The Our Place Our Plan participatory budgeting process in Whitehill, South Lanarkshire has concluded, with £3500 available through South Lanarkshire Council’s Community Engagement Programme for a small grants participatory budgeting process. The PB process was open to community groups, voluntary organisations and individuals/ new groups with sponsor organisations, with up to £500 available.

All project and activities were directly related to the overarching themes of tackling poverty and addressing inequalities and must have been able to demonstrate at least one of the following themes:

Better Connected Communities
Community Safety
Education & Training Opportunities
Employment & Business Opportunities
Financial Wellbeing
Getting About/ Moving Around
Health Improvements
Housing Improvements
Leisure/ Recreation/ Social Opportunities
Physical Environment Improvements

The above proposal was endorsed by the Our Place Our Plan Stakeholder Group at the meeting on Wednesday 10 Feb 21 with the following amendment that everyone should provide their name, address and post code when voting.

The group asked the Community Development Officer to create an online voting form and distribute application packs by Monday 15 Feb 21. Information was sent to the Our Place Our Plan Stakeholder Group to share using email and social media.

Online voting

An online voting form was created using Microsoft forms which allowed for required people to vote for all the projects on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being very good and 1 being not so good). The form was designed so people could only vote between 9am on 01 Mar 21 and 5pm on 12 Mar 21.

An offline version of the forms was created and offered to community organisations to help encourage people who aren’t digitally agile to take part.

By the closing date of Friday 26 Mar 21 at 5pm 9 applications had been received. 7 applications were received from constituted groups and 2 from individuals. All applications were for £500.

Successful applications

Whitehill Fun Day: We would like help to have another fun day for everybody in Whitehill. We would use some of the funding to go towards the costs of a fun fair, games, entertainment, arts and crafts. On the day, we would also like to provide free water, fruit, crisps, tea and coffee, popcorn and candy floss.

It would be a great day for everybody in Whitehill to get together and socialise with each family, friends and neighbours. We think that by doing this it would help people make Whitehill a friendlier place.

Games to bring the community back together: It is proposed the funding is used to purchase a variety of board games / outdoor games equipment that can be used to improve Summer Family Fun Day and Christmas Family events due to take place in 2021.

The games would be used by families, children and other members of the community with a view to bringing the community together. Some of these events will run in the Whitehill Neighbourhood Centre.

Forest School Programme: We would like to help support and develop the local school’s Forest School programme to offer vulnerable young people the opportunity to build skills, self-confidence and new friendship groups whilst working towards their Forest and Outdoor Learning Award. During 2020, young people with additional support needs benefited greatly from the Forest School programme. We would like to help buy equipment and PPE to allow additional young people to take part in this valuable programme throughout the school year.

Healthy Body, Healthy Minds Whitehill: We would use the funding to take groups of teenagers from Whitehill, two times per week for fitness training, nutritional guidance, improving overall health and wellbeing within the community. The teens will have access to regular sessions and equipment outdoors whilst having online support in between sessions. We believe this will improve the lives of the teenagers in a variety of ways, including better health, positive mental attitudes and giving them a sense of purpose and focus keeping them from potential anti-social behaviour. Sessions will include, football, personal training, boxing, endurance sports and nutritional sessions.

Well Fit Project: The project will allow children to express ideas, thoughts and feelings while taking part in healthy activities and sports opportunities were children and young people can develop their physical skills and awareness of their bodies to express their feelings such as anger in a positive way. Also, to help develop communication and social skills while interacting with other children and making new friends. The project will benefit older children and children with additional support needs and increase the health and wellbeing of families.

Staying out for the Summer: The funding will be used for a range of both arts and crafts and sports/ outside games equipment that can be used with children and families at events and activity days over the school holidays in the local park.

This will give families the opportunity to interact and engage in outdoor sports activities in a fun and engaging way. As well as using the park as a community resource and an active green space in the community. Activities will include den building, scavenger hunts, sports days and environmental arts projects.

Community Easter Egg Hunt: We are proposing a socially distanced and timed Easter egg hunt for the children of Whitehill. The event will follow all current guidelines in respect of COVID-19. The sessions will be timed and socially distanced. This will be around the Easter weekend, and will also include Easter activity packs, socially distanced visit from the Easter Bunny.

We will require a substantial amount of Easter eggs and paper etc for packs. This will raise the community spirit in Whitehill, we have done several events like this and have ran well and kept within the guidelines. This will provide much needed quality family time in the fresh air.

Two applicants that were not awarded funding will be offered support to apply for funding for their project.

There’s more information here.