A TOTAL OF 22 Moray community groups have gained a share of a £40,000 pot through the latest participatory funding exercise operated by tsiMoray.
A result of a successful application to the Community Choices Fund, there were 45 applications for small grants of up to £2000 – resulting in 22 coming through the process having shown qualifying support work in the areas of Older People, Mental Health or Drugs & Alchol.
The fund welcomed applications that focus on health and wellbeing through social connections, providing activities, prevention, early intervention, harm reduction or recovery.
Adopting a participatory budgeting approach to the allocation of funds, projects were voted on at a number of events held in Craigellachie, Elgin, Forres and Keith, with just under 500 people attending and voting on projects they feel were most appropriate to have funding awarded.
A spokesperson from tsiMORAY’s Health and Wellbeing Team said: “YouChoose has been a fantastic initiative that has supported a number of groups in obtaining funds to ensure the work they do across Moray can be supported to continue.
“What’s more the engagement from members of the public has been fantastic, with 475 people choosing to attend and vote. Hopefully this will be the start of something further developing in relation to participatory budgeting across Moray.”
Successful grant applicants were:
Arrows Music Group – £1980
Cathay Care Home – £2000
Dufftown BALL Group – £1000
Earth for Life – £1986
Elgin Stroke friends – £990
Elgin Youth Café – £2000
Findhorn Bay Arts – £2000
Forres OAP Association – £2000
Grant Hall Rothes – £2000
Keith & District Heritage Group – £535
Keith & District Men’s Shed – £2000
Keith Community Radio – £2000
Listen Well – £2000
Make Autism Visible – £2000
Moray Wellbeing and Recovery College – £2000
Nurturing and Networking for Peer Support Groups in Moray – £2000
Out of the Darkness Theatre Company – £2000
Outfit Moray – £1984
Peace Loving Moray; Wellness Recovery Action Planning for Families – £2000
Sacro – £2000
Speyside Community Car Share Scheme – £2000
The Loft Youth Project – £1500