Results for Your Cash Your Caithness
Local people cast their votes on Saturday 26th January 2019 at a Highland Council participatory budgeting event held at the Pulteneytown Peoples Project, Pulteneytown Centre in Wick.
Twelve out of the 22 projects bidding for £10,000.00 community funding were successfully voted for by just over 100 people who registered to vote on the day.
Applicants were allocated a 3 minute slot to sell their project with a further 2 minutes allocated to allow any questions from the audience. The event was compered by the Caithness Civic Leader and Wick and East Caithness Councillor Willie Mackay.
Councillor Mackay said: “I am really pleased and delighted to see so many people turn out to take part in the fifth ‘Your Cash, Your Caithness’ participatory budgeting event. We had 22 groups giving presentations to a community audience, who then voted for them on their merits. The event handed out just over £10,000.00 to local community projects.
“I firmly believe handing decision making to the community it is a great way to support community empowerment and helps build community cohesion. This event is an opportunity for Caithness groups to meet new people and find out what is happening locally.”
He added: “I was heartened by the diverse spread of applications received for this event and I was not disappointed by the standard of the presentations delivered by all the Groups on the day.
“This process is all about handing decision-making back to the community and its part of our localism agenda, which has seen devolving of further powers from the Highland Council to Caithness.
“Congratulations to the winning groups; I look forward to seeing how you use the money and my sincere thanks to all who made the day such a success.”
Donna Manson, Highland Council’s Chief Executive attending her first participatory budgeting event in Highland said: “I was impressed by the level of community activity and volunteering in Caithness. It is clear that hard working local people are delivering projects that are seen in Caithness as valuable. I, along with the local elected Members, have given a commitment to help identify how we can lever in funding from elsewhere to help and support local community initiatives.”
The successful bids voted for by the audience are as follows:
Caithness Disabled Access Panel – Toilet Award Scheme - £950
Apex Gymnastic Club – Purchase of gymnastic equipment - £1,000
Hearing and Sight care – Lip reading classes - £1,000
Caithness Broch Project – Development brief - £1,000
Caithness Defibrillator Campaign Group – Purchase of PADs - £1,000
John O’Groats Mill Trust – Redevelopment of the Mill - £1,000
Noss Parent Council – Wheelchair access path at Noss forest - £1,000
Seafarers Memorial Group – Memorial - £1,000
1st Wick Scout Group – Garden renovation - £540
The Wick Society – Heritage boxes for schools - £1,000
Wick Christmas Lights Group – Santaland - £1,000
Science03 – Annual science festival - £1,000