Community Choices: Vote now!

News

By voting for the projects you want to see happen, you’ll help community groups secure funds to improve the area in which you live.

Community Choices is Falkirk Council’s participatory budgeting programme. Run in collaboration with Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership, the programme aims to encourage communities to develop and vote for projects that will benefit the area in which they live.

In total 64 projects have made it through to the final stage in the Community Choices programme – the public vote.

The projects, which have been submitted by community groups from across the Falkirk Council area, now need to secure as many votes as possible to ensure they receive the funds bid for.

And that’s where you come in!

If you live in the Falkirk Council area and are of high school age or above, you can vote for the projects you think will make the biggest difference to the area in which you live.

You have three votes to cast in favour of projects listed in Small Grants and three votes for those listed in the Place-based Capital Programme.

Although you can only vote for projects listed in the ward that you live, you can use one of your Capital votes in favour of a Falkirk-wide project.

Cecil Meiklejohn, Leader of Falkirk Council said: “This is the third time we’ve asked local people to get behind Community Choices and vote for projects they think will benefit the area in which they live. By voting, I hope as many people as possible will show their support for the amazing work community groups do.”

Voting closes on Friday, 24 February. Successful projects will be announced on Friday, 31 March.

Find out about the projects and vote

 

Frequently asked questions

What is Community Choices?
Community Choices is Falkirk Council’s participatory budgeting programme. Run in partnership with the Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership, the programme aims to encourage communities to develop and vote for projects that will benefit the area in which they live.
How is Community Choices funded?
In 2020, Councillors agreed to create a Community Choices fund that would make c£3m available to community groups to take forward project ideas voted for by local residents. Since Community Choices officially launched in 2021, 103 projects have secured a total of £1.9m of public funds – and communities are starting to see the benefits.
What grants are available?
There are two Community Choices grants. Small Grants for ideas of up to £5k and Place-based Capital grants for ideas that require more than £5k.
Who can vote?
If you live in the Falkirk Council area and are of high school age and above, you are eligible to vote.
How do I vote?
You can either vote online at www.falkirk.gov.uk/ccvote or fill in a paper ballot. Paper ballots can be picked up from – and returned to – the libraries listed online.
How does voting work?
Anyone that is eligible has three votes they can cast in support of Small Grant projects and another three votes for Place-based Capital. You do not need to use your full allocation of votes for each grant, nor do you need to vote for both grants.
Can I vote for ideas listed in a ward where I do not live?
No. Votes will only count if you use them to support projects listed in the ward that you live or in favour of those in the Falkirk-wide category (Capital only). A ward-checker is available www.falkirk.gov.uk/ccvote.