Cat Johnson has posted a useful blog offering a list of 15 innovations in citizen participation, running from Porto Alegre to Boston’s recent youth led programme. She lists 15 projects from around the world that demonstrate the potential of the PB process. Citing from the report "The first city in the U.S. to instate youth… Read More
Case studies
Brief overviews of experiences of Participatory Budgeting
TravelSMART funds £1m of community transport projects in Surrey
Surrey County Council have been using Participatory Budgeting to share £1m of funding between various communities in Surrey. The aim of the TravelSMART community funding is to make the county a better place for residents, by improving public transport, encouraging cycling and cutting carbon emissions. Harris Vallianatos, Sustainable Transport Officer at Surrey County Council recently… Read More
Your Community, Your Health, Your Voice in Southampton
Your Community, Your Health is a health themed participatory budgeting project in Thornhill, Southampton. Thornhill’s Community Health Group, comprising residents and agency representatives from Southampton City Council, Southampton City PCT and Thornhill Plus You, oversaw an annual funding stream provided by the PCT to tackle health inequalities in Thornhill. They first explored the idea of… Read More
Building relationships through Participatory Budgeting – Newcastle’s experience
In early April 2014 the Open Democracy Project published an interesting and informative article on Newcastle’s long running UDecide programme. Alison Lamb from Newcastle City Council was interviewed by Participation Now researcher Hilde C. Stephansen. A short extract is given below. "the benefits that we always cite in Newcastle are about increasing confidence and trust… Read More
Municipal Journal features Durham Participatory Budgeting
Municipal Journal featured Durham County Council’s exciting work on Participatory Budgeting in its February 20th 2014 issue, highlighting the 19,000 residents who have directly participated in deciding on how to spend over £1.5m on local projects. Since its first PB event in March 2011 the council has hosted 40 events across it’s 14 Area Action… Read More
Canny wi’ Cash – Older People’s Participatory Budgeting
Older People Deciding on Grants for Older People. An inclusive process with the principles of co-production and resilience at its heart. Commenting on the experience, one of the Older People participating said: ‘Our voices are being heard at last.’ As part of Edinburgh’s ‘Reshaping Care for Older People – Change Fund’ Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council… Read More
Diocese of Lichfield PB Day, June 2013
Steph Clerke produced this blog based on her involvement with the Bishop of Lichfield’s PB programme in June 2013. Below are some exceprts from her blog. PB Partners provided advice to the Diocese to make the event a great success. "Today I went with Kate Goodall over to Stafford to the Diocese of Lichfield Participatory… Read More
Leith Decides wins COSLA award
Now in its fourth round, Leith Decides has been running since 2010. In 2013 they achieved an award from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) for their pioneering work. Leith Neighbourhood Partnership (NP) was aware that annual surveys had consistently shown that most people in Leith don’t feel able to influence what happens in… Read More
2013 evaluation report for the Leith Decides PB programme
The 2013 evaluation report for the Leith Decides PB programme is now online. Loraine reports that the steering Group of Leith Community Reps is now planning the fourth programme in partnership with CEC, community police and voluntary ector workers. Download the Leith Neighbourhood Partnership report (PDF)
Richmond Fellowship Scotland: PB case study, 2013
The Richmond Fellowship Scotland has sent us the following report about their 2013 ‘Outcomes are Fun’ PB event. This is a report back about one of their four £20,000 processes, run and organised with members of their community. "The aim of the project was to give over control and creativity to vulnerable people to achieve… Read More
