Aberdeen communities benefit from £250,000 funding boost

06 December 2016

Local groups and organisations are invited to apply for a share of funding worth almost £250,000 for projects that aim to improve three regeneration areas.

A total of £82,500 is available to groups in each locality:

Torry; Northfield, Middlefield, Cummings Park, Heathryfold and Mastrick; and Seaton, Tillydrone and Woodside.

Aberdeen City Council has committed £150,000 and a further £90,000 was awarded from the Community Choices Fund with funding also being approved by Community Planning Aberdeen.

This is the latest in a series of projects in the City Council’s award winning participatory budgeting programme, known as UDECIDE. The scheme allows residents to directly decide how to spend an allocated budget that will help to improve the place they live.

In addition to applying for funding, residents in each area can submit their ideas via a new website - https://aberdeen.participare.io - that has been specially set up for this scheme. Once ideas have been uploaded on to the website locals can make suggestions to help shape an idea ready for a formal funding application or it may be adopted in the areas 10 year improvement plan.

People have already started making suggestions on the website for projects in Torry, with ideas including the creation of a community orchard where fruit could be grown and sold locally, improvements to the Torry skate park and a variety of youth projects.

To apply for funding groups can download an application form online, pick one up from local venues including their nearest community centre, or request an application be sent to them using the contact details on the website.

Aberdeen City Council Leader Councillor Jenny Laing, chair of Community Planning Aberdeen, said: “This Council has a real commitment to working with communities and empowering them to make important decisions that affect their local area.

“It is fantastic to launch our UDECIDE programme in the three localities and I look forward to hearing the ideas put forward as well as the projects people vote for.”

Each locality has its own submission criteria and maximum amount that can be applied for. Groups in Torry can apply for a maximum amount of £15,000 whilst residents in the other localities can apply for £10,000. Application criteria and timescales for applications are available on the Participare website.

Those who submit successful applications will be asked to present their project to the wider community. Voting days have been planned in each locality to give members of the community the opportunity to vote for their favourite projects. Votes can also be cast on the website.

Once votes have been counted the successful bids will be announced at three special events on Saturday 11 March 2017.