The project demonstrates Angus Council’s commitment to participatory budgeting and is part of the core youth work funding through the Vibrant Communities Team. It helps to ensure that young people are directly involved in the decision-making process around youth work activity in Angus.

Participatory budgeting is a different way of managing public money. It enables people, in this case, young people, to make the call on how public budgets are spent. Those involved can play a part in the decisions that directly affect their lives and those of other young people in their communities.

Applications for this year’s fund were invited from organisations delivering youth work programmes with and for young people aged 11-18 years in the county. Local young people were involved in a training-process and then on an Angus-wide youth panel to assess those applications against youth work priorities and criteria.

As well as delivering on youth work outcomes, this year the fund aims to support young people most affected and disadvantaged by Covid-19, improve health and wellbeing outcomes for young people and reduce the poverty-related attainment gap.

The fund was significantly oversubscribed, with 28 applications received containing bids totalling more than £190,000. Following the decision-making process, 12 successful applicants have received their grant awards.

They are:

• Skillz Academy, Arbroath – Free Evening Programme - £8070
• Hospitalfield Trust, Arbroath – Young Artists Club - £10,000
• Montrose Rugby Club – Rugby Achievement Programme - £5955
• Street Games, Brechin – re-opening of new premises post-COVID - £10,000
• DD8 Music, Kirriemuir – DJ Project - £7074
• Vibrant Communities – Angus-wide Outdoor Education Summer Programme - £6680
• AWARE, Angus Women’s Aid – Limitless Project - £8577.16
• Dundee and Angus College – Outdoor Learning - £10,000
• Strathmore Community Rugby Trust, Forfar – Rugby Connect - £8641
• The Empowerment Academy – Speak Up Project - £10,000
• Inverarity Primary School (on behalf of four rural primary schools) – Rural Schools Nurture Programme (P7 transition to S1) - £2670
• Webster’s HS, Kirriemuir – Seasons for Growth - £3003

All unsuccessful projects have been offered support with future funding applications.