Public voting is now open for this year’s Community Choices, with 57 projects from community and third sector groups across Falkirk District.

Community Choices is Falkirk Council’s participatory budgeting programme. Through a public vote, participatory budgeting offers a democratic way for local residents to have a direct say in how public money can be used to address their priorities and invest in local, community-led projects.

Projects which are successful in the public vote will be awarded funds of up to £5,000 under the Community Choices Small Grants programme, helping make these projects a reality.

To secure funding, each project must attain at least 10% of the total eligible votes cast in that ward.

Who Can Vote

Voting is open to anyone aged 16 years old and over, living in the Falkirk Council area. Residents are asked to select the top 3 projects they would like to see funded within the electoral ward they live. They cannot vote for projects in wards they do not live in. Residents have a total of 3 votes each, and are under no obligation to use all of their votes; people can vote just once, just twice or all 3 times.

How to Vote

There are 2 ways that people can vote for their favourite projects in their electoral ward:

Online via the Participate+ form (linked for your convenience); please note that a Participate + registration is required, and residents must enter their postcodes when voting.
In-person by completing paper Ballot Papers and depositing these in Ballot Boxes located in local libraries (marked with a Community Choices “Vote Open” poster); these are aimed at those without online access, and do not require registration.

The deadline for public votes is 11:59pm on Friday 28 February; successful projects will be announced on Falkirk Council’s website on Friday 28 March.

Local Projects

Projects include gentle exercise classes for people living with cancer, their friends and families, community garden spaces and cafés, free sensory play for single parent families, and updating facilities in community buildings, along with befriending projects, community murals, singalong performances, local gala days and cancer patient transport services.

To check your local electoral ward, visit Falkirk Council’s postcode checker.