First Green PB Seal Issued! Just Transition Participatory Budgeting Partnership
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PB Scotland’s Francesca Lynch talks about the first Green PB Seal, awarded to Just Transition Participatory Budgeting Partnership
PB Scotland are delighted to announce that our first dedicated Green PB Seal has now been issued to the Just Transition Participatory Budgeting Partnership for their recent Green PB Project in the North East of Scotland.
It is still hard for me to believe that SCDC and PB Scotland only started exploring Green PB in depth early last year. I often reflect on our journey, and it still truly amazes me as to how much we have achieved and how much of an appetite and support there has been for this type of thematic PB across Scotland.
With so many fantastic developments over the last 18 months, it feels like we have been working on this for years and clearly shows the power of working together towards a common goal and how in doing this we can achieve great things within our communities.
Recognising Green PB as being a common goal, and to build, strengthen and support this, PB Scotland recently announced the launch of our Green PB Badge and Seal. Co-produced and developed by the Green PB Action Group, the Badge and Seal have the main purpose of “recognising, identifying and supporting Green PB activity in Scotland”.
We are now, only a few months later, delighted to be issuing our first dedicated Green PB Seal.
Power of partnership
Less than one year ago, five voluntary organisations from across the North-East of Scotland were approached to discuss the possibility of working together collectively to plan, organise and deliver a Green PB process as part of the 10-year Just Transition Fund for Scotland.
Those organisations were ACVO, AVA, Money4Moray, NESCAN Hub and tsiMoray.
Not only was this fund one of the biggest ever small grant PB activities to take place across Scotland but the biggest of its kind dedicated to Green PB and Just Transition to net zero.
Fast forward less than one year, and not only have the partnership fully delivered an extremely successful process that has distributed £1m into local communities to support community-led green projects, but they are now deep into planning the second year of activity which will see communities’ benefit from an increased investment of £1.5m for Green PB in 2023/24.
Power of belief
The organisations involved in this process have not only demonstrated the power of working together as a partnership, which is not always easy or straightforward, but also the power of belief in that facilitating such a significant Green PB process would firstly be achievable and secondly be of huge benefit to their local communities and the environment.
These beliefs allowed them to forge ahead, develop an equal partnership and collectively deliver on an ambitious process that at times was no doubt worrying, frustrating and downright difficult.
Nevertheless, the strength of the partnership and their beliefs along with their dedication, attracted more than 120 community-led green applications, 45 of which went on to receive funding following community voting from across the regions of Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City and Moray.
These projects have contributed to dedicated Just Transition themes and actions including Inequalities, Job/Training/Education, Food, Transport/Travel, the Built Environment, the Natural Environment, Local Economies and Home Energy
Power to change
Having had the pleasure of working with and supporting the partnership over the past year to deliver the Green PB process, one thing was very clear from the beginning, which was that they were all keen to learn and develop the process to be the best it could be in future years. This was never seen as a one year only fund but one that had potential to be replicated year on year for the next 10 years.
This has seen them comprehensively evaluating every stage of the process to make it better for communities. This evaluation has been used to inform this year’s process and again nothing is being taken for granted and the potential for future change is accepted and embraced by all members of the partnership.
This makes for a very rich and exciting future for the partnership where anything could be possible, and we are looking forward to seeing how their impressive journey continues to unfold and develop and the positive impact it continues to bring to a Just Transition for Scotland.
Power of people
As I mentioned earlier, we have had the pleasure to work with this partnership throughout the last year and cannot express how delighted we are at their growth and the outcomes they have and continue to achieve.
But don’t take our word for it, find out all about the up-coming process by visiting their website which is the new dedicated website for the partnership.
This website will be developed over the coming months to include information on last year’s activities including reports and case studies. It will also be where all the information is centrally stored going forward.
Finally, and once again, congratulations to the Just Transition Participatory Budgeting Partnership on achieving the first Scottish Green PB Seal.
