support provided to community councils, with a particular focus on secretarial functions and networking models. The group also reviewed previous meeting notes and planned future steps for a consultation process.

Review of Non-Financial Support to Community Councils

The working group was scheduled to consider the note of a previous meeting held on 10 March 2026. This note detailed discussions regarding the secretarial role and available support for community councils.

Secretarial Support for Community Councils

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing the support the council could offer community councils in relation to their secretarial duties. The Community Co-ordinator, Ms Clare Malster, presented a paper outlining draft lists of community council secretarial functions and potential areas for council support.

The discussion highlighted that while some functions are the direct responsibility of community councils, others could benefit from guidance, templates, or officer advice. Areas identified for potential support included:

• Website Maintenance and Public Communications: Guidance on maintaining community council websites, publishing information, using public noticeboards, and adhering to data protection considerations.
• Contact Details: Providing a list of generic contact details for relevant council services and other public sector agencies to assist with liaison.
• Minute-Taking: Exploring options for supporting community councils with meeting recording and minute-taking arrangements. The report pack noted that approaches vary considerably, and any guidance or templates should be supportive rather than prescriptive. It was suggested that templates for minutes, action trackers, and forward planners could be beneficial, while retaining flexibility for local needs.
• Records Management: Offering guidance on archiving minutes and correspondence, along with a template for maintaining an asset register, particularly for community councils that hold equipment or property.
• Governance and Operations: Noting that procedural guidance is already available through the handbook, covering matters such as quorum and elections. The role of sub-groups and the involvement of co-opted or community participants were also recognised.
• Funding Applications, Volunteering, and Project Development: Considering support for these areas, including signposting to existing external support and opportunities for community councils to share learning and collaborate.
• Procurement: Exploring opportunities for community councils to improve purchasing power for common goods or services.
• Event Planning and Delivery: Identifying this as an area where access to council advice could be helpful.

The group agreed that the draft list of secretarial functions should be refined into grouped subject areas and drafted in a generic format for consultation. Potential support was to be framed as optional and non-prescriptive. Officers were tasked with exploring the preparation of guidance on website management, compiling contact details, exploring meeting recording options, considering template options for various documents, and further support in records management, archiving, volunteering, funding, and procurement. Officers were also to link in relevant colleagues regarding support for placemaking/town team issues and event planning, and confirm the position on BCA membership costs.

Community Council Networks

The working group also considered options for the future structure of community council networking. A Borders-wide model was identified as the preferred approach, focusing on bringing community councils together for information sharing, networking, and joint sessions. While some interest in locality-based networks was noted, the group recognised that these might be difficult to sustain consistently across the Borders due to differing needs and levels of interest.

The preferred Borders-wide model would be based on two larger meetings per year, with breakout sessions organised around shared interests or current issues. This was seen as a practical way to encourage participation, reduce bureaucracy, and create opportunities for community councils to learn from one another. The importance of flexibility within any future model was also discussed, with the possibility of additional sessions being arranged if a clear need arose. It was emphasised that any network should be community council-led, with officer support to facilitate arrangements.

The consultation was to clearly present the preferred Borders-wide option and explain the reasoning behind it, as well as the rationale for not favouring locality-based models. Officers were to consider how agendas could be shaped around topics identified in advance by community councils and how breakout sessions could be structured to maximise value for participants. The group agreed that the preferred option for consultation should be a Borders-wide community council network, based on two meetings per year, with breakout sessions arranged around shared interests or current issues.

Future Steps and Consultation

The meeting also reviewed the proposed timetable and arrangements for the next stage of the working group's work. An informal online meeting was planned for 21 April 2026 to review and refine consultation material, with a further meeting scheduled for 2 June 2026. The consultation was intended to be issued in early June, with responses sought before the summer holiday period to allow for analysis and the preparation of recommendations for the Executive Committee by 11 August 2026. The report to the Executive Committee was scheduled for 8 September 2026.

The group agreed that the 21 April 2026 meeting would be an informal meeting and that the meeting on 2 June 2026 would be held in person at Council Headquarters.

The consultation on non-financial support to community councils was scheduled to run from 5 June 2026 to 3 August 2026.