An Introduction to Community Wealth Building A workshop exploring the fundamentals and CLES’s latest thinking around community wealth building

For anyone wanting to learn more about community wealth buildingm we are hosting an intro to the topic on March 5th, you can sign up here www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-introdu...

Yesterday was a huge day in the world of community wealth building.
Scotland became the first country to legislate for it, at a national level.

This means that the committment to tackle wealth inequality is baked into how we deliver economic development, and how we operate as a country.

How do you expect the Scottish economy to change over the next five years and what can the government do to help? As we chew over the details of the Scottish budget, Holyrood consults our panel of experts

"We shouldn’t simply accept that poverty, inequality and environmental degradation are worth the price of a growing economy"

@naomimason.bsky.social for @holyroodmag.bsky.social's The Huddle on the future of Scotland's economy 🖊️👇

www.holyrood.com/inside-polit...

A budget with a lot of positive actions, but there are a few cautionary notes as well.

If Scotland is a nation of "innovators and wealth creators" lets make sure that wealth stays here and builds for our places and communities.

Looking ahead in Scotland, it is going to be an exciting year for CLES!

'I thought this would cost us £100,000 - instead we tripled our turnover' Something unexpected happened when Nick 'bit the bullet'

This story by the @manchestereveningnews.co.uk's @josephtiman.bsky.social is a must-read for anyone following the Employment Rights Bill 🔍

It brings to life our research showing that good employment has a positive impact on businesses bottom line 🫰

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater...

“This was a politically tricky Budget because the Chancellor had tied her own hands with the government’s manifesto. But she’s made sensible calls to lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty by ending the two-child benefit cap, narrowing the gap between income on wealth and work, and putting more money into the NHS. However, this does not undo the damage done by years of austerity, nor does it mitigate the risk that many local councils still face bankruptcy. “New public investments are welcome but the how it’s spent, who we spend it with and who benefits will be key to ensuring that the outputs of our economy benefit all. Public money needs to work hard for people and not repeat the mistakes of the past that sees public investment leak out of the system in profits in droves. “People have less and less in their pocket at the end of the month, and the government’s focus on ‘growth’ isn’t matching with people’s realities. The Chancellor should mature her economic mission - focussing on who benefits from the creation, as well as the outcomes, of growth – putting wages, affordability, deprivation and the planet we all share front and centre of her fiscal decisions”.

"The Chancellor should mature her economic mission - focussing on who benefits from the creation, as well as the outcomes, of growth – putting wages, affordability, deprivation and the planet we all share front and centre of her fiscal decisions”

Dr Tom Lloyd Goodwin reacts to the Budget ⤵️

How do new opportunities link to people on the ground?

On BBC Politics NW this morning, @sarahlonglands.bsky.social explained how the benefits of @andyburnham.bsky.social's Good Growth Fund should enable people feel that their lives are getting better.

🎥 Watch here: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

The Mamdani moment What New York's next mayor could teach Britain's local leadership.

New Yorkers have been living in a real life game of Monopoly. Until now. @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social's election promises a new local economic model

To deliver, he'll need the tools of community wealth building

@leahmillthorne.bsky.social in the New Statesman ⤵️

www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/20...

Private care providers in three English regions make £250m in three years More than third of profits analysed went to firms owned by private equity or based in tax havens, research finds

🚨 Public money is being siphoned out the care system in profits, with millions going to private equity and tax haven firms

@theguardian.com's @journo-jess.bsky.social has the story of our investigation into extraction from our care system ⤵️

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

What happens when CLES and London Anchor Institutions' Network bring together the people behind the UK's anchor networks? 🤝

You get insights! 💡

Check out this new blog from Conrad Parke setting out five insightful observations about anchor networks ⚓

cles.org.uk/blog/five-le...

One of the things I love best in my job is getting out to meet people in person.
So I was delighted to meet with Gareth Hughes from @weallaotearoa.bsky.social earlier today.
We talked about the opportunity of CWB to reach the destination of a fairer & flourishing economy where wellbeing is central.

I am so honoured to have been nominated for the inaugural Smart Thinking awards!

I love my job, but forever deal with self doubt & imposter syndrome. So being nominated is a real boost.

Like all awards, it is the wider team which makes any opportunity possible, so big shout out to all at CLES.

We have nominated @naomimason.bsky.social for the Think Tanker of the year at the inaugural @smartthinking.bsky.social Think Tank Awards 🌟

Naomi is a powerful voice in Scottish politics and economics, and a leading advocate for Community Wealth Building 👏

I really enjoyed my time at the SNP party conference yesterday. It was my first time at a political conference and I was struck by the conversations had, the views heard and the energy in some of the fringe events. Thanks to @futureeconscot.bsky.social & @ipprscotland.bsky.social for your events.

When one company – like Jaguar Land Rover – dominates a local economy, its crisis can ripple through communities 🌊

@oliver-chan.bsky.social spoke to @lbc.co.uk's Jonathan Ray about the impact of the JLR hack + how we need to build resilient, locally rooted economies 📻 ⤵️

It's my last blog of 2024, and after a year at @clesthinkdo.bsky.social it felt like an opportune moment to reflect.

My key takeaway is that "We cannot hope to see flourishing local economies if our people and places do not have a seat at the decision-making table"

#communities #localeconomy

"Often, bringing power from Holyrood down to our local places seems to be a step too far here in Scotland."

@naomimason.bsky.social's latest Scotland update covers power, the good the, bad and the ugly from last week's Budget and her reflections from 12 months at CLES ➡️ cles.org.uk/blog/scottis...

Our condolences to the family of John Prescott on his passing today.

An advocate for local and regional economies, John spoke at launch of CLES, and was President until 1997. Later, he wrote the foreword to this paper on the future of English regions: cles.org.uk/wp-content/u...

The event report from our second #CWBConvo is up now on
the MJ, with Naomi Mason reflecting on the opportunity that community wealth building provides for rural places 🔗 themj.co.uk/powering-rur...