Pictured: Pupils enjoy their riding lesson at Equi-Power. The charity is a past recipient of a Community Choices Small Grant.
The latest round of the
Community Choices programme has launched, offering community groups the chance to apply for Small Grants of up to £5,000.
Community Choices is Falkirk Council's participatory budgeting programme that puts control over how public money is spent into community hands.
It provides groups with a way to apply for funding and the local community the power to vote and decide which projects will receive financial support.
How grants can be used
The grants in this phase are Small Grants of up to £5,000, which can be used for projects that benefit local communities, such as:
- purchasing equipment
- organising community events
- buying essential items like white goods
There are no Place-based Capital Grants in this round as, moving forward, Capital funding will be delivered through mainstreaming participatory budgeting.
The application deadline for Small Grants is Monday 9 December 2024.
Success stories
In previous rounds, Community Choices has supported a wide variety of projects, including:
- Falkirk-branch of ENABLE Scotland (pictured above) used its £5,000 grant to help it run the Awakening Family Festival, Scotland’s only music festival aimed at people with disabilities.
- Maggie’s Forth Valley used its £5,000 grant to expand cancer support groups.
- Scottish Seniors Computer Club bought two new HP laptops with Windows 11 with its grant.
- Equi-Power Central Scotland RDA used its funding to provide free equestrian services to children and young people with additional support needs.
- Bo’ness Car 4U secured £5,000 to help cover the cost of volunteer mileage costs in its first year of operations.
Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, Leader of Falkirk Council, said:
"Our communities are rich with organisations providing vital support, activities, and services that enhance the lives of so many. Community Choices offers a fantastic way for these groups to secure the resources they need to continue making a difference. I would encourage all eligible groups to apply and help shape the future of their local area."
What happens next?
After the application phase, local people will have the opportunity to vote for the project they want to see happen in their ward.
Voting will take place during February 2025 and will be open to everyone of high school age and above, giving communities a direct say in how public money is used to improve the neighbourhoods in which they live.
For more information on Community Choices - and to apply for a Small Grant by the deadline of Monday 9 December - visit www.falkirk.gov.uk/communitychoices.