Community Wealth Building in Edinburgh

Bria Clegg from City of Edinburgh Council's Strategy Team, shares information with Edinburgh Advice Network members on Community Wealth Building, the strategy that is being developed, and how you can get involved including an online session on 23rd April, ESES Online portal: Community Benefits and Social Business Directory.

Community Wealth Building Overview

Community Wealth Building (CWB) is an alternative approach to economic development that aims to harness local economic assets and resources to benefit local people and organisations.

It is based on the five key pillars of employment, spending, land and property, inclusive ownership, and finance.

Anchor institutions are important in supporting CWB to develop in their local areas. These are organisations that are tied to a particular place and have a significant impact on their local economy, for example as a landowner, buyer of goods and services, or large-scale employer.

The Council is one of many anchor institutions in Edinburgh. The Council aims to build CWB into its way of working to support efforts to end and prevent poverty in the city, empower communities, support a just transition, and make sure that Edinburgh is a good place to live and work.

The Council has already made good progress in building CWB into its policies and programmes. The Council’s Community Wealth Building Plan 2026-2029 will build on and grow this work further. It is structured around three priorities:

1. Grow awareness and understanding of Community Wealth Building.

2. Deliver innovative change in Council policies and practices.

3. Build a city-wide movement.

   
   

A range of objectives and actions sit underneath these, including working with local credit unions to increase awareness and uptake of their services, and bringing financial institutions in the city together to explore locally impactful investment.

If you’d like to find out more about the Council’s Community Wealth Building work, please get in touch with Bria Clegg on bria.clegg@edinburgh.gov.uk

How to Get Involved

Community Wealth Building Sharing Session

Date: 23^rd April 12-12.45pm

Location: Online

Registration: Community Wealth Building Sharing Session

The session will look at the fair work pillar, and specifically how employers can work together and adopt fair work practices to support a shift towards a fairer economy.  It will focus on work being progressed by the Edinburgh Fair Work Action Group. The action group is a collaboration of employers, public sector bodies, social enterprises and business organisations who are committed to promoting Fair Work and ending in-work poverty in the city. 

ESES Online Portal: Community Benefits and Social Business Directory

ESES Communities is a dedicated online portal designed to match community groups and "good causes" with businesses and suppliers operating within the Edinburgh and South East Scotland (ESES) City Region Deal. The platform not only serves as a hub for Community Benefits but also promotes Community Wealth Building by encouraging suppliers to engage with locally socially focused businesses through its Social Business Directory.

If you would like to sign up for their monthly newsletter and find out more, do so here.