Supporting communities fund

Thanks to everyone living in Argyll and Bute who voted for projects they wanted to see funded by the council's Supporting Communities Fund. 4,686 people voted. Voting closed at midnight on 30th April.

The projects that received the most votes and will be funded are listed below, in alphabetical order.

Voting results More funding information Background to project Frequently Asked Questions

Participatory Budgeting (PB) in Scotland Contact us

Voting results

Bute and Cowal

The Lade Centre project has successfully secured its funding from another source and therefore have withdrawn their application to the Supporting Communities Fund.

Helensburgh and Lomond

Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands

Oban, Lorn and the Isles

The remaining money will be offered to the group which was next in line to receive funding but could not be fully funded. This will be applicable for each area.

Background to project

People in Argyll and Bute were given the opportunity to have their say on how money in their area is spent, by voting on the council’s Supporting Communities Fund. Earlier this year, local groups and organisations posted their project ideas on a website created specifically for the fund, of how they could use potential funding of up to £2,500 per project idea to benefit the local community. In April, residents were given the chance to vote for which projects they would like to see funded. There are four funds available – one for each council administrative area – and residents were able to vote for as many projects as they like, up to the total value of funding available in their area.  This was a pilot way of allocating community funding which will now be fully evaluated.

Participatory Budgeting - Questions and Answers

What does PB stand for?

PB is an abbreviation for Participatory Budgeting.  It is also known as “Community Choices” in Scotland.

What is Participatory Budgeting?

Participatory Budgeting is a way of involving communities in decisions about public finance.

Why are the grants being given out this way?

This is a way of involving the communities who benefit from the grants, in deciding how they are distributed.

Do I have to allocate the full amount of funding?

You can vote for as many projects as you would like to fund up to the allocation of the full amount but you don’t have to allocate the full amount available for that area.

Can you vote for projects across Argyll and Bute?

No –the Supporting Communities Fund is split into four separate funds – one for each of the council’s administrative areas. You can vote for projects in the administrative area that you live in.

How much money is available?

An equal amount is allocated to each of the four areas, in 2018/19 this is expected to be £24,500 per area.  Any unspent funds returned from recipients unable to spend their projects funding the previous year is added to the amount available for that administrative area. The funds available in each area can therefore vary.

Can you vote for just one project?

It is possible, although we encourage you to vote for as many projects as possible within the allocated funds for your area.

Can you vote for more than one project?

Yes, we encourage you to vote for as many projects as you like within the available funds.

Won’t it just be the usual groups/ organisations that receive the money?

It is the local community who decides which projects will be funded through a public vote. Every person aged 16 or over who lives in Argyll and Bute is entitled to vote. The names of the organisations and groups applying for the funding are not provided to ensure people are voting for the project and not the organisation.

All votes are encrypted and stored until voting ends.  Argyll and Bute Council is unable to access the votes until the “counting ceremony” which will be held after the vote closes.  The count is carried out electronically and there is a security audit run.

Can I change my vote if I change my mind?

Yes, you can change your vote as many times as you like, however it is only the last vote that you submit that will count.

How will I find out who has been successful?

We will keep this page up to date throughout the different stages of the project.  When the votes have been counted, we will post a list of the successful projects here.  We will also issue a press release, email people who voted and report to elected members.
Contact us
Should you need further support or information on this project, please contact communitydevelopment@argyll-bute.gov.uk or call 01369 708669, Mon-Fri 9am – 5pm.