“Your Pots” Participatory Grantmaking in Lancaster District (Round 2 / 2024)
Pots of Possibility grants are designed to regenerate the environment and build healthy, thriving communities across the Lancaster district. They consist of smaller “Community Pots” grants, which are awarded by a panel, and larger “Your Pots” grants, where successful projects are chosen by the general public through a participatory budgeting process.
On 16th November, eleven local charities and community organisations gathered at the Storey in Lancaster for the second “Your Pots – Your Say” community voting day.
Each group was bidding for between £5,000 and £10,000 of a £50,000 fund to develop their own regenerative economy project.
To make their case, applicants were asked to record a short, 3 minute film explaining their project and how it would benefit the environment and local communities. Recordings were shared on the Lancaster District CVS website in advance of the voting day. Voters who didn’t get a chance to watch in advance could also watch on the day.
After the recorded pitches, voters were given the opportunity to visit each project’s stall to hear more. This gave them a chance to ask questions of the applicants before deciding which projects should receive their vote.
Seven of the eleven local charities and community organisations have been awarded funding this year (subject to due diligence checks). These include:
- The Tara Centre, Wellbeing Cafe for Asylum Seekers & Refugees
- Wise Up Workshops, Creative Saturdays
- The Bay: A Blueprint for Recovery, Foraging, Outdoor Cooking & Nature Connection
- Queer By Gum: Sustainable Queer Craft
- The Gregson: Grassroots Sustainable Action!
- West End Impact: Restoration
- Lancaster & Morecambe Repair Cafe
While funding is important, it is not the only ingredient in a regenerative economy. For many, the day was also an opportunity to connect with individuals, groups, and projects that they didn’t know existed.
Just as the Wood Wide Web (the underground network of trees, fungi, and bacteria) is essential for distributing resources across ecosystems, the connections forged by citizens and community groups at events like these will be key to building a thriving, regenerative economy…
Feature Image: Your Pots marketstall. Credit: Shared Future
Other images: Your Pots 2024. Credit: Closing Loops Project
