Council’s new plans for crowdfunding
organisations, philanthropic grant-makers and local residents to develop projects and attract funding.
Council leader, Coun Graeme Miller said: “This is all about giving communities a greater influence over what happens in their neighbourhoods by allowing them to kick-start the projects that matter to them.
"It's very much a grassroots up approach, with the community coming up with ideas for the improvements they want to see in their area.
“We're looking for community-led ideas and projects that bring distinctive local places to life. That could be anything from a music festival or an art installation to guerrilla gardening or a pop market.”
The scheme will assess all projects to make sure they are viable and deliverable, as well as being in line with the city's vision and priorities, ahead of then being launched for crowdfunding.
Coun John Kelly, cabinet member for communities and culture, added: "Crowdfunding isn't by any means a new idea. The Jack Crawford monument in Mowbray Park was funded by the people of Sunderland in honour of the bravery shown by our very own local hero when he climbed the mast of his ship HMS Venerable during the
Battle of Camperdown to nail the British flag back up.
"We hope Crowdfund Sunderland will help lever in additional funding from the voluntary and community sector and others who want to invest in Sunderland, on top of what we put in as a council.
“And we may well find that residents might also want to invest in projects that are particularly close to their own hearts."
The initial projects include improvements to Doxford Park's Walled Garden.
For more details about the scheme as a whole and the initial projects, go to www. spacehive.com/movement/ crowdfundsunderland