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Co-creating a PB Charter

Participatory Budgeting (PB) practice is continuing to develop and grow across the region, empowering local communities and supporting them to shape and have a genuine say in investment decisions in their areas.  As our experience in PB grows it is important to consider and share what ‘good’ PB looks like. Over the last two years PB Works has been advocating for PB processes which put people in the lead.

To ensure a focus on quality PB processes we have been learning from experience here and further afield and exploring what good PB looks like through a number of online PB Workshops.  This has helped us to think about what is different about PB and to consider some of the key aspects which we might want to see reflected in a PB Charter.

You are invited to join us for an in-room event to:

  • help shape a PB Charter to support quality PB;
  • consider what is unique about PB and how we hold on to and nurture that through a Charter;
  • reflect together and share PB experiences and learning;
  • join the PB Works Network.

The workshop – to be held on Tuesday, 14 June 2022 in Girdwood Community Hub, Belfast - will be an opportunity to reflect together on how far we have come on our PB journey.  There will be space to discuss, explore and shape the content of a PB Charter and to consider what a quality PB process looks and feels like.  A visual artist will capture and animate the conversations.  The workshop will begin at 10.00 am (with registration from 9.30 am) and will end at 1.00 pm with lunch.  Please register here to attend:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/co-creating-a-pb-charter-tickets-352487047247

For more information on PB Works and Putting People in the Lead through Quality PB contact Louise O'Kane (louise@communityplaces.info).

7 June 2022

Planning Your Place - Getting Involved

The Planning Engagement Partnership, established by Minister Mallon in October 2020, brought together a diverse range of interests from across the public, community, environmental, private and academic sectors to examine how community engagement in planning and place shaping processes could be improved.  The Partnership undertook desktop research to identify good practice; and held stakeholder and community workshops to explore how communities could be more meaningfully engaged with planning.  It explored and reflected on the learning from these activities and prepared a detailed report and series of recommendations to enhance and deepen the quality of community engagement in planning processes.  The Final Report of the Planning Engagement Partnership was published by Minister Mallon in March 2022 and is available to download here.

Community Places looks forward to working with the Department and Planning Engagement Partnership members to implement and take forward the report recommendations to ensure that communities have earlier and more meaningful access and engagement with planning processes to better shape local communities and place.

 

5 May 2022

Building Youth Voice

We are pleased to announce that the Youth PB Accelerator Project has launched the Youth PB Toolkit and DIY Manual.  The tools, resources, inspirations and materials offer detailed guidance and support for those who are new to PB and to those who want to deepen their knowledge and practice. The resources are the product of a two-year Erasmus+ research collaboration between five partners from across three countries.  The project is co-ordinated by the Polish Foundation Soclab, with collaborators from Field of Dialogue in Poland, the University of Granada’s Medialab in Spain, as well as Shared Future CIC in the UK and Community Places in Northern Ireland.

Visit the Youth PB Accelerator website to find out more about the project including blogs on youth participation, podcasts from PB practitioners and participants and case studies illustrating youth PB practice in school and community settings.  We would love to hear your feedback on the Toolkit and DIY Manual via our Facebook Page @YouthPbAccelerator.  The resources can also be found on the PB Works Website.

31 March 2022

Community Places is Recruiting

Community Places is currently recruiting a Planner and Engagement Officer.  This is an exciting opportunity to join our planning team.  Work will include providing planning advice to communities and individuals on a varied and interesting caseload and supporting our community engagement work throughout the region.  The post is permanent and full-time with a competitive salary and flexible terms. 

The Application Form and information for applicants is available to download here.  The closing date for receipt of completed applications is Friday, 8 April 2022. 

 

14 March 2022

Youth Participatory Budgeting (PB) Accelerator Toolkit and DIY Manual Zoom Workshop

 

The toolkit provides detailed guidance to support the design and delivery of youth led PB. The free online resource includes everything from the values that underpin youth participation, enabling conditions for youth PB to thrive, the typical stages of a school or community PB process and good practice case studies from across Europe and America. It is accompanied by a DIY Manual with helpful resources and tools to support Youth PB. 

This online interactive workshop will be in English. There will be three other launch events happening in each of the project partner countries including Poland; Spain; and UK - (England, Scotland and Wales on 17 March 2022) The Erasmus+ research partnership brings together five partners from across three countries. The project is co-ordinated by the Polish Foundation Soclab, with collaborators from Field of Dialogue in Poland, the University of Granada’s Medialab in Spain, as well as Shared Future CIC in the UK and Community Places in Northern Ireland.   Visit the Youth PB Accelerator website to find out more about the project including blogs on youth participation, podcasts from PB practitioners and participants and case studies illustrating youth PB practice in school and community settings.

 
After registering you will receive a Zoom link and programme. During and after the event a link will be available to download the free toolkit and DIY manual.
 
To find out more about the PB Works Project visit: www.participatorybudgetingworks.org or contact Louise O'Kane louise@communityplaces.info   
 
28 February 2022

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