3,000 residents vote in County Council’s High Wycombe ballot
More than 3,000 residents in the High Wycombe area voted to decidehow community funds of£17,500 were shared out between different organisations.
Throughthe recent ‘High Wycombe Decides’ poll, residents’ votes gave Wycombe Homeless Connection, Young Carers Bucks and Bucks Play Association the top three spots, earning them £4,000 each.
Voting put Empower to Cook and the Bucks New Usage Projects were fourth and fifth, giving them £2,000 each, and Chiltern Rangers and Downley Library will receive £750. The projects involved support activities for community health and wellbeing and the economy and environment. They were bidding for a share of the cash the LAF had earmarked for local priorities.
TheSkidz motor project in High Wycombe was one of theeight charities originally selected for the ballot but unfortunately could no longer run the project in the proposed way andits £500 share of the funding was reallocated between Downley Library and Chiltern Rangers who received the same number of votes. This County Council initiative, designed to give residents a say in how local budgets are spent, allowed them to vote online or through familiar black ballot boxes at Market Square events, local shops, the library and community centres.
More than 900 students from The Highcrest Academy and Cressex Community School also took part giving many young people their first taste of democracy. County Councillor Val Letheren, who chairs the LAF, said: “This is a great example of local democracy in action. I am delighted at the interest shown in this ballot, and look forward to seeing how the money will be spent on behalf of the community.” Voting took place during June and July in the High Wycombe area including Downley. More information about High Wycombe Decides can be found at www.buckscc.gov.uk/hwdecides