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 initiatives across Northern Ireland.
To get things underway the PB Works Project is holding 4 regional PB events in March and April 2018 to raise awareness of and advocate for Participatory Budgeting across the region.
Two existing PB programmes are already underway, one led by the Waste No Time project, known as the Big Dish Out, and the other via Triangle Housing. More are likely to follow.
The project was one of a number that emerged from BCT’s recent workshop series entitled ‘Deepening Democracy: Time for Collaborative Action’. The project will boost awareness of PB amongst councils and public agencies and provide training and support to try it out in practice.
The project will be led by Community Places and is a collaboration involving the Community Development & Health Network, Triangle Housing Association, Corrymeela, YouthBank International, Building Communities Resource Centre, the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, the Electoral Reform Society, the Democratic Society, the Solonian Democracy Institute and Uplift, as well as a range of individuals representing councils and other public agencies.
Community Places’ Louise O’Kane said: “the project is a real opportunity to both raise awareness of PB and put in place some of the skills and knowledge needed to develop PB initiatives across the region. We are delighted to be working with all the partners in developing a PB infrastructure for the future”.
- Places for the 4 initial roadshows can be booked on eventbrite