Covid-recovery initiatives to be supported by grant funding thanks to new participatory budgeting project
Posted on Monday 1st February 2021
Newport residents are being encouraged to take part in a new participatory budgeting project which has been launched to support local communities and help them recover from the impacts of Covid-19.
Our Voice, Our Choice, Our Port, which has made £100,000 available for community projects across the city, is now open for applications.
Participatory budgeting is a process that gives Newport residents the opportunity to vote for the projects that matter most to them. Individuals and groups will be able to apply for funding of up to £10,000 to support their ideas and projects.
Applications which meet the criteria will be asked to put together a simple three minute video presenting their idea and outlining what the funds will be used for. The videos will then be shown at an online event on Saturday 27 March, where residents can vote for the projects which are most important to them, with the funds being allocated on the event day.
Cllr David Mayer, cabinet member for communities and resources, said: “One of our main priorities at the moment is to help our communities recover from the impacts of the pandemic.
“I’m delighted therefore that this inclusive project will give residents a chance to get involved, pitch their ideas and have their say on how these vital funds are distributed.”
This round of participatory budgeting is targeted to projects that assist vulnerable groups in recovering from the impacts of Covid-19, so applicants will be asked how they intend to use the funds and which vulnerable groups will benefit from their projects.
To support interested groups, there will be application surgeries and video making assistance from Mutual Gain, a company experienced in bringing together participatory budgeting events across the UK.
The funding for Our Voice, Our Choice, Our Port was made available by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, and was secured from the Welsh Government’s Early Years and Prevention Fund.
For more information on the project and to apply, please contact [email protected]