Which Caithness good causes should get a share of £32,000 cash?

People in Caithness are being given an opportunity to vote on how the police should distribute £32,000 to local groups.

Police Scotland has been working with Caithness Voluntary Group (CVG) on an approach called "participatory budgeting" – giving local people a voice in how to spend community cash.

The project, called Your Police, You Decide, has been funded by the Scottish Government and aims to improve local democracy, ensuring that communities are more engaged with decision-making to improve safety and wellbeing.

There are now 18 projects which have applied for a share of the cash, with residents in the county asked to have their say by voting for which projects or activities they want to help.

Divisional commander Chief Superintendent Conrad Trickett has welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with communities, strengthening the collective response to some of our most pressing challenges including poor mental health and drug and alcohol use.

He said: ”Understanding the concerns of communities in Caithness is at the heart of community policing. This participatory budget goes the next step and asks communities to both identify problems and design and find solutions, helping to ensure that everyone can live in vibrant and safer communities.

“I very much celebrate this innovative approach to working with communities in Caithness.”

Voting will be open until 10pm on Sunday, December 18, with projects receiving their funding before the end of the year.

The projects seeking funding are:

Wick Paths Group to help maintain paths – £2000; Home Start Caithness for a new pregnancy and baby group – £3000; Caithness Pubwatch scheme – £3000; Caithness Street Pastors - £2620; Thurso Community Cafe – £3000; Warm bank at St Peter's and St Andrew's Church, Thurso – £3000; Caithness at War – Home Front Project, by Sinclair's Bay Trust – £2750; Support and cookery skills at The Sharing Shed, Thurso (Thurso Community Development Trust) – £3000; Rainbows Starry Sleepover, 1st Thurso Rainbow Guides – £375; Thurso Youth Club SCIO – £2000; Caithness Gymnastics Club – £2200; Wellbeing Coaching Initiative at Dunbeath and District Centre – £2840; Transport to swimming lessons, Dunbeath Primary School Parent Council – £2500; First aid and food hygiene training courses, Caithness Voluntary Group – £2700; Rumster Forest shelter refurbishment – £1200; FYI (Fun, Young and Involved), Ormlie Community Association – £3000; Groatie Buckie Trail, John O'Groats Development Trust – £3000; Wellbeing sessions through art, Caithness KLICS – £3000.

For more details on the projects and to vote, visit: https://ideas.scotland.police.uk/your-police-you-decide-caithness-public-vote