Data

General Issues
Economics
Specific Topics
Budget - Local
Location
Luton
United Kingdom
Scope of Influence
City/Town
Links
https://www.luton.gov.uk/Community_and_living/community-funding/YSYW/Pages/default.aspx
https://pbnetwork.org.uk/your-say-your-way-in-luton-funds-133000-of-community-initiatives/
Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkLsooLZTcE
Start Date
Ongoing
Yes
Facilitators
No
Face-to-Face, Online, or Both
Face-to-Face
Decision Methods
Voting
If Voting
Preferential Voting

CASE

"Your Say, Your Way": Participatory Budgeting in Luton, UK

December 28, 2018 Jaskiran Gakhal, Participedia Team
December 24, 2018 Jaskiran Gakhal, Participedia Team
September 6, 2017 Jez Hall
September 6, 2013 Jez Hall
General Issues
Economics
Specific Topics
Budget - Local
Location
Luton
United Kingdom
Scope of Influence
City/Town
Links
https://www.luton.gov.uk/Community_and_living/community-funding/YSYW/Pages/default.aspx
https://pbnetwork.org.uk/your-say-your-way-in-luton-funds-133000-of-community-initiatives/
Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkLsooLZTcE
Start Date
Ongoing
Yes
Facilitators
No
Face-to-Face, Online, or Both
Face-to-Face
Decision Methods
Voting
If Voting
Preferential Voting

In the town of Luton in Bedfordshire, England, a participatory budgeting initiative known as "Your Say, Your Way" was used to allow local residents to engage in community decision-making regarding how funds would be allocated to address the most pressing area-specific issues.

Note: the following entry is a stub. Please help us complete it.

Problems and Purpose

Residents of central Luton have a variety of opportunities to influence how their areas are improved in the future thanks to participatory budgeting (PB). ​PB funding can be applied for by community groups who use it to benefit the local area.

Background History and Context

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Organizing, Supporting, and Funding Entities 

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Participant Recruitment and Selection

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Methods and Tools Used

This initiative uses participatory budgeting, an increasingly common method of democratic innovation broadly described as "a decision-making process through which citizens deliberate and negotiate over the distribution of public resources." There are many benefits associated with participatory budgeting including increased civic and democratic education; increased government transparency; and an increased opportunity for participation by historically marginalized populations [1].  

Deliberation, Decisions, and Public Interaction

Once all applications are in, local community members come together at a ‘decision day’ and vote on the projects they think will meet local priorities and improve the area the most [1]. Projects with the most votes are then awarded funding.

Influence, Outcomes, and Effects

Recently in Barnfield, Bushmead Residents Association secured funding to run a youth activity day to encourage healthy living. With the funding provided through PB, the group, with the help of a number of young people, organised and held a free event for 72 young people in the area, offering a variety of activities and sports as well as information and guidance. Bushmead Junior Youth Club also benefitted, using funding to improve the programme of activities they offer to 7 -11 year olds, including for the first time some outdoor activities such as horse riding.

Analysis and Lessons Learned

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See Also

Participatory Budgeting  

"Voice Your Choice": Participatory Budgeting in Huntingdon, UK 

References

[1] PB Network. (2016). Your say, your way in Luton funds £133,000 of community initiatives. PB Network. Retrieved from https://pbnetwork.org.uk/your-say-your-way-in-luton-funds-133000-of-comm... 

External Links

http://www.luton.gov.uk/Community_and_living/YSYW/Pages/default.aspx [broken link]

Luton YSYW Community Funding - Official Website 

Luton community grants are given the go ahead - Luton Today

Your Say Your Way Luton Supporting Document

'Your Say Your Way' open for bids 2017 

Notes

Lead Image: Luton Participatory Budgeting/Twitter https://goo.gl/sEgBL3

Secondary Image: Luton Your Say Your Way https://goo.gl/Nvv1cK