Do you run a local community group which has previously received funding through the Council’s Participatory Budgeting fund? Or, do you know of one who could do with a boost and a little helping hand? Perhaps you have never been involved before and are looking for an opportunity to do your part to improve your community and make a lasting impact…
If so, the Council’s Connected Communities team – part of the North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership wants to hear from you…
With the next round of Participatory Budgeting (PB) just around the corner and a total sum of £171,377 funding available, the team are hosting a series of locality-based drop-in sessions where members of the public are encouraged to come along.
The funding this year will be part of two funding cycles:
- Locality PB: Health and Wellbeing, Building Community Spirit, Cost of Living, Green Projects
- Youth PB: Climate Action, Health and Wellbeing, Youth Voice and Participation, Cost of Living
The schedule of upcoming drop-in sessions is as follows:
- Sunday, August 18, (10am until 2pm) Bridgend Community Centre
- Tuesday, August 20, (7pm until 8.30pm) Saltcoats Town Hall
- Tuesday, August 20, (6pm until 8pm) West Kilbride Community Centre
- Wednesday, August 21, (6pm-8pm) Largs Library
- Wednesday, August 21, (6pm-8pm) Skelmorlie Community Centre
- Thursday, August 22, (6pm-8pm) Kilwinning Library
- Thursday, August 22, (5pm-7pm) DA Hall, Cumbrae
- Monday, August 26 (1.30pm until 3pm) Ormidale Pavilion, Arran
- Wednesday, August 28 (1pm until 2.30pm) then (7pm until 8.30pm) Redburn Community Centre
Book now by emailing: participatorybudgeting@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
Participatory Budgeting is based on an ethos of ‘it’s your money, you decide’. It is a type of citizen participation where local people are involved in the process of deciding how public money – in this case the Council’s PB budget – is best spent.
At the drop-ins attendees will be able to:
- Find out about participatory budgeting;
- Learn about how it works here in North Ayrshire;
- Hear about other groups and organisations who have benefitted locally.
Book now by emailing: participatorybudgeting@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
To find out more projects that have been successful in previous funding cycles, check out the Shaping North Ayrshire website #ShapingNorthAyrshire
“Our residents know better than anyone else which projects will be the most beneficial to them in their local communities, so it is only fair that they have a direct say on how money is spent. Participatory Budgeting does just this. The aim of the upcoming sessions are to engage with as many local people as we can from across our localities so that they too can get involved in the next participatory budgeting cycle, as we work together with residents and the groups supporting our communities to build a thriving North Ayrshire for all.”Rhonda Leith, Head of Service for Connected Communities