'Participatory Budgeting (PB) is about local people having a direct say in how public money is spent' - PB Scotland 2020

It also supports active citizenship in North Lanarkshire, helping build more active and stronger communities that are:

• better able to take decisions on where public funds are spent
• more likely to take part in community activities
• better informed about public budgets and decision-making processes

We deliver PB that helps community boards and local people to be more effective in achieving change.

PB is done with, and not to, communities and can be delivered in the following ways:

Theme-based

PB that addresses specific matters such as mental health, carers or young people’s issues. For example, North Lanarkshire Carers Together initiative in 2019 in support of carers’ support in the Motherwell area.

Place-based

PB delivery in specific areas of North Lanarkshire, such as our Phase 1 initiative in the Motherwell, Wishaw and Shotts localities in 2019.

Mainstream investment

Scottish Government/COSLA’s 1% commitment that ensures all 32 local authorities commit at least 1% of annual budgets to PB.

More information on participatory budgeting can be found on the PB Scotland website.