Aird and Loch Ness have had their say
Local people had the chance to cast their votes on Saturday (10 March 2018) at the Aird and Loch Ness Your Cash, Your Choice participatory budgeting event held in the Craigmonie Centre, and as a result a wide range of community projects are now set to benefit.
Around 130 people took part in deciding which projects should be supported from the £15,000 funding pot made up of a portion of the Ward Discretionary Budget.
Participatory budgeting is a process of allocating funding by empowering local people to decide how funding should be spent. All applicants gave a 2 minute pitch to make their case for funding and then attendees were asked to vote for the 7 projects that they thought would make Aird and Loch Ness a better place. A total of 12 out of the 28 projects put forward by community groups have been successful and will now receive funding to help them put their ideas into action.
The successful bids were awarded as follows:
- Glen Urquhart High School S6 – “Say no to plastic bottles” project,
- Beauly in Bloom – Replacement of planters,
- Stratherrick and Foyers Community Council – Foyers public toilets ongoing running costs,
- Kiltarlity Hall Association – Kitchen refurbishment,
- Glen Urquhart Childcare Centre – “A shed load of mice” project,
- Glen Urquhart High School Rugby Team – Rugby posts,
- Great Glen Active Schools – free extracurricular activities,
- Beauly Primary School Garden Club – Upgrade and regeneration of the garden,
- Glen Urquhart Bowling Club – Improving accessibility to bowling,
- Balnain Primary School – Top to Tot Reading,
- Strathglass Community Council – Defibrillators for Strathglass, and
- Strathglass Shinty Club (2nd Team) – Second team development.