If you work with 8-25-year-olds, we are encouraging you to please remind them to cast their Youth PB vots this week. The voting stage of North Ayrshire Council’s Young People’s Participatory Budgeting scheme closes on Thursday 1 December, so it’s our job to make sure they don’t miss their chance to have a say on where the cash is spent in their local area.
Access to the online voting platform will be through your Young Scot National Entitlement Card – or you can obtain a temporary number to vote by emailing youthpb@north-ayrshire.gov.uk.
Vorting closes at 12noon on Thursday 1 December 2022. Each vote can be cast directly online at: https://young.scot/campaigns/north-ayrshire/north-ayrshire-youth-participatory-budgeting
There’s also the option to vote in schools and at youth centres.
A total of £56k is available to share between projects throughout all of the six North Ayrshire localities – Irvine, Kilwinning, Three Towns, Arran, Garnock Valley and the North Coast.
Applications for grants of up to £1000 have been submitted by individuals*, clubs, groups and Parent Councils, with each project representing at least one of the following themes:
- Health and Wellbeing
- Poverty and Inequality
- Voice and Participation
- Climate Change
It’s now up to North Ayrshire’s young people to decide which of these projects most deserve to receive the funding.
Please note due to the number of applications received, there is no requirement to go to the vote in the Arran Locality. All successful bids will be funded and therefore a public vote will not be necessary in this area.
Councillor Alan Hill, Cabinet Member for Islands and Communities said: “Last year, an incredible 4,726 young people helped make the dreams come true for almost 100 youth projects who had their share of the £97,500 Youth Participatory Budgeting windfall.
“And this year, we are ready to hopefully receive more votes than ever before as we have received a staggering 200 applications from eligible groups looking for their chance to secure their share of our Youth PB funding.
“Our young people 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 the final say on how this money is spent.
“Youth PB funding has made a massive difference to many local projects in the past couple of years. It has been fantastic to see our young people benefit from the scheme, and we look forward to this year’s results and the positive outcomes that this funding will bring to an array of amazing youth-focused projects across the area.”
To find out more about North Ayrshire Council’s Participatory Budgeting schemes, visit www.northayrshire.community/get-involved/participatory-budgeting-in-north-ayrshire
*Individuals have been able to submit applications on behalf of community groups and organisations.