Who are the members?
Anyone over the age of 21 can offer themselves as candidates for election to parish councils.

So, a nice little earner?
No. Councillors are only entitled to receive expenses. Many claim nothing. There's no salary.

Why bother, then?
It's a way of doing something for your community. Its decisions may not result in massive changes to the infrastructure or troops being sent off to war, but the parish council raises local taxes and spends the money. Parish Councillors decide how. Spixworth's budget estimate for 2007-8 is £53,000. If you want to have some say in how this money is spent, you need to be on the Council.

So how do I do that?
Let the Clerk to the Council know you're interested to begin with. Attend some of the council's meetings on the first Tuesday of each month. Ask the Clerk about how to become a candidate.