Please come along to the Leith Community Centre 6:30 pm, Wednesday 6th March, to learn the results of last week’s voting event, and which projects will receive funding this year.
Category Archives: City of Edinburgh Council
£eith Chooses 2019 is a Record Breaker!
What a day! And Well done, Leith! A record-breaking 1,267 people (not including volunteers and some project applicants, so probably c100 more) came along on Saturday, showing a commitment in our wonderful community, and supporting all the brilliant community groups putting forward their project ideas for making Leith even better!
The sun shone, and the people came! We served delicious food from local suppliers, and many people stayed around to network and chat, after voting. It’s everything you’d hope for and expect in lovely Leith. We know that the project groups are all winners in their own ways, in who they are and what they do. The only sadness is that there is not enough money to fund all of them.
The ‘themes’ for this year’s £eith Chooses were tight, so that the only projects eligible for funding were ones that met the criteria of addressing inequalities and aiming to benefit disadvantaged people. Local community groups rose to the challenge and all put forward imaginative, creative ideas! There was also a requirement to actively include members of ethnic minority communities in project designs, and groups did this too!
This year we introduced the new idea of a ‘Boost Vote’ for a few projects that go ‘over and above’ in involving and benefiting minority ethnic communities, as some of these groups have been ‘left behind’ in previous years, due to ‘minority’ status and the fact that Participatory Budgeting is essentially a ‘first past the post’ model. We’ll have to wait for the count, to see the results of this innovation…. But it was heartwarming to see how generously the people of Leith accepted/welcomed this experiment, to make sure our community is ‘fair’ to all.
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Projects Revealed!
Wow! There are 30 applicants to £eith Chooses – 8 for the ‘Food’ theme, and 22 for the ‘Supporting Vulnerable People’ theme. Lots of really great project ideas! View them all here in the ‘£eith Chooses Gallery’.
Checking out the projects online gives you a bit of background to each project, and a chance to reflect, before you come to the Community Centre on 23rd February, to vote. Please take a look and think about questions you might like to discuss with project groups, when you come, and which you might vote for.
The Gallery is just for ‘viewing’. There is no online voting this year.
When you come to vote on 23rd February, you will get up to 3 votes in each room (Food, and Vulnerable People). 2 votes for your 2 favourite projects, and 1 Boost Vote (optional) for your favourite from certain projects which go ‘above and beyond’ in involving members of ethnic minority communities. More voting information.
The following 8 (out of 30) project groups qualify for Boost Votes, according to the criteria laid down by the £eith Chooses Steering Group:
- Broughton Primary School Parent Council, Saheliya & partners
- Building Bridges
- Creative Electric
- Dr. Bells Family Centre
- Hermitage Park Primary School Association
- Multi Cultural Family Base
- Sikh Sanjog
- YMCA
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Please Come and Vote!
Before the 23rd February –
- If you would like to come and vote, but cannot get to the Community Centre under your own steam, please let us know asap and we’ll try and arrange help for you to attend.
- If you are bringing younger children, you may wish to book them in to the free creche (for both applicants and voters). Please get in touch to book them in, in advance (places limited – first come, first served).
Email Caroline.Lamond@edinburgh.gov.uk for either / both of the above
On the Day –
We suggest that you come early, if you can – doors open at 12 – don’t leave it to the last minute, because –
- it may get busy at Registration, and at the ballot boxes
- you will want plenty time to chat to project groups on their ‘stalls’
- there will be lovely free food on offer, but it may start to run out….
- your kids may want to get glitter tattoos or face-painting done
- under 8s may need help with the new ‘Kids Vote’ (for the ‘Best Stall’)…
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Voting in 2019, and Booster Vote
This short video explains a bit more about how voting will work at this year’s £eith Chooses, and about the new ‘booster vote’.
In the past, small and new, or not widely known groups have very often missed out, at £eith Decides / £eith Chooses. In particular, sadly, this has affected groups whose projects mainly involve ethnic minorities. The key is in the word ‘minority’ – such groups just don’t manage to get the vote numbers. It’s not just a problem in Leith, it’s a weakness of Participatory Budgeting in general. This year, any group that has made special efforts to engage with minority ethnic communities (including language minorities) – as applicants, partners, project workers, participants, beneficiaries etc.could qualify for a ‘booster vote’.
Contact the £eith Chooses team, to find out if / how your project might qualify.
Email – Caroline.Lamond@edinburgh.gov.uk
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2 weeks to go! Get your application in!
Come along to a drop-in support session to check your application is on the right track, and to see if you could qualify for ‘boost vote’ status.Talk it through –
- Tuesday 8th January, McDonald Road Library 1:30 – 5:30 pm (Business Hub downstairs)
- Thursday 10th January. Leith Library Ferry road, 3-5 pm
- Tuesday 15th January, McDonald Road Library 3 – 8 pm (Business Hub downstairs)
If you can’t make any of these, but want to discuss an application idea, email
Caroline.Lamond@edinburgh.gov.uk
The themes for this year’s £eith Chooses reflect the fact that many people in Leith are really struggling, these days. Proposed projects should show that they will benefit people in Leith who are in need, and they must fit one of the themes –
A ‘boost’ for some projects
If a project application shows that special efforts are being made to inform / involve / benefit minority ethnic communities, it could qualify for a ‘booster vote’. Come along to a support session or get in touch for more details about how to qualify for this.
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Partners!
Why not partner up with another (or more than one) organisation, for your £eith Chooses project bid? This is a great way to work cooperatively, rather than in competition with each other, for funds. A small group without a constitution can be ‘sheltered’ by a bigger group taking responsibility for governance. Groups doing similar things, but maybe with different ‘end users’, can share ideas and resources. And of course, partnering is a good way to widen your voter base!
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£eith Chooses – Apply Now!
There is £44,000 of City of Edinburgh Community Grants Fund money available for community projects. Groups can apply for one project, up to a maximum of £5,000 (bids for lesser sums are also warmly welcomed). NOW is the time to apply!
Project bids should be for community projects that will be delivered in Leith and benefit the community in Leith, and that tie in with one or other of this year’s key themes.
Key dates
Support Sessions
Tuesday 8th January 2019 – Support Session at McDonald Road Library (drop in any time between 1pm – 5:30pm)
Thursday 10th January 2019 – Support Session at Leith Library (drop in any time between 3pm – 5pm)
Tuesday 15th January 2019 – Support Session at McDonald Road Library (drop in any time between 3pm – 80pm)
If you want to talk through your ideas and possible application, please come along to this session and meet members of the £eith Chooses Steering Group, who will advise you.
If you can’t make the any of those dates, please get in touch asap, and we will make another arrangement to meet with you.
21 January 2019 – Applications close
23 February 2019 – Voting Day, Leith Community Education Centre, Kirkgate
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£eith Chooses rides again, 2018/2019
Evaluations from 2017/2018 have been ongoing since April, as has forward planning. And at last we have news!
£eith Chooses will take place once more. There is £44,000 of City of Edinburgh Community Grants Fund money available for community projects. Groups can apply for one project, up to a maximum of £5,000 (bids for less also warmly welcomed).
20th November 2018 – £eith Chooses 2018/2019 launches and application open . Please do come along and hear about the plans for this year: 6pm, Tuesday 20th Nov., Leith Community Centre, New Kirkgate.
21 January 2019 – Applications close
23 February 2019 – Voting Day, Leith Community Centre, New Kirkgate.
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Art on the Police Box
Another great £eith Chooses project takes shape. You voted for ‘Art on the Police Box’ and here it is!
Police Box owner Monty Roy writes: Our first artworks have been installed on Leith walk policebox with the help of Edinburgh Tool Library (ETL) who made the weatherproof panels and fixings. (Don’t panic, the wonderful Stewart Bremner art deco illustrations are still safely preserved underneath.) We are hoping to have an official launch in October.
Aptly, since 2018 is designated the Year of Young People, young artists is residence at ETL have been involved. Below are photos of the current artworks.
New artworks are being worked on by Stafford Centre Mental Health project and by students at Leith Academy for installation late 2018 early 2019.
Police Box No. 1 is by Page Hardie, who uses salvaged household paint to create abstract patterns that are free flowing and unique.
Urban Constellation is by Vivienne Kelly. Vivienne is inspired by urban animals and the patterns and invisible ‘pathways’ they (like us) carve through our neighbourhoods. She wants us to see the magic in the mundane. (Hard to show on this photo- you’ll have to get up close to investigate, like Monty and Leith Walk Councillor Susan Rae, shown here.)
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