Communities decide how public money is spent. Participatory Budgeting puts power where it matters most.
Participatory budgeting
Too often, decisions about public money - whose priorities it serves, what gets funded, and how it is delivered – are made far away from the very communities that money is intended to benefit. This top-down approach not only disempowers communities from shaping their futures but also risks wasting resources on initiatives that fail to reflect local needs or aspirations.
Now is the time to imagine a radically different approach: One where communities have a real, democratic voice in shaping priorities and directing resources where they will have the greatest impact.
That’s the power of Participatory Budgeting! First pioneered in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process that gives communities direct control over how public money is spent. Instead of decisions being made solely by officials or behind closed doors, Participatory Budgeting empowers residents to propose ideas, deliberate, and vote on which projects should receive funding. These community-led decisions then guide resource allocation, ensuring that funding supports what matters most to communities.
But Participatory Budgeting is more than a single method. It is part of a global movement pivoting towards community-led approaches and the use of participatory methods in public policy, strategy and service design. As this movement continues to grow, Greater Manchester (GM) is leading the way through GM Live Well, by radically shifting how public services and VCFSE organisations work differently with communities to reduce social, economic and health inequalities.
So, join us for the upcoming Live Well Live webinar, where you’ll hear directly from practitioners and inspiring examples of Participatory Budgeting in action across GM, from youth-led grant-making to neighbourhood-wide community voting.
During the webinar, you’ll also be the first to hear about the upcoming GM Participation Playbook! We’ll outline its ambitions, give you a glimpse of what’s inside, and share what’s next as we build toward the launch event.
Speakers Include:
- Jez Hall, Shared Future
- Megan Powell, Young Manchester – Choose for Cheetham
- Stewart Knights, CommUNITY Little Hulton – Little Hulton Community Voting
- Katy Rubin, Legislative Theatre and Participatory Democracy Practitioner