PUBLIC Get To Vote On Cash For Projects Ranging From Crazy Golf To A Wildlife GardenLOCAL people are being given the chance to vote on which community groups should benefit from a £350,000 Inverclyde Council fund.
Some £50,000 is available in each of Inverclyde’s seven council wards with various projects being proposed by local groups.
The Participatory Budget ballot is open to all Inverclyde residents over 16 years old.
Manned voting stands and stand-alone voting boxes will be available in each council ward.
(Scroll down for details of projects and where to vote)
Councillor Jim Clocherty, convener of Inverclyde Council’s education and communities committee, said, “The idea behind Participatory Budgeting is simple. Local community groups generate ideas for projects. People vote for the projects that best match their priorities. The projects with the most votes get a share of the cash.
“It’s a very simple way of putting direct control of council cash into the hands of local communities to deliver projects that meet local needs.”
A project must get at least 10 per cent of the votes cast to be eligible for funding. The groups that get the highest number of votes will get a share of the £50,000 available in their ward. V
oting forms will be available at each of the polling stations and ballot boxes. There will also be information available about all of the projects and how much money each is seeking. Voters rank their preferences 1st, 2nd and 3rd. All voters will need to give their name and address and sign a declaration that they live in the council ward where they’re voting.
Projects and Voting Arrangements
Ward One
Port Glasgow Community Association seeking £13,000 for CCTV to combat vandalism, anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and crime.
Greenock Morton Community Trust seeking £13,000 for free football camps for children living in Greenock East in partnership with River Clyde Homes.
Kilmacolm Art Class seeking £1,500 for hire of premises.
Kilmacolm Playgroup and Toddlers seeking £4,260 to pay for running costs, promotional campaign to increase users and to reinstate local breastfeeding group.
St Mary’s Episcopal Church seeking £1,400 for transport for users of weekly group for older people living with or affected by dementia.
Voting/manned stands:
Port Glasgow Town Hall, Thursday 7 March 2019, 6pm to 8pm
Voting box only: Kilmacolm Community Centre, Tuesday 5 March 2019, 4.30pm to 6.30pm
Ward Two
Gibshill Community Centre seeking £16,000 to improve landscaping and provide signage, plus setting up a teen music cafe and youth skills project.
Parklea Bowling Club seeking £2,100 for running costs.
Port Glasgow Bowling Club seeking £12,300 for new benches and clubhouse furniture and flooring.
Port Glasgow West Community Council seeking £13,000 for CCTV to combat vandalism, anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and crime.
Voting/manned stands:
Port Glasgow Town Hall, Thursday 7 March, 6pm to 8pm
Voting box only: Port Glasgow I Zone (Dubbs Place), Wednesday 6 March, 2pm to 4pm
Ward Three
Auchmountain Glen Project seeking £10,000 for design of entrance feature for Auchmountain Glen.
Auchmountain Resource Centre seeking £7,150 for a lunch club for elderly people and carers.
Belville Community Garden Trust seeking £12,600 to set up a TCV (The Conservation Volunteers) green gym which would involve volunteers led by a qualified leader undertaking environmental and maintenance projects.
Craigend Resource Centre seeking £25,200 for a community mini bus.
Inverclyde Music Festival Association seeking £2,000 for a music download project. Kings’ Oak Parent Circle seeking £2,000 for a school and community folk festival.
Voting/manned stands:
Notre Dame High School, Wednesday 6 March, 6pm to 8pm
Voting box only: Crawfurdsburn Community Centre, Monday 4 March, 4.30pm to 6.30pm
Ward Four
49F Greenock Squadron ATC seeking £10,800 to buy a flight simulator and computer equipment so air cadets can access online national training programmes.
Caddlehill Allotment and Gardens seeking £7,000 towards the creation of a wildlife garden, in partnership with the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, to be used by people suffering with early stages of Alzheimers.
Fort Matilda Bowling Club seeking £25,000 towards upgrade of clubhouse.
Greenock Central Residents’ Action Group seeking £26,000 to develop an area opposite a playpark to encourage more people to enjoy the benefits of being outdoors.
Clydeside Athletic FC seeking £2,380 towards the start-up of a football club for 2007 age group.
Mind Mosaic Counselling and Therapy seeking £12,600 to support Inverclyde becoming “trauma informed” with workshops in community venues and a short film highlighting the effects of trauma in the community.
RIG Arts seeking £5,300 for creative workshops to benefit people facing challenges because of poor mental health.
Voting/manned stands:
Notre Dame High School, Wednesday 6 March, 6pm to 8pm
Voting box only: Customer Contact Centre, Clyde Square, Tuesday 5 March 2019, noon to 2pm
Ward Five
Gourock Creative seeking £23,500 to establish a creativity hub including facilitating online streaming and radio together with quality audio and video projects
Gourock Golf Club seeking £19,900 towards installing a lift to allow disabled access disabled access to the upper floor of the clubhouse.
Gourock Heritage and Arts seeking £16,800 for Theatre Without Walls collaborative project between Gourock Heritage, Gourock Regeneration Forum and Gourock Schools and Churches Together Group making use of Gourock Park, George Wyllie Garden and Ashton Promenade, celebrate heritage through workshops, drama/plays, script-writing and story-telling.
Gourock Park Bowling Club seeking £15,200 to purchase of nine-hole crazy golf course for the benefit of local residents and tourists, to be located in the bowling club grounds.
Inverclyde Cricket Club seeking £1,740 to set up a development squad, allowing juniors to progress to adult teams and to allow less able and older players to participate in competitive cricket.
Voting/manned stands:
Gourock I Zone (King Street), Saturday 2 March, 11am to 1pm
Voting box only: Gourock I Zone (King Street), Friday 1 March, 4.30pm to 6.30pm
Ward Six
33rd Greenock and District Scout Group seeking £9,000 to buy a secondhand minibus, hike tents, mess tent and rucksacks allowing more to participate in camping experience.
Branchton Community Centre seeking £10,000 to convert under-utilised space to house community fridge and freezer, laundry and bookshelf.
Children in Poverty seeking £9,375 towards holiday project which provides much-needed summer break for low income 20 families and also a Christmas pantomime trip.
Inverkip Community Initiative seeking £12,000 for Kip Community Sound Project to enhance the overall sound, acoustics and appearance of the main hall at the hub.
Wemyss Bay Community Association seeking £10,000 towards upgrading community centre kitchen.
Voting/manned stands:
Inverclyde Academy, Sunday 3 March, 11am to 1pm
Voting box only: Inverkip Hub, Friday 1 March, 2pm to 4pm
Ward Seven
Alzheimer Scotland — Action on Dementia seeking £2,000 to start a singing and music group targeted at people with dementia, their carers, families and friends.
Inverclyde Gaelic Learners’ Group seeking £25,000 to research and make a film about the history of Gaels who came to Greenock or emigrated
Voting/manned stands:
Inverclyde Academy, Sunday 3 March, 11am to 1pm
Voting box only: Inverkip Hub, Thursday 28 February, 4pm to 6pm.
