Strath residents make the choice
Votes cast to choose community services
Almost 2250 votes were cast by the people of Strathearn to choose which new community services they would like to see become a reality.
In October Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership launched the ‘ Your Community, Your Budget, Your Choice’ scheme.
Money was made available and people were asked to come up with ideas for new community support services for adults with health and social care needs, and bid for funding.
Seventeen applications were made for funding from Crieff, and an event was held at Strathearn Community Campus where members of the public could vote for their favourites.
The people or organisations behind each bid set up a stall where they explained the idea behind their proposed new community service for adults.
The services that will receive funding over two years based on the votes are as follows:
• Lunch n’ Learn/ Supper n’ Study, which offers informal learning opportunities for unpaid carers in the local area, improving their knowledge and skills in important, relevant areas whilst reducing isolation and stress;
• Home-Start Volunteer Prep Course, which provides a course that will give volunteers the skills to help support struggling young families in the local area;
• Keep Safe Scheme, to provide a place of support and assistance for any disabled people needing help when in the area;
• Community Café Social Activities, which aims to increase resources to the Duchlage Community Café, helping to improve access for people with health and social care needs and reduce social isolation;
• Adapted Bikes For The Disabled, providing specially adapted bikes for people in the Crieff area unable to use standard bikes, allowing members of the community with physical/ learning disabilities or visual impairments to experience the freedom and enjoyment that cycling can bring;
• Aging Well Community Conference, engaging the local community by organising a conference that will develop new alternative solutions/ support mechanisms to improve older people’s health, wellbeing and quality of life, allowing them to live in their own homes for longer;
• Old St Michael’s Community Garden, developing the grounds around Old St Michael’s Church into a community garden, engaging people with disabilities, mental health issues and those suffering from social isolation;
• Tuesday Café, helping to support everyone from elderly residents of sheltered housing to young families in the area;
• SAFE Art Group, which supports members of the community with mental health issues and additional support needs by providing them with access to art tutors, educational excursions and individual peer support;
• Crieff Tuesday Club, which supports individuals with disabilities and their carers in the local community by providing them with social activities, trips away and opportunities for respite and peer support.
Partnership c h a i r, Councillor Dave Doogan, said: “Congratulations to each of the successful bids. There are some superb ideas here that will help reduce social isolation in Crieff and empower the local community. It’s fantastic that so many local people took part, and I’d also like to thank everyone who took the time to vote
“This participatory budgeting project is all about giving local people more control over how health and social care partnership funding is spent in their communities.
“Every community has different needs, and this scheme will allow people to put into action services that they think will work in their area.
“I’m sure that the winning bids will become valuable assets to the people of Crieff and I look forward to seeing the new services.”