In 2010 Stockport Council began using Participatory Budgeting(PB) in neighbourhoods such as Brinnington. This short film records some of the early processes they used, and the positive reactions of local people. In later years Stockport Council has continued to use PB in a variety of ways, including with businesses and in other localities. To find… Read More
Resources
Learning about Participatory Budgeting through best practice
How budgets should help realise human rights
Governments’ budgets are fundamentally about people’s human rights. They are the central means by which governments provide people with access to quality education, decent health care services, a safe working environment, potable water, and goods and services essential for lives with dignity. Article 2 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights sets… Read More
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
Policy briefs from the PB Network
The PB Network has produced two in the first of a series of policy briefs. These short introductions to Participatory Budgeting are designed to highlight opportunities to develop more meaningful citizen engagement. The two new briefings are on; Citizen Led Commissioning, through using a PB Matrix, a way of embedding PB into public sector budget… 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
Welsh Government children’s PB toolkit
In 2012 the Welsh Government published a toolkit on using PB with Young People. Working towards their commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), Children and young people’s budgeting has been identified as a priority within ‘Getting it Right’, the Welsh Government’s UNCRC Action Plan for Wales. Inclusion 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
New York continues to embrace Participatory Budgeting
Participatory Budgeting has been taking off in New York over the last four years. Between March 29th and April 6th 2014, residents of ten participating council districts were able to vote on how to spend over $14 million of public money. If you lived in one of the districts below and 16 years of age… Read More
British Academy report proposes Participatory Budgeting can reduce health inequalities
"If you could do one thing…" Nine local actions to reduce health inequalities is a new report from the respected British Academy for Humanities and Social Sciences. One of its nine proposals is to use Participatory Budgeting (PB) to promote mental well-being in communities. In its report "the British Academy presents a collection of opinion… 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