25th July 2021
Delivering Net Zero along the Clyde River
Scotland has set ambitious targets to decarbonise our economy by 2045. This will involve all of our communities, and use of our intellectual and natural assets as part of the transition. One such asset is the river Clyde. Long a global centre for heavy industry and manufacturing, the Clyde can
17th June 2021
CWB and Finance – Part 4: Can financial power be redistributed to work for local communities?
Ralph Leishman Advisor to Co-operative Development Scotland Ralph Leishman, Advisor to Co operative Development Scotland and Employee Ownership Advocate for Scotland The UK banking sector is one that is dominated by large multinational organisations that focus on global markets. With local branches closing and lending rates to small businesses stagnating,
Kathryn Pierce, Founder / Director of Somewhere Kathryn Pierce by Jo Tennant Photography Beginning the Somewhere project in Manchester in 2015, Kathryn Pierce has come a long way in creating a new circular social enterprise business model. Since setting up in Scotland in 2018, alongside business partner Thomas Anderson-Thatcher, Somewhere
3rd June 2021
CWB and Finance – Part 3: Providing investment that works for social enterprises and their communities
Josiah Lockhart, Picture by Chris Watt Josiah Lockhart, CEO FirstPort, Scotland’s agency for start-up social entrepreneurs and social enterprise As we move towards developing ways to live with the residual effects of COVID and begin to turn our attention towards responding to the very real effects of Climate Change that
18th May 2021
CWB and Finance – Part 2: Role of Citizen Investors in post COVID Community Wealth Building
Pauline Hinchion, Director of Scottish Communities Finance Ltd Pauline Hinchion, Director, Scottish Communities Finance Ltd Sometimes going forward is about looking back and learning; remembering the legacy from our past. When it comes to the history of money and making it work for ordinary people, Scotland has often been at
11th May 2021
CWB and Finance – Part 1: Providing financial support for Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities
Alastair Davis, CEO, Social Investment Scotland This blog by Alastair Davis is the first in a series focussing on the finance principle of Community Wealth Building. Alastair Davis, CEO, Social Investment Scotland (Picture: Greg Macvean) The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc with people’s lives across the world – and Scotland
Richard Cairns, Strategic Advisor Clyde Mission and Glasgow City Region (Picture: Peter Devlin) Richard Cairns, Strategic Advisor Clyde Mission and Glasgow City Region The Clyde Mission is charged with a “Grand Challenge”: ‘Making the Clyde an engine of sustainable and inclusive growth for the city, the region and for Scotland’.
Pheona Matovu, Co-Founder, Radiant and Brighter Pheona Matovu, Co-Founder, Radiant and Brighter The Covid 19 pandemic has caused us to rethink, redesign and hopefully re-imagine a more inclusive society. As Scotland works towards economic recovery, inclusion of BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) communities is now more important than ever. Continuously,
8th December 2020
Think local first: The greatest gift you can give your community’s businesses this Christmas
Phil Prentice, Chief Officer, Scotland’s Towns Partnership Phil Prentice, Chief Officer, Scotland’s Towns Partnership / Image © Sandy Young Photography For so many, it’s always the most important time of the year. But I doubt there has ever been a more critical Christmas for Scotland’s remarkable local businesses and the
4th December 2020
Community Wealth Building – 5 lessons from North Ayrshire
Sarah Deas recently spoke at the Community Wealth Building Summit 2020. Reflecting on North Ayrshire’s experience, she shared 5 lessons for implementing this pioneering approach as other areas of Scotland embark on their own community wealth building journeys: Lesson 1 – Set a vision & get buy-in Setting a
2nd November 2020
Community Wealth Building – what can we learn from rural and island based social enterprise?
Ailsa Clark, Founder and Development Manager at Inspiralba, a social enterprise and charity providing support to rural social enterprise. Ailsa Clark, Founder and Development Manager at Inspiralba We have seen a much welcomed growing interest in community wealth-building and the need to re-evaluate our priorities was brought in to harsh
23rd October 2020
The Future is Co-operative
We hear from Greencity Wholefoods, a wholesaler of fine food and drink based in Greencity Wholefoods Glasgow’s east end. Greencity operate as a worker co-operative, democratically run by their members, and champion co-operative working as a successful alternative business model. Community Focused 2020 has been a year that anyone over the
19th October 2020
Planning for inclusivity: urban planning as a tool for equality
Kat McManus, Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) Kate McManus, Policy, Publishing and Editorial Officer at the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) In the 1990s, Vienna began ground-breaking work into actively considering the role of gender across areas of policy never normally associated with any gendered differences. The city began to
30th September 2020
Granton Waterfront – keeping community wealth-building at the heart of regeneration
Cllr Adam McVey, Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council Cllr Adam McVey, Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council Edinburgh is one of Scotland’s main economic drivers and it continues to evolve as a dynamic and futuristic city that puts people at its heart. In regenerating Granton Waterfront, one
17th September 2020
It’s time for a wellbeing economy—but what does that really mean?
Sarah Deas, WEAll Scotland Trustee Sarah Deas, WEAll Scotland Trustee Imagine an economic system which delivers social justice on a healthy planet: a system in which the economy works for the people, not the other way around. This is a wellbeing economy. At WEAll Scotland, our goal is to work
11th September 2020
Why Choose Community Ownership?
Toby Sandison, Community Shares Scotland Toby Sandison, Community Shares Scotland Small businesses have long provided a heart to communities across Scotland, especially those in rural areas. Village shops, pubs and post offices become so much more than just a place to pick up essential items: they are meeting places, information
Professor Maggie Cusack, Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling Professor Maggie Cusack, Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling Environment & Economy do not Oppose The Scottish Government is committed to addressing climate change and achieving Net Zero by 2045. Many organisations and
Peter Hayakawa, Procurement Policy Officer, University of Edinburgh Peter Hayakawa, Procurement Policy Officer, University of Edinburgh The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal (ESESCRD) is a major investment of the UK and Scottish governments, led by the region’s six local authorities (Edinburgh and the Lothians, Scottish Borders and
Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Fair Work and Culture Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Fair Work and Culture (2020-21) I’m really pleased that the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery report recognises the importance of place-based initiatives and the need to work with Regional Economic
26th February 2020
Inclusive Growth: A History Lesson?
David Reid, Paradigm Futures Ltd David Reid, Paradigm Futures We have so much to learn from history and it is interesting in how many ways things have gone ‘full circle’. A great example is the advent of the national supermarkets many of whom now have a range of express or
5th February 2020
How Nature can Support Inclusive Growth
Brendan Turvey, Scottish Natural Heritage Brendan Turvey, Scottish Natural Heritage We all know that a dose of fresh air can help lift our spirits. For me, it’s running outdoors that keeps me refreshed – and every time I put my running shoes on, nature gives me another gift. A dawn,
24th January 2020
Scotland Excel Conference 2020 – Inclusive Growth
Inclusive growth has been a feature of the Scottish Government’s Economic Strategy for the past five years, with governments across the globe agreeing that it can help tackle some of society’s most pressing challenges. But what does it mean at a practical level? Scotland Excel chose inclusive growth as the
17th December 2019
Attracting Talent and Supporting Skills to Build Inclusive Growth
Laura Brady, Construction Industry Training Board Scotland (CITB) Laura Brady, CITB It’s no secret that the Scottish construction industry needs more workers. Employers, however, need support to allow them to take on more apprentices and staff – particularly in the face of Brexit-related uncertainty. A key part of my work
26th November 2019
Community Wealth Building movement grows in Scotland
Neil McInroy, Centre for Local Economic Strategies(CLES) Neil McInroy Inclusive economic growth is a key aspiration and is set out in Scotland’s Economic Strategy. Scotland aims to grow a sustainable and successful economy whilst tackling inequalities. To realise these aspirations, the fast moving Community Wealth Building (CWB) movement offers a
19th November 2019
Ambitious Plans to Build an Inclusive Future
Steve Dunlop, CEO Scottish Enterprise (2018-2020) Steve Dunlop, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise from 2018-2020 The definition of economic success is changing. Successful nations no longer seek only to create wealth; they distribute wealth so that success and happiness is shared by everyone – this is the very definition of