In mid-June, PB Partners helped to co-ordinate a visit to the South East of England by 7 councillors and 5 local government managers from Denmark, in conjunction with Morten Ronnenberg from a Danish consultancy form, Strategihuset. The aim of the visit was to showcase some interesting examples of co-production, citizen engagement and participatory budgeting. Davy Jones,… Read More
Finnish Institute releases report on Participatory Budgeting in UK
Deliberating Service Delivery is the Finnish Institute’s new report on participatory budgeting processes in the UK, written by Laura Sillanpää. With the report the Institute wishes to contribute to the increasingly important discussion on local democracy and public participation. Their primary goal is to be a catalyst for further, more concise discussion within Finnish society…. 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
Report of PB Network meet-up, Durham, 1 October 2013
The PB Network hosted its autumn network gathering in the historic North East market town of Durham on 1 October 2013. The venue was the main hall of the newly refurbished Durham Town Hall. We heard presentations on the latest developments in Participatory Budgeting (PB) in the UK, held engaging workshops and debates on mainstreaming… Read More
Status of Participatory Budgeting in Germany: 6th Status Report, January 2013
The 6th Status Report on Participatory Budgeting in Germany provides an overview of all municipalities listed on the website buergerhaushalt.org. Since the first status report was published in 2007, it is not only the number of municipalities listed here that has grown continuously; so too have the requirements involved in listing them. This is due chiefly… Read More
Burscough Parish Council PB, 2013
"Two children’s projects are to get a cash handout from Burscough Parish Council. The Parish Council, at their annual assembly meeting, allowed the public to decide how £10,000 in funding should be spent through Participatory Budgeting. Over 100 people turned out to vote for the two community projects to keep children active during the summer"… Read More
The People’s Budget: US insights as an opportunity for British action (report)
Scottish Minister Derek MacKay (centre) met with Joe Moore and Josh Lerner during their visit to the Scottish Parliament – just one of the many politicians and senior officers involved in the exchange. Download the report on the USA PB exchange visit to the UK in April 2013 (PDF)
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)
Guidance on community-led PB
Community Development Foundation commissioned PB Partners to write a community led PB ‘how to’ guide as part of its Community First programme (an £80million government-funded initiative which ran from April 2011 until March 2015). Community First provided local community panels with small sums to support community initiatives, and some tried a PB approach. This guide was… Read More
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