Context and Purpose
Newport City Council and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board partnered with MutualGain to deliver four Participatory Budgeting programmes:
- Our Voice, Our Choice, Our Port (2021–22)
- Our Voice, Our Choice, Our City (2023)
- The Raising Hope Dementia Fund (2024).
Together, they empowered residents to decide how almost £1 million of public funding should be spent to improve wellbeing, reduce inequalities, and strengthen community connections across Newport.
Approach and Delivery
MutualGain trained a cross-sector planning group of council officers, NHS partners, voluntary organisations, and residents to co-design each stage of the process: from setting criteria to branding and event delivery.
Young people played a leading role, with five youth hosts trained to chair live events.
During the pandemic, the team pioneered a bilingual online PB model before returning to large-scale, in-person decision days.
Nearly 300 project bids were received and over 10,000 votes cast through inclusive, accessible and transparent engagement.
Outcomes and Impact
More than 160 community groups secured funding, supporting initiatives in digital inclusion, youth leadership, creative wellbeing, women’s support, refugee inclusion, and dementia care.
The programme built trust, visibility, and collaboration across the city, creating a lasting network of community partnerships that continues to grow through the Our Voice, Our Choice, Our City Facebook group.
Newport’s PB model now stands as a benchmark for participatory democracy in Wales, showing how shared decision-making builds stronger, fairer communities.