Sector Support
Free GOV.UK Email for Clerks
A free GOV.UK mailbox for your council clerk
We’ve created a free tier of our GOV.UK email package to help councils on their journey towards best practice communication.
It’s fully funded through our Community Interest Company and provides a stepping stone towards wider use of official Government communication within the council.
We can typically get a new GOV.UK email ready in less than 7 days.
“Getting our GOV.UK domain and clerk email address from Parish Online completely free allows our council to take steps towards best practice and better communication with residents, Borough and County Councils and other organisations used.
I would recommend it to any council where there is no budget or perhaps resistance to change from councillors.”
— Caroline Boyden, Parish Clerk, Walpole Cross Keys Parish Council
Sign up from our Email page
To sign up to our free email offer, head over to our Email package page and fill in the sign up form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions
Why are we providing a free mailbox for clerks?
Because we think it’s the right thing to do. Whilst the transition to GOV.UK has been going very well, there’s still a long way to go to get all councils using it. About half are yet to switch. Resistance to switching include; Lack of funds, Resistance from clerks or councillors, Lack of technical understanding. So, we want to help accelerate the transition by providing a “no-brainer” service that any clerk can adopt.
Does this mean councillors can keep their personal email addresses?
Whilst the transition to GOV.UK has been going very well, there’s still a long way to go to get all councils using it. About half are yet to switch. Resistance to switching include; Lack of funds, Resistance from clerks or councillors, Lack of technical understanding. So, we want to help accelerate the transition by providing a “no-brainer” service that any clerk can adopt.Why are we providing a free mailbox for clerks?
How are we funding free emails?
Just like our Parish Online GOV.UK Switching Fund, this will be self-funded by Parish Online. We have dedicated reserves purely for this project. Plus we have suppliers who have helped us make this possible. We’ve decided it is worthy of investment through our social value commitment to the sector.
Is it actually free?!
Yep, completely free. You’ll only need to pay an annual fee if you want larger storage on your mailbox beyond the 5GB. The vast majority of you won’t need this, and you’ll get plenty of warning if you do.
What if I want councillor mailboxes as well?
You can upgrade to our standard mail package which gives you mailboxes for all councillors and staff. This is the best-practice option.
Can I connect the GOV.UK domain to my existing website?
Yes, you can do this at no extra cost. All we need are some DNS records that your website host can provide. They’ll then need to do some configuration on your site. Remember that we have our full Website + Email + Domain package available that gives you the best value for money and everything under one supplier. It’s also compliant to the GDS Parish Council Domain Helper Service guidelines.
Will this affect my ability to claim the Parish Online GOV.UK Switching fund?
No, you’ll still qualify for that. So, if you’re upgrading to our email or full website package then we can apply the £100 fund to your first invoice.
Does this lock our council into Parish Online forever?!
Like that’s a bad thing?! No, we’re not locking you in. You can transfer your domain and copy your emails away from our service if you like. Of course, we’ll be sad, but also happy that we’ve helped you on your journey to GOV.UK. There’ll be tears, but happy tears!
Will you provide support?
Yes, we support you as if you were a paying customer. Welcome to fast, free unlimited email support that our Parish Online customers know and love!