Our Services
We can provide a range of flexible and affordable support services, including:
- Strategic support on policy and implementation
- Facilitating planning meetings
- Guidance on PB grant making
- Bespoke training to staff, elected members and local residents
- Writing reports, undertaking research and evaluations
- Presenting at conferences, workshops and community events
We offer standard support packages, from an introductory day or half-day briefing to a four-day support package to get your PB programme underway and ensure its success. We also offer more detailed ten-day packages to help you embed community participation into your mainstream budget setting. Or we can design a programme specific to your needs.
Track Record
Building on over 20 years’ experience of running successful Participatory Budgeting (PB) projects, we are the leading independent experts on PB in the UK.
We were at the forefront of the recent growth of PB in Scotland, which from 2016 onwards has seen around £2m being committed annually to its development by the Scottish Government. We have worked across the UK, including supporting PB in Northern Ireland and in Wales. We additionally provide free time and support to maintaining the UK PB Network Website as part of our social mission.
PB Partners assist Local Authorities and other public service providers (such as housing associations, police forces and health trusts) in using Participatory Budgeting, often delivered alongside other types of community engagement. Our aim is to empower citizens, build trust in democracy and drive innovation in public services. We frequently work directly with community-led organisations who wish to use PB to engage their local residents.
Over the last few years we have been focussing on developing thematic PB processes too, such as in the fields of Youth Empowerment and Climate Change. We have also written and share on our site and on the PB Network website a number of free toolkits and guides to delivering PB processes.
PB Partners
Established in 2012 to offer paid consultancy services for Participatory Budgeting.
During 2021 we will be working to more closely integrate PB Partners into our core Shared Future brand and operations.
Our PB work is led by Jez Hall, one of Shared Future’s founding directors, supported by Alan Budge and our team of experienced PB associates.
PB Network
Shared Future CIC provides support to the PB Network.
It is an open forum for people who are interested in or championing Participatory Budgeting. Historically led by a volunteer steering group, PB Network shares news, information and resources through its website.
Other activities includes an e-bulletin and holding meetings and debates, both face to face and online, and through networking through Twitter, on Facebook and via a networking group on LinkedIn, with the aim of deepening participatory democracy across the UK.
