Welcome to What's the Big Idea - I hope you like it.

This project has been set up by the Henbury and Brentry Community Council as part of Inspiring Communities Programme in the Henbury and Brentry area.

This project is based on the ideas of participatory budgeting that has been run successfully elsewhere in the UK. 

There are a few things worth pointing out about the project.

We decided to make the registration as simple as possible so as not to put people off. The information that we gather from the registration is anonomised and will help us to report to our funders (Inspiring Communities) and help us to know where people live who are taking part.  .

There is the balancing act of who has the final say over what the money is spent on. Henbury and Brentry Community Council have an obligation to make sure that the funds are spent appropriately and that they fit the aims and objectives of the Inspiring Communities programme (more information about Inspiring Communities is available on the council website). That is why the ideas are for a specific age group who live in a specific area.  Once the Community Council has shortlisted the ideas and put them to the public then the Community Council are committed to giving the assurance that as long as the winning suggestions are legal - then they will stick by the decisions dictated by the votes.

Thanks, and good luck to all those who submit an idea.

Matt Dowse

Project Co-ordinator