Sovereign’s new project ‘Your Community Your Choice’ is launching in Bristol, with £40,000 available to spend.  This is community engagement in a way that Sovereign have never done before! If you’re a Bristol resident over the age of 18, you can put forward and vote for project ideas allowing you to decide how this £40,000 is spent to improve your environment in your community.

All projects must:

• Be taking place in Bristol
• Cost no more than £20,000
• Be supported by a Sovereign resident
• Come under the themes of improving outdoor space, active travel, biodiversity, food and growing or mitigating climate change

Examples could include setting up a community gardening project, forest schools or planting trees to name just a few

How to get involved

You can submit your project ideas through a digital platform produced by VocalEyes

To do so:

• Come up with an idea that you think will benefit the community, and see if you can find people who can help you
• Register on the VocalEyes website - https://www.vocaleyes.org/vocaleyes/group/index/id/13039 
• Submit your idea on the ideas tab. Make sure you have a project title, a clear description and an eye-catching photo or video

Once your idea has been submitted, someone from Sovereign’s Communities Team will be in contact to support you to:

• Get detailed quotes from Sovereign’s suppliers
• Receive expert advice
• Understand if any permissions are needed
• Once this project goes live you can start to promote to your local community to vote on their favourite projects. The most votes win so be as creative as possible to get your community on board.

How voting works

If your idea receives the most support you, and anyone else involved in the project, will be able to start making it a reality. 

You’ll be able to submit and vote against projects from 1 December 2020 through to 31 January 2021. Successful projects will be announced on 1 February 2021, which will then be developed through February to be completed by March 2021. You’ll be a pioneer leading from the front to develop the project with support from Sovereign.

For additional information and to submit ideas, check out the digital platform produced by VocalEyes. Once you’ve registered you’ll be able to anonymously put forward, vote for and debate project ideas that you’d like to see become a reality. Have your say about the positive changes you’d like to see in your community!

Join the webinar to find out more

At the webinar on Wednesday 9 December at 2pm you can meet the team at VocalEyes, hear more about the project, see what you could offer and ask questions. 

For any other questions please get in touch with Daisy Mummery at daisy.mummery@sovereign.org.uk. 

You can also visit our webpage at www.sovereign.org.uk/your-community-your-choice.