FENLAND has been by chosen by the Home Office for a pilot project which allows people to decide how public money is spent in their community.

The district will test the benefits of Participatory Budgeting (PB), which enables people to choose what projects and initiatives they think would benefit their area most and decide where money is spent.

Fenland has been chosen by the Home Office to pilot PB in relation to ways of tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG).

VAWG includes issues such as domestic abuse, sexual violence, prostitution, human trafficking, forced marriage, female genital mutilation and so-called ‘honour-based violence.’

As part of the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, organisations across the district are being invited to apply to the Cambridgeshire Domestic Abuse Partnership for PB funding. A total of �11,500 is available with no single bid receiving more than �3,000.

Simon Kerss, Cambridgeshire County Council’s Domestic Abuse Partnership Manager, said: “Violence against women in all its forms is completely unacceptable and I am very pleased that the Home Office is giving the people of Fenland an opportunity to decide for themselves how best to tackle this issue in their local community.

“I hope as many organisations and projects as possible come forward to bid for a share of the available funding.”

The bidding round runs from Monday, March 14, until 5pm on Monday, March 21. Eight entries will be shortlisted on March 21 and the public will be able to select their favoured project between March 22 and March 28.

Application forms and guidance are available from Simon Kerss and entries should be submitted by e-mail to: simon.kerss@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Information on the shortlisted projects will also be available on the Cambridgeshire.net, cambridgeshire.gov.uk and shapyourplace.org websites from 22nd to 28th March.

Voting through this process will be via text messaging – text numbers will be included on the website – or via e-mail to simon.kerss@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.

The winners will be chosen on Wednesday, March 30th, based on the total number of votes cast.