Transcript

ANGELA MCCANN

When done well, PB can be really meaningful, celebrating the good work that is happening in communities, and really an opportunity for groups and services to attract community support. PB brings people together to start conversations leading to relationships that make our communities stronger, building skills and confidence to go on and become more engaged. But the more PB is co-produced with communities, the more effective it becomes.

For us as a PCSP and council, we have made real connections with communities and individuals, and we have fostered a connectedness across communities, perhaps even traditionally those who may not have come together and had it not have been for the Grand Choice Initiative.

OK, so from a personal perspective, participatory budgeting needs to be further developed with a real commitment to expanding it in Northern Ireland. And this means government agencies allocating part of their budget to it. For communities, it has the potential to be transformational in terms of community empowerment. And by this, I mean that PB has the ability to transform the relationships that exist between local communities and the public bodies who serve them. It can ensure that the diverse needs of communities are understood, and that local voices are heard in local decision making, which, at its least, could radically reduce inequalities.

The process isn't easy, however, so don't come under an illusion that actually, that this is a simple process, because it's not. And there's not a lot of ground work that needs to be put in place to make the PB correct. And there are also many obstacles that you will come across that have to be overcome. But if you bring the community with you, and agree, and give them a voice, you will succeed in effectively implementing PB for the well-being of our local people.