People gathered around a vegetable stand
Barnet Council has allocated £50,000 for Crowdfund Barnet, a new round of funding to back ideas across the borough. The crowdfunding platform welcomes ideas from local Barnet residents and will put local people at the heart of its strategy to help Barnet build back better through more vibrant, resilient and connected communities.
Working in partnership with the crowdfunding platform Spacehive, which supports projects aimed at making local places better, Crowdfund Barnet gives Barnet residents an opportunity to gain support and funding for their ideas to help improve their local community.
So far, over 2000 residents, businesses and organisations have come together to back 19 successful projects in the borough, raising over £780,000. From food growing initiatives and festivals to community cycling schemes and constructing cafes, Crowdfund Barnet is helping local people make their projects happen.
The deadline to put forward your idea is 9 September 2020. Get started by visiting Spacehive’s website and creating your own project page.
Spacehive is also leading a programme of local events for anyone interested in learning more or who might want to test or discuss their ideas.
Mayor of Barnet, Cllr Caroline Stock, said: “This has been a tough year, but among great challenge and loss we’ve also seen an enormous community spirit prevail and an influx of innovative ideas. I am excited to see the next phase of Crowdfund Barnet launch, and I look forward to seeing the creativity and resourcefulness of Barnet residents to help shape their local areas. Barnet people know their community best, so they are best placed to understand the challenges and opportunities that exist. Crowdfund Barnet puts their ideas in the driving seat to help build an even better Barnet for everyone.
“I’m also calling on businesses and organisations who care about creating a flourishing Barnet to offer support to the ideas that are posted on the Crowdfund Barnet platform. Whether via funding or in-kind, supporting local initiatives is in the interests of all of us. The more people involved in Crowdfund Barnet, the more effectively we can make Barnet an even better place for everyone to live.”
Chris Gourlay, Founder & CEO of Spacehive, said: “I have been incredibly inspired by the surge of local organising, the entrepreneurial response by Barnet Council, and the wider spirit of society pulling together to get through a tough period. And like millions of others we glimpsed how things could be different in our own communities. We should seize the chance not just to recover – but to #BuildBackBetter. We see potential to make an exciting impact together, so encourage anyone with an idea to post it on Spacehive today. We are looking forward to helping people bring their projects to life.”
Find out more about Crowdfund Barnet.