Polish delegation visit UK

The Polish delegation visited the PB Unit in Manchester on 26th May, discussing with them the various successes of PB in the UK, as well as the lessons learnt and how they might apply it in Poland. 

The Polish delegation cam from the Association of Leaders of Local Civic Groups as well as leading  economic and sociology experts.  The Association has been awarded a grant by the government to explore implementing PB in Poland. 

The group then went on to visit the UDecide project in Tower Hamlets. The visit was sparked following the success of Tower Hamlets Council’s You Decide! programme, which gave over 800 residents a direct say over how £2.4 million of council money would be spent.

During the visit, Polish officials heard details about how You Decide! gave residents a direct say over the provision of additional services such as police officers, park improvements and additional GCSE classes.

The delegates also learned how services voted for by residents, through You Decide! will be put in place across the borough; using the knowledge of the Local Area Partnership (LAP) steering groups, which include residents, the council and the police.

Barbara Klimek, Project Assistant from The Association of Leaders of Local Civic Groups, said: “The aim of our visit was to gather best practice of participatory budgeting from around the world, so we can develop a handbook for local authorities in Poland.

Taken from www.24dash.com