£10,000 to be shared among local groups at Your Cash Your Caithness
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A TOTAL of £10,000 will be distributed among local community groups at the next Your Cash Your Caithness participatory budgeting event, taking place in Thurso next month.
The format will again see representatives from a range of voluntary organisations outlining their projects before those attending vote on which groups should receive a share of the available money.
Last year, Highland Council took receipt of £9497 from the old Caithness Partnership on condition that these funds were set aside and used in a Your Cash Your Caithness event.
The council has topped this amount up to £10,000 to let local people again decide which projects are most needed in their area.
To apply for up to £1000, groups must submit an application form before 5pm on Sunday, February 2. If your idea fits, the community will get to vote for the best ideas at the event to be held on Saturday, February 29, at Thurso High School.
At the event, a representative of each participating group will be required to give a short talk about their project. Those in attendance will then vote on all the applications and a decision will be made on the day.
The chairman of the Caithness Committee, Councillor Matthew Reiss, said: “We are once again handing decision-making back to the local community and it is the first stage in returning community empowerment to the most local level.
"I would encourage as many individuals or groups as possible across Caithness to take part in this initiative to get the funding they are looking for. This will be the sixth Your Cash Your Caithness event held in the county, with the first being held in November 2015, and I have no doubt that this one will be every bit successful as the previous five.”
Application forms can be accessed online from the Highland Council website or by contacting Yvonne Hendry or Allan Tait at Caithness Voluntary Group (Yvonne@CVG.org.uk or Allan@CVG.org.uk, telephone 01955 609960). They will also be able to provide information and assistance with the application process or give some guidance on public presenting if required.
