Community Choices round two launched by Falkirk Council

Cecil Meiklejohn, leader of Falkirk Council. Picture Michael Gillen.

Falkirk Council’s Community Choices provides local people with a way to apply for public funding to improve their local area – and once the ideas are in, a vote is held to decide who gets the cash.

This will be the second round of the funding that will be spread across Falkirk’s nine wards through the initiative, which is run by Falkirk Council and Falkirk Health & Social Care Partnership.

Earlier this year nearly 60 projects secured funding totalling £640,000 through Community Choices.

One again, two funds are available – but this time round the Small Grants Programme has increased and people can now apply for up to £5,000 to support ideas and projects.

The Place-based Capital Programme is for proposals that need an investment of more than £5,000 to build something new, improve an asset or purchase equipment.

The council welcomes applications from groups, clubs, organisations and individuals to make their neighbourhood either “fairer, healthier, more connected or more inclusive”.

The closing date for bids to the small grants programme is November 19, while applications to the Place Based Capital Programme have until January 7, 2022, to bid.

Applications that meet the criteria are then put to a public vote and must secure at least 10 per cent of the total eligible votes cast in that ward to secure funding.

Falkirk Council leader Cecil Meiklejohn said: “Community Choices gives local people a way to directly influence how a set amount of public money is spent, putting forward ideas to improve their local area and voting for the proposals they want to make happen. It truly is democracy in action.

“Phase one highlighted communities have a real appetite to deliver activities and the social infrastructure that they know is important to them and we hope more groups, clubs, community organisations and individuals apply this time round.”

After feedback from the first round of funding, votes can now also be cast for projects that will benefit the whole district, or more than one ward area.

For more about Community Choices visit www.falkirk.gov.uk/communitychoices.