Our Choice, Our Decision event proves popular with residents

Janet Ellis with a presentation for hanging baskets

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Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) held an ‘Our Choice, Our Decision’ event this afternoon (Saturday 1 February) which gave residents from neighbourhoods across the borough the chance to vote on projects in their community.

The Our Choice project is about bringing community led project funding back to the heart of the community.

Representatives from each project gave a presentation on their project and then those in attendance got to vote on which project they liked the most.

The project with the most votes then receives the funding and any left over from the allocated amount will go to the next best project as voted for by residents.

A spokesperson for RBH said: “Only people from that area can vote on the scheme for that area. Each presentation is limited to three minutes and then residents score the projects. So, for example, if there are four projects, the one with highest number would get the most points so that would be your favourite project.”

Projects being voted on today included a youth bus, football sessions, hanging baskets, a Shawclough fun day and an invention project.

Today’s event has received positive praise from those in attendance.

Clare Pratt who attended the event said: “I think it is a fair way of doing it. You get to see different people and get to hear about the projects, which is good. I prefer it being done this way.”

Vivien Wellbank said: “It gives people a voice. It is good to see the different things being offered to the community.”

A spokesperson for RBH added: “We have had a lot of positive feedback from doing things this way and with this format. It gives everybody a voice whether it is younger people or older people. We had one lady say that it was the best day of her life.”

The eight neighbourhoods at the event today were Freehold/Milkstone, Plum Hill and Pot Hall, Cheapside, Ashbrook Hey, Birch View, Falinge Hill/Shawclough, Dicken Green and Channing Street/Waithaland Road.

The next ‘Our Choice Our Decision Day’ will be held on Saturday 1 March at Heywood Civic Centre for another handful of areas.