Communities Leading Change

Communities Leading Change is a Participatory Budgeting project. It lets local people have a say in how part of a public budget is spent. Residents vote on which projects they think will help their community the most.

Each year, we hold events where individuals and community groups can share their project ideas. The projects that get the most votes then receive funding.

Participatory Budgeting Project 2025/26

A total of 98 projects were funded through Market Stall events across the seven District Electoral Areas (DEAs), with an unprecedented number of people attending to vote. Applicants set up stalls to showcase their projects, with attendees required to visit all stalls and then vote for their top five favourite projects. These Participatory Budgeting events were also compered by the Chair and Vice chair of each DEA.

After the votes were counted and verified, 70% of the groups were awarded funding. The other 30% who did not receive funding on the night have been given support from Council partners to apply for different sources of funding or have been signposted to free resources to help deliver their project.

Each group will now have until 31 March 2026 to spend their funding. The Council will be hosting events in May 2026 for the public to attend to hear how these projects have benefitted the area in which they live.

A list of the voting results are below, arranged by District Electoral Area.

Funding

Funding is provided by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Southern Health and Social Care Trust, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, NI Housing Executive, Public Health Agency, Ark, Arbour, Radius and Clanmill Housing Associations supported through the Shared Housing Programme, Department for Communities. Communities Leading Change is also supported by County Down Rural Community Network and Confederation for Community Groups.