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AI is becoming more common, more capable, and far easier to access than it was even a year ago. As a result, councils across the country are starting to explore what these tools could mean in practice, from supporting day to day admin to improving the way they communicate with residents. Not only do our team at Breakthrough Communications continue to assess how AI can support and empower councils, but we also consider how it should be used responsibly, accurately and in a way

Social media can sometimes feel like just another thing on your ever growing to do list. It can feel like there is no way to know if it is working or if you are just "posting for the sake of it". For many councils, social media can become one more thing that needs regular attention as you respond to messages, comments and manage narratives. All whilst keeping residents informed, pointing people towards correct information and making complex council updates as accessible as po

Town and parish councils have spent the last few months getting to grips with Assertion 10. Many councils have been working hard to understand what the requirement means in practice. We have supported councils across the country and have noticed the same questions have come up repeatedly. From data protection duties to email management and record keeping, councils want clarity so they can feel confident they are meeting the standard. To make things clearer, our Head of Counci

What’s New in Canva and How Councils Can Use It If you have never used it before, Canva is an online tool that helps your council create designs and documents easily, even if you have no design experience. You can use it to make posters, flyers, newsletters, social media posts, presentations or videos - and much more. Everything works by dragging and dropping templates, text and images into place. Canva has recently had one of its biggest upgrades yet, making it even more use

Every town and parish council is unique ; they face their own challenges and strengths. As public bodies, councils play a vital role in promoting transparency and protecting personal data. Two key pieces of legislation that help deliver this are the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and the UK General Data Protection Regulations (UK GDPR). The FOIA allows anyone in the world to request information, and the UK GDPR includes a mechanism called the Subject Access Request (

Sometimes, council communications can feel a little inconsistent. To residents, this can feel as though these communications are coming from separate organisations rather than one council. The result? Confusion, reduced trust, and long-term reputational challenges.