More than £114,000 has been allocated to 115 community-led projects across the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon borough through a participatory budgeting initiative.

The Tak£500+ Participatory Budget Fund, run by the ABC Community Planning Partnership, invited residents to propose ideas and vote on which should receive up to £1,000 each. Almost 170 applications were submitted, and 142 were shortlisted for a public vote at three events held in the borough. A total of 3,923 votes were cast, resulting in funding for 115 projects.

The Lord Mayor, Councillor Mary O’Dowd, said the scheme was in its fifth year and highlighted the strong community engagement and the pride evident in the proposed ideas. The range of projects and the thought behind them show how much people want to make a positive difference, she added.

Funded projects include initiatives supporting emotional wellbeing, sporting activities for all ages, community gardens, intergenerational work, and the protection of industrial heritage. All are built around the Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing framework.

The council stated that the initiative demonstrates how local people can directly decide on public spending to address needs in their areas.