The Broomhouse Centre and WHALE Arts are involved in a new online vote launched by Edinburgh Council, asking young people to decide how £60,000 should be spent on youth work projects.
A total of 16 projects now face a public vote in Choose Youth Work – the latest participatory budgeting project in the Capital.
Broomhouse Centre who have partnered with WHALE Arts plan to establish new open access youth work weekend provision in Broomhouse enabling at least 20 local young people aged 11 – 16 yrs to learn new skills such as street art, cooking and having new opportunities to access youth work.
Voters can cast their vote online or at the inaugural Big Vote Party – which will take place in the Festival Theatre on Friday 24 March (1.30pm – 4pm).
The Communities and Families Youth Work Grant Programme allowed groups to apply for grants of up to £10,000 each, to be spent on open-access, universal youth work that will benefit young people aged from 11 up to 21 in Edinburgh. The youth work can be locally-based or city-wide.
This is the first year of a three year programme, with £60k to allocate this year, rising to over £100k in year 2, and over £500k in year 3.
Submitted applications were assessed by a team of young people and Council officers, and those that met the required criteria are now being voted on by young people. The combination of these two processes will determine who is awarded funding.
Councillor Maureen Child, Convener of the Communities and Neighbourhoods Committee, said:
By adopting a Participatory Budgeting approach young people can have a direct say in how £60k of funding can be used to benefit them and their communities. This fun event marks the last chance for the projects to show what they are about and for voters to make their choices. I would encourage all those who are eligible to vote to make sure they do. It is now up to you to decide which of these projects you would like to see delivered.
Voting
Young people aged 11-21 years who live in Edinburgh can vote for 3 favourite projects. They must use all 3 votes or their votes will be deemed invalid. They can only give each project one vote.
Voting opened on Friday 10 March 2017 and will close at 5pm on Monday 27 March 2017.During this time, voting will be available online at here and in selected community and education centres in Edinburgh.
