COMMUNITIES are being offered the chance to have a direct say in how a funding pot worth £20,000 is handed out. Saturday will see the second Bucks4Buckie participatory budget event getting under way at Buckie Community High School’s Highfield Hall. A total of 10 groups have cast their hats into the ring for a share of the cash, with grants ranging from £500 up to £3500 up for grabs on the day. Behind the event is Buckie Area Forum’s Economic Regeneration Group. Chairman Gordon McDonald said: “Saturday is an excellent chance for local people to come along and have a direct say in which applications get awards and also how much they will receive. “Everybody in the audience will have a vote on each application. “The groups bidding for grants will have the opportunity to state their case in four-minute presentations before it’s put to the vote. “Participatory budgeting is an excellent way of bringing funding decisions back to the grassroots. “I look forward to seeing as many people as possible there on the day and to hearing the various presentations.” He added that there was a diverse range of projects seeking a boost to their coffers from Bucks4Buckie. To be eligible for a cash award projects must have the aim of making Buckie a better place and helping the local economy. The event starts at 10am and is scheduled to run until around 1pm. Groups bidding for grants are reminded that they must register at 9.30am. Lunch will be provided for all those attending. This is the second year that the Bucks4Buckie scheme has run, last year’s round of awards also seeing a total of £20,000 disbursed to a wide variety of schemes run by local groups. For more information on the work of the regeneration group and Buckie Area Forum as a whole, visit their website at www.buckie.co/ The forum and regeneration group also have their own Facebook pages. Buckie Area Forum covers an area spanning Portgordon to Cullen and is open to community groups and individuals.