Local projects in Levenmouth secure funding!
Our River Leven Community Fund is an £80,000 participatory budget which was designed, planned and delivered by the Levenmouth Connectivity Community Steering Group (LCSG). The purpose of the fund is to support local groups and initiatives in delivering towards the Levenmouth Community Action Plan (easy read version available here) - which is focussed on improvements which will encourage people to come together as communities, spend time outdoors in their local environment and travel actively throughout Levenmouth!
To secure funds, applicants were asked to firstly demonstrate that their proposal would deliver towards one or more of the following criteria:
- Leisure and sports events and activities that allow people to connect with their area or the river.
- History and heritage projects (social, natural and/or industrial).
- Projects for people to enjoy and learn about nature, wildlife, food growing or foraging.
- Arts, crafts and creative projects.
The proposals were then voted on by local people through an online platform as well as an in-person voting event.
The voting event took place at Wellesley Parish Church Hall on 27th of January 2024, where each of the applicants were ready and waiting at stalls to chat with local people about their proposal ahead of casting their votes. The event had a brilliant turnout and warming atmosphere - helped along by delicious hot soup, sausage rolls and stovies!
Overall, 114 votes were cast on-the-day and 1043 people voted online showing a range of support across the board.
This is where it gets interesting...
A total of £82,880 was applied for across the 25 applicants from an £80,000 funding pot. These 25 local groups and initiatives demonstrated a stunning show of community solidarity by agreeing to shave a small amount of money off their application so that all 25 projects could be funded!
The entire process of the 'Our River Leven Community Fund' has been an example of generosity and community spirit and we'd like to thank all of the applicants for the work they do as well as all of the community members who voted.
We'd also like to say a special thank you to the following contributors who made this possible:
- The Levenmouth Connectivity Community Steering Group for designing the fund and Coalfields Regeneration Trust as coordinators and fund distributors.
- The Places for Everyone Programme (backed by Transport Scotland and administered by Sustrans) for providing £50,000 of the £80,000 pot, topped up by Fife Council providing £30,000.
- Green Action Trust for arranging for the participatory budget to be part of the Levenmouth Connectivity Project's behaviour change work, as well as promoting the fund.
- Fife College for developing and hosting the online voting platform.
- Iglu Studio for designing and providing display boards for each of the applicants to use on voting day.
- Methilhill Community Children's Initiative (MCCI) for providing entertainment at the voting event.
- Wellesley Parish Church for hosting the voting event, providing food and taking such good care of everyone on the day.
If you'd like to read more about how the fund worked, the projects that applied and the voting results, you can read the report developed by Coalfields Regeneration Trust by clicking here.
What happens next?
Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) will follow up with all of the 25 funded projects to see how they're getting on and if they need any help. CRT is also continuing to seek local people to join the LCSG, which meets monthly in-person locally (with a Zoom link available for those who can't meet in-person). The LCSG meets to hear updates from, and input to, the Leven Programme projects, as well as seeking out opportunities to deliver the Levenmouth Community Action Plan.
Green Action Trust (on behalf of the Leven Programme) will be submitting a large grant application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver the River Park Project. Within this we'll be looking to include budget so the LCSG can run the Our River Leven Community Fund again each year for the next 4 years - fingers crossed!
If you'd be interested in joining the LCSG, please get in touch with enid.trevett@coalfields-regen.org.uk.
