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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, research shows that BME communities in

Image © Sandy Young Photography Phil Prentice, Chief Officer, Scotland’s Towns Partnership 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 communities they serve. They need our support more

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

Ailsa Clark, Founder and Development Manager at Inspiralba, a social enterprise and charity providing support to rural social enterprise. 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 focus as a result of Covid 19, with

We hear from Greencity Wholefoods,  a wholesaler of fine food and drink based in 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 age of

Kat McManus, 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 research and identify the gaps in data relating to how gender affected use of public space, and by

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 of the seven strategic sites within the Edinburgh and South

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 with governments, organisations, and individuals

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 hubs, a landmark for lost

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 individuals are keen to do the right thing to address climate change

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 Fife) and higher education institutions, to accelerate growth

Fiona Hyslop MSP,  Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Fair Work and Culture 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 Partnerships, City Region and Regional Growth Deals, and local partners to continue embedding

David Reid, Paradigm Futures Ltd 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 local shops – effectively

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, a sunset, a fleeting glimpse

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 has chosen inclusive growth as

Laura Brady, CITB Scotland 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 at CITB is to help employers find

Neil McInroy, Centre for Local Economic Strategies(CLES) 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 practical, common

Steve Dunlop, CEO Scottish Enterprise 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 inclusive growth. Currently in Scotland, less than 70% of working

Wendy Pring, CEng MICE, Co-founder and CEO of KCP Material Transfer Business I have found that being inclusive doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing to the same people and probably won’t feel like the same thing from organisation to organisation. To me what it is, is simply feeling included and

Hamish Trench, Chief Executive, Scottish Land Commission The Scottish Land Commission’s recent conference on ‘Scotland’s Land and Economy’ underscored why the way we own and use land is central to big public policy challenges including climate action, productivity, and a fair economy. Land is a national and a local asset.

Chris Oswald, Equality and Investment Policy Manager, Scottish Government Promoting Inclusive Growth and creating opportunity through a fair and inclusive jobs market and regional cohesion is one of the 4 priorities of the Scottish Government’s Economic Strategy. This focus on employment as a means of advancing equality and reducing poverty

Julie McLachlan, North Ayrshire Council A recent report by the Centre for Progressive Policy (CPP) identified North Ayrshire as having the lowest inclusive growth score in Scotland. It is no secret that Ayrshire contains some of the most challenging economic conditions in Scotland. Given this, there is a need to

The role of business in supporting the delivery of inclusive growth was the focus for the second meeting of the Regional Inclusive Growth Research Network Event (RIGRN). The meeting brought together academics from across Scotland including: Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian, Edinburgh and Stirling University. The guest speakers were Ziga Zarnic, Inclusive

Kevin Rush, Director of Regional Economic Growth, Glasgow City Region City Deal outlines progress being made and how the City Deal is stimulating further growth and investment. Glasgow City Region is one of the largest in the UK, with a population of 1.8 million. Our economy generates over £40 billion