Tenants given power to shape more communities

Residents at the first Our Choice Decision Day in March 2013

A ground-breaking project which gives residents control of how money is spent improving their neighbourhoods is being rolled out in more areas by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH).

Our Choice enables tenants to decide which community events and activities should be funded from a special budget.

A number of areas took part in Our Choice in 2013 and the projects that were funded included IT classes, homework clubs, children’s activity sessions, sports sessions, gardening projects, card making and luncheon clubs.

Our Choice gives tenants the power to vote on funding decisions as well as to take the lead on deciding the rules of the process and organising Decision Day events, where money is allocated.

The project is based on participatory budgeting (PB) and the Participatory Budgeting Unit - the national body which oversees PB projects - has praised RBH for taking the concept further than any other housing provider.

Two new funding rounds are now in full swing giving residents in many more neighbourhoods the chance to have their say on what the priorities should be.
The amount of funding for each area is based on the number of RBH properties there.

The first round will focus on:

• Freehold/Milkstone, Rochdale (£4,360)
• Plum Mill and Pot Hall, Heywood (£2,680)
• Cheapside, Middleton (£1,400)
• Ashbrook Hey, Pennines (£1,800)
• Birch View, Pennines (£3,370)
• Falinge Hill/Shawclough, Rochdale (£2,200)
• Dicken Green, Rochdale (£2,280)
• Channing Street/Waithlands, Rochdale (£2,790)

The deadline for applications is Friday January 17 and voting will take place at Heywood Civic Centre on Saturday 1 February (1-4pm).

Neighbourhoods taking part in the second round are:

• Moorclose, Junction and Baytree, Middleton (£3,880)
• Bellshill, Rochdale (£1,490)
• Bury Street, Heywood (£2,610)
• Cutgate, Rochdale (£2,820)
• Firgrove, Pennines (£1,360)
• Heady Hill, Heywood (£1,910)
• Hollin, Middleton (£7,110)
• Mayfield, Rochdale (£1,200)
• St Annes, Rochdale (£2,150)
• Spotland, Rochdale (£2,280) 

The deadline for applications is Monday February 17 and voting will take place at Heywood Civic Centre on Saturday 1 March (1-4pm).

Jonathan Walton, RBH Engagement Manager, said: “Our Choice is all about empowering residents to shape the development of their own neighbourhoods.

“As a mutual organisation we are committed to working in partnership with tenants as they know best where money should be directed in their own communities.

“The neighbourhoods that have already taken part in Our Choice have benefitted not just from the funding it brings but also from the sense of community that is built by people coming together to agree on priorities.

“This is a pioneering venture which is fully in keeping with the borough’s co-operative heritage and I hope as many people as possible will bid for funding and come along to vote.”

RBH runs Our Choice alongside its Our Place project which sees the organisation engage with residents to agree three-year action plans for their neighbourhoods.

The Our Choice funding gives communities that agree a plan the chance to get off to a flying start by addressing some of their priorities.

For more information on Our Choice and an application form please contact the RBH Engagement Team on 01706 273898 or email engage@rbh.org.uk