Participatory Budgeting applications are opening soon
Get information on latest PB funding available for communities…
North Ayrshire Council’s Connected Communities team are inviting individuals and community organisations to an upcoming series of drop-in information sessions ahead of the next cycle of the council’s Participatory Budgeting Fund (PB).
The sessions have been set up across our six localities to support communities to:
- Find out about participatory budgeting
- Learn about how it works here in North Ayrshire
- Hear from other groups and organisations who have benefitted locally
- Find out about the eligibility criteria
- Discuss projects and initiatives that could benefit but haven’t applied before
This is also an opportunity to meet with other groups who are already working alongside our Locality teams - part of the North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership - to identify priorities and empower communities, increase capacity and improve facilities to achieve local community ambitions.
Over 190 community groups and projects have been successful in receiving their share of North Ayrshire’s £171,377 PB funding since November 2024.
With applications opening in August – stay tuned for more details – the next round of Participatory Budgeting (PB) is just around the corner. This cycle a total sum of £204,159 funding will be made available and for the first time, the funding also includes a Community Wealth Building Fund element of £30,000.
The funding this year will be part of three funding pots:
- Locality PB: Health and Wellbeing, Building Community Spirit, Cost of Living, Green Projects
- Youth PB: Green Projects, Health and Wellbeing, Young People’s Voice and Rights, Equality and Diversity and Cost of Living
- Community Wealth Building Fund: Community Ownership, Enterprising Communities and Local Innovation
Participatory Budgeting is based on an ethos of ‘it’s your money, you decide’. It is a type of citizen participation where local people are involved in the process of deciding how public money - in this case the council’s PB budget - is best spent.
The drop-in sessions and locations are as follows:
- Millport DA Hall, Thursday 7 August, 5pm-7pm
- Arran Ormidale Sports Pavilion, Brodick, Monday 11 August, 11am-1pm
- Skelmorlie Community Centre, Monday 11 August, 6pm-8pm
- West Kilbride Community Centre, Tuesday 12 August, 6pm-8pm
- Largs Library, Wednesday 13 August, 6pm-8pm
- Kilwinning Library, Thursday 14 August, 6pm-8pm
- Towerlands Community Centre, Wednesday 20 August, 11am-1pm
- Ardrossan Civic Centre, Wednesday 20 August, 7pm-9pm
- Bridgend Community Centre, Kilbirnie, Thursday 21 August, 10.30am-12:30pm
- Beith Community Centre, Thursday 21 August, 2pm-4pm
- Dalry Community Centre, Thursday 21 August, 7pm-9pm
- Marymass Family Zone, Irvine Moor, Saturday 23 August, 12 noon-3pm
There's no need to book, just pop along to the session that’s best for you. For more information, contact: participatorybudgeting@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
Whether you have been involved in PB before or want to learn more, the team are keen to hear from you.
Quote: Our residents know better than anyone else which projects will be the most beneficial to them in their local communities, so it is only fair that they have a direct say on how money is spent. Participatory Budgeting does just this, however we are very aware that there will be local community groups and organisations out there who haven’t had the chance to benefit just yet and it is so important to us that we make sure that no one is left behind. Everyone is welcome – we particularly encourage people who have never been involved in participatory budgeting before to come along and find out more. The aim of the upcoming sessions are to engage with as many local people as we can from across our localities so that they too can get involved in the next participatory budgeting cycle, as we work together with residents and the groups supporting our communities to build a thriving North Ayrshire for all.”
Quote from: Councillor Alan Hill, Cabinet Member for Communities, Housing and Islands
To find out more projects that have been successful in previous funding cycles, check out the Shaping North Ayrshire website.
Published: 22 July 2025