There will be a PB focussed conference in Stockholm on the 17th and 18th May 2018, organised by the Swedish Association of Local Authorities (SALAR), which will see experts in participatory budgeting coming from across the world. This is a great opportunity if you want to learn more about participatory budgeting and participation in complex… Read More
Geographic
Participatory Budgeting in the UK and internationally
New website for PB launching this month in Northern Ireland
Interested in finding out about Participatory Budgeting (PB) in Northern Ireland? And people having a say in how public money is spent locally. Then check out a new NI resource at participatorybudgetingworks.org, launching in March 2018. The Building Change Trust has made a £50,000 award to a new collaborative project which will support Participatory Budgeting… Read More
Call for Sadiq Khan to create a PB budget for London
Len Duvall, Assembly Member for London and chair of the GLA oversight committee has called for Mayor Sadiq Khan to bring in a participatory budget for London. In an article on the MayorWatch website, (where it was reported that the public consultation on last year’s London budget drew just 12 responses, compared to Paris, that… Read More
Free seminar on Participatory Budgeting in Cardiff on 18th April 2018
PB Partners held a free introduction to the principles and practice of Participatory Budgeting, delivered in conjunction with the Wales Open Government Network and ERS Cymru on the 18th April 2018. At this interactive workshop at Butetown Community Centre in Cardiff we introduced best practice in participatory budgeting (PB), built on years of experience in… Read More
Interest in Participatory Budgeting grows in Wales
The UK PB Network and PB partners have been promoting PB in the UK since 2012. Following great success in Scotland which has seen nearly £5m invested in growing PB by the Scottish Government the idea is taking off. PB partners has been contributing to new initiatives in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland,… Read More
Hear the Voice, Make the Change: Guide to evaluating PB processes
Released in June 2017 this comprehensive guide from PB Partners lays out 10 essential actions to record, monitor and evaluate the impact of a PB programme. This briefing has been produced in response to Scotland’s Community Choices programme and aims to support public sector organisations wishing to evaluate their ‘mainstream’ Participatory Budgeting (PB) initiatives. The… Read More
2,500 people vote on projects to end Islamophobia in Edinburgh
It is a sad but undeniable fact that post Brexit levels of hate crime have risen across some parts of the UK, most notably England and Wales. Intolerance, ignorance, prejudice and inequality have emerged as communities try to make sense of the Brexit impact on society. Analysis of this information and the conceptual intelligence held… Read More
Edinburgh Health Matters: The votes are in!
Over December 2016 people in South West Edinburgh were given the opportunity to vote on what community health projects they would like funded. Projects were to be for no more than £5000 and must demonstrate how they meet the health needs of the community. Voting was launched at a health promotion event at St Martin’s… Read More
What Works in Participatory Budgeting: Taking stock and thinking ahead in Scotland
What Works Scotland (WWS) has produced a new paper presenting findings and reflections from ongoing research in the WWS Participatory Budgeting programme, and signposting future directions for inquiry and practice. Key Points from the research are: Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a democratic innovation that is becoming central to community empowerment and public service reform in… Read More
£50,000 available to tackle poor mental health in North Ayrshire
People from across North Ayrshire are being offered the chance to stake their claim for up to £1,250 for worthy projects which will improve the lives of others. A total of £50,000 is up for grabs in the participatory budgeting event which aims to give financial backing to projects and programmes which make a positive… Read More