Doncaster parish council becomes first in Yorkshire to secure prestigious award

Sprotbrough and Cusworth Parish Council has earned the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) prestigious Quality Award after a passing a rigorous assessment process.

In a confirmation letter to Parish Clerk Emma Garner, Chair of NALC, Coun Keith Stevens, praised the parish council, saying it is to be “congratulated immensely.”

“Receiving the Quality Award is an excellent achievement showing that your parish council achieves good practices in governance, community engagement and council improvement.

"Furthermore, this award shows that your council has gone above and beyond the legal obligations; you lead your community and continuously seek opportunities to improve and develop even further”, added Coun Stevens.

Described as being ‘closest to the people’, there are over 600 parish and town councils in the Yorkshire area, making Sprotbrough and Cusworth’s pioneering achievement all the more impressive.

Parish Chair, Coun Tony Nicholson, said: “We are delighted with the award, which confirms our commitment to doing our best for the more than 12,000 people who live in Sprotbrough and Cusworth. A big thank you to Emma and her team and to the parish councillors, who voluntarily give up their time to serve the area.”

Achieving the Quality Award is the second of a potential three stage process, with the pinnacle being The Quality Gold Award.

NALC’s Coun Stevens added his encouragement, saying: “I very much look forward to Sprotbrough and Cusworth Parish Council applying for the Quality Gold Award and celebrating more achievements.”