Grand Choice is a Participatory Budgeting initiative which means that local people get to decide how public funds are used to address needs in their area. Community Planning Partners have pooled their resources to fund community projects.

Local people with a valid email address and Lisburn South postcode can apply for up to £1,000 for a project they think will benefit their area of Downshire East - and best of all, it is the local residents who decide which projects should go ahead!

Your project should take place between and must be within Downshire East District Electoral Area. This includes Ballymacbrennan, Dromara, Drumbo, Hillhall and Ravernet.

Stage 1. Application Form

Generating Ideas and Apply Stage – where groups complete a short application form outlining their project idea.

If you decide to apply for funding and use your personal contact details in the Stage 1 application form. This information will be stored in a safe place and used to contact you about the application. Your full name will not be used in publicity material and contact details will not be shared.

If you are under 18 and you decide to add your personal contact details to the form you must ask a parent/ guardian/ carer to complete the online consent. It must be submitted by Sunday 13th November.

When you submit your entry, we will check if it meets with our themes – we might give you a call for some further information.

We aim to let groups know if they’ve been shortlisted by Thursday 17th November or as soon as possible thereafter.

The shortlisted projects will be required to exhibit their proposal at a Community Decision Event on Saturday 3rd December 2022.

Stage 2. Community Decision Event

At the Community Decision Event in December you will tell the voters what you plan to do and what you hope to achieve as they visit your stand. All you need to do is tell them some information about what you do, what the project is about and how this will be good for the Lisburn South area. You can do this by using pictures, posters and/or display boards etc.

Your views, ideas and proposal may appear in reports and press releases once that information is made public.

Voting Process

The people attending the Community Decision Event will vote on which projects should be funded. They will be required to vote for 10 projects.

Your project must demonstrate how it relates to one or more of the Take 5 Ways To Wellbeing themes:

Connect – with the people around you and keep in touch with each other
Be Active – to help us feel good both physically and mentally
Take Notice – to ensure the community is safe to incorporate policing and community safety
Keep Learning – new things that give us a sense of achievement, enjoyment and increased confidence
Give – doing something that gives back to our community and help each other

For more information and to apply, please visit Grand Choice in Downshire East (lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk)