People power came to Wythenshawe recently when residents voted to choose which community groups received a share of a pot of nearly £40,000 worth of Manchester City Council funding.

In an unusual exercise in democracy – called U Decide – residents from Northenden Ward, comprising Northenden, Northern Moor and Benchill, went to a public meeting, listened to short presentations from ten local groups, then voted to choose the schemes they considered most worthy of funding. After the votes were counted, the community groups learned straight away whether or not they’d been successful.

Below is a list of the six groups who impressed the public enough to win the vote and their share of the cash at the U Decide meeting:

St Michael’s Community Hall – Northern Moor      £10,000

Sprung floor for community hall.

Northenden Allotment and Garden Society             £5,552

New roof on trading hut and fencing

Friends of Northenden Community School              £2,139

Allotment fruit cage/polytunnel and raised beds

and equipment at the school

Friends of Northenden Riverside Park                      £7,912

Toilet block running costs, portacabin.

Northern Moor Gardening Society Bee Club            £1,261

Equipment and storage for bee-keeping activities

Rose Hill Community Farm and Garden                   £11,376

Fencing and gates.