Community Wealth Building

Community wealth building is aimed at improving the ability of communities and individuals to increase asset ownership, anchor jobs locally, expand the provision of public services, and ensure local economic stability.

The Scottish Government has adopted this approach to economic development, and introduced a Community Wealth Building Bill on the 20 March 2025 which is now going through the Scottish Parliament before it becomes enacted legislation. The Bill’s intention is to create a strategic foundation for community wealth building in Scotland.

Find out more:

• For the current Bill and call for views, which closes on the 23rd of May 2025, see the Scottish Parliament website.

• For a recent take on community wealth building and local democracy, read this blog by Pauline Smith, Chief Executive of Develop Trust Association Scotland (DTAS).

• The Scottish Government’s page on community wealth building, which gives more introductory information on the approach and the new Bill.

• For a community development perspective on community wealth building, read about Scottish Community Development Centre’s response to the Scottish Government’s community wealth building consultation in 2023.

• CLES, the national organisation for local economies provides information on the approach

• Community-Wealth.org, a project of US-based organisation, The Democracy Collaborative.

• For more information on another related concept, ‘wellbeing economy’, visit the New Economic Foundation’s website.