Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council

Event celebrates the Tak£500+ project success within local communities!

The recent Tak£500+ Participatory Budgeting Project exceeded all expectations with an incredible £105,906 allocated to 108 fantastic local community projects – and an event to celebrate all of the wonderful projects took place at Seagoe Hotel, Portadown.

Over 200 people came along to hear how the Tak£500+ Project had benefited communities right across the borough and to hear more about Participatory Budgeting and how it enables local people to decide how public funds are used to address needs in their area.

Organised by the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Community Planning Partnership, an amazing 4286 people voted for the projects they wanted to see receive up to £1,000 funding, and the impact these projects left on each area was remarkable. All projects were centred around the Take 5 public health message.

If you would like more information on how you can get involved as a partner, please contact Michelle Markey on 0300 0300 900.

Also, watch this space for more details on the next Tak£500+ Project and how you can apply for funding for your community!

The public has spoken!

This year we received a huge 184 applications to the Tak£500+ Project.  Three incredible events were hosted across the borough where 152 projects were showcased by their groups, in the hope that members of the public would vote for them to receive funding to bring their ideas to life!

Over 4,200 residents attended these events and cast their votes for the projects they wanted to see receive up to £1000 – and 107 of these project ideas were successful in securing the funding!

With projects including sporting initiatives for all ages, community gardens and intergenerational initiatives to name just a few, we know the positive impact of these plans will be seen right across the borough.

All ideas were based around the ‘Take 5 Ways of Wellbeing’ – five simple steps to help maintain and improve your wellbeing on a daily basis. All of the projects that received funding will therefore be invested in programmes which will help to promote the mental health of residents in each area.

An amazing total of £105,753 of funding was distributed between the winning groups and we can’t wait to see all the projects come to fruition!

View list of successful groups here >>

 For those that applied and didn’t receive funding on this occasion, the journey is far from over. The Participatory Budget Working Group will continue to support these groups to deliver their project in another way – and if this is not possible, to signpost them towards other funding streams and to assess additional support requirements.

CONNECT

With the people around you, family, friends, colleagues and neighbours and spend time developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day.

BE ACTIVE

Go for a walk or run, cycle, play a game, garden or dance – even a short 10-minute walk can improve mental alertness and wellbeing.

TAKE NOTICE

Of the world around you, how you are feeling, what matters to you and reflect on your experiences.

KEEP LEARNING

Don’t be afraid to try something new, rediscover an old hobby or sign up for a course. Learning new things will make you more confident, as well as being fun.

GIVE

Do something nice for a friend or stranger, thank someone, smile, volunteer your time or consider joining a community group.

INFORMATION ON SPONSORS

Adult Sponsors

If you are under 18 years old, we ask you to nominate an Adult Sponsor – someone who can help you develop and deliver your idea and overcome any problems you may encounter. Your sponsor could be a family member, friend, teacher or youth worker.

If you agree to be an Adult Sponsor you are agreeing to support the young person’s application and give them any help and advice, they may need to make their idea a success.

We are here to help throughout the funding period should you or the young person you are sponsoring need any help, advice or support.

Group Sponsors

If your group is not constituted, we ask you to name a constituted group or organisation who will sponsor your project, as funds cannot be paid into a personal bank account.

If you agree to become a local sponsor you are agreeing to receive funds on their behalf and pass them to the successful group to enable them to deliver on their project.