Community Choices: Here's the successful bidders for grants from across Falkirk Council area

Thanks to a record-breaking 23,039 eligible votes from residents across the district, the organisations are sharing in £777,364 of valuable funding.

In total 16 community groups based across Falkirk Council’s nine wards have secured Capital Grants ranging from £14,000 to £146,424 and ten groups have secured Small Grants of up to £5000 each.

One of the groups to successfully secure a Capital Grant is The Dobbie Hall Trust. It will use its £75,200 grant to replace flooring and seating in the balcony area of the popular venue.

Ian Gardner, chairman of the hall’s Board of Trustees, said: “Each year, more than 60,000 people attend events and live performances held in the venue. Securing the grant means we will be able to carry out essential work that will make the hall safer, more comfortable and an even more attractive place to visit, and it will bring more of the local community together.

"We truly are speechless at the support we’ve had from the local community and want to thank everyone who voted for our project.”

While Maggie’s Forth Valley will use the £5000 it has secured through the Small Grants Programme to set up additional support groups for people with cancer and their family and friends.

Cristina Pouso, fundraising manager, said: “Over the past two years, people with cancer have been feeling particularly isolated. The need for peer support in a safe environment has never been greater. We are so grateful to everyone who voted for our project. The grant will help us continue to provide support to people who need it.”

This is the third round of Falkirk Council and Falkirk Health & Social Care Partnership’s participatory budgeting programme, Community Choices. Through a public vote, the initiative offers a democratic way for local people to have a direct say in how public money can be used to address their priorities and invest in community-led projects.

Each voter can cast up to three votes in favour of projects bidding for a Place-based Capital Grant and up to three votes in support of projects looking to secure a Small Grant.

Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, leader of Falkirk Council said: "The number of votes cast shows participatory budgeting can and does work. Groups bidding for grants worked hard to drum up support, harness community spirit and inspire local people to get behind their bids and vote. A huge thank you goes out to all the groups who submitted applications and to all those who voted."

Other capital grants went to: Bo’ness & Blackness – The Newtown Park Association Limited, £44,671for work on new community hub, and Bo'ness Children’s Fair Festival, £14,042 for marquee and street banners; Grangemouth – Bowhouse Community Association, £31,610 for resurfacing car park and bike infrastructure, and 15th Grangemouth Scout Group, £21,000 for refurbishment of scout hall; Denny & Banknock – Banknock Community Hall Management Committee,£62,726 for updating kitchen and WC renovations; Carse, Kinnaird & Tryst – Stenhousemuir Football Club, £140,000 for solar panels and KLSB, £28,600 for the purchase of a van; Bonnybridge & Larbert – Roots, £45,588 for purchase of an electric van; Falkirk North – Falkirk Golf Club, £17,820 for accessible paths, Falkirk Rugby Football and Sports Club, £146,424 for clubhouse extension and floodlights, and Society of John De Graeme, £26,450 for mural and heritage boards trail; Falkirk South – Ettrick Dochart Community Hall, £14,000 for kitchen renovations and Go Forth & Clyde, £15,500 to purchase an electric van; Upper Braes – Bailliefields Community Hub, £22,500 to install a changing places toilet for disabled use; Falkirk wide – Bailliefields Community Hub £28,000 for internal refurbishment.

Small grants will go to the following: Bo'ness & Blackness – Bo’ness Cars4U, £5000 to help provide transport for cancer patients; Grangemouth – Friends of Zetland Park, £4500 for seating; Denny & Banknock – Allandale Bowling Club, £5000 for new tables and chairs for clubhouse; Carse, Kinnaird & Tryst – Kinnaird Village & The Inches Residents Association, £5000 planting and benches at a play park; Falkirk North – Falkirk Rugby Football and Sport Club, £5000 to improve drainage on pitches; Falkirk South – Evolution Swim School, £4970 to provide free swimming camp; Lower Braes – Polmont Community Council, £2400 to provide a defibrillator; Upper Braes – Maddiston Evangelical Church, £1333 for toddlers group equipment and Braes Community Sport Hub, £5000 to provide free sporting events.