Ballymena participatory budgeting
Case study overview
Ballymena Participatory Budgeting project worked with five schools to give pupils a direct say in how funding should be spent in their school communities. The programme was supported by the Department for Communities and NI Housing Executives Housing for All, as part of the Shared Housing Programme. Politics in Action worked with a five-person youth design team to shape the project. The team then led activities in their schools, helping other pupils develop funding proposals and vote on which ideas should be supported. Making real decisions about school budgets gave pupils practical experience of democracy, collective decision-making and accountability. The project also connected this experience to wider forms of civic participation and aimed to strengthen relationships across the community.
How it worked
A youth design team of twenty-five young people across the five participating schools met every two months, supported by their teachers.
The team first learned about participatory budgeting, democratic processes and civic participation. Members then helped decide how the process would work, including the rules, how many bids schools could submit and the criteria used to assess them.
The project was delivered across five full school days. Members of the design team led workshops for their year groups covering active citizenship, youth-led campaigning, voting and how to develop a funding bid.
Pupils developed and promoted their ideas before each school held a voting day. Young people then decided which proposals should receive the available funding.
Feedback
Feedback and observations from the project suggest that it helped young people see that they could influence decisions in their schools and communities. Taking part also developed their campaigning, communication, teamwork and leadership skills.
Participants connected their experience of deciding how funding should be spent with wider democratic activities, including campaigning, protest and boycotts.
Young people interviewed during the voting days said they had become “more confident to reach out and say [their] opinions to other people” and had learned “how to get people to vote for us”.
Others said they felt more confident promoting ideas and working as a team. They also learned to accept disagreement and recognise that “some people might not agree with what you’re asking”.
Key strengths
Giving the youth design team genuine responsibility was central to the project. Members did not simply take part in activities designed by adults—they helped set the rules and shape how decisions would be made.
Because real funding was involved, pupils could see a direct result from their participation. This gave them greater ownership over decisions affecting their school communities and allowed them to experience democracy in practice.
The project also supported young people with physical and learning disabilities to take part. Timings, activities and delivery methods were adapted with help from school staff so all young people could participate in discussions and decisions.
Key learning
- Trust young people to lead. They understand their schools and how best to involve their peers.
- Use practical decisions in schools or youth settings as a way into wider democracy. Participatory budgeting can help young people see how having a say locally connects to campaigning, voting and other forms of civic participation.
- Adapt the process for different ages and abilities so they can take part meaningfully. Be flexible with timings, activities and the level of support available.
- Build confidence gradually. Games, team-building and informal activities can help young people feel comfortable before asking them to campaign, present ideas or speak to a wider group.
Further information
Read more about the Ballymena Schools Participatory Budgeting programme on the Radius Housing website, or find out more about the work of Politics in Action.