Community Wealth Building
Community Wealth Building (CWB) is an approach to organising local economies so that money, power, resources, and decision-making remain rooted in local communities. Rather than allowing wealth to flow to large organisations or distant investors, CWB seeks to ensure that local people, workers, small and inclusive businesses, co-operatives, and social enterprises share in the benefits of economic activity more equitably.
Our World Reimagined
In 2020, GCVS hosted Our World Reimagined. A series of online events that brought together key thinkers, influencers, and third-sector leaders to explore how we could rebuild our society and economy in the wake of COVID-19.
These conversations, available on our YouTube channel, explored themes such as Community Wealth Building, Asset-Based Community Development, and the concept of an enabling state.
Procurement, Partnerships and the Third Sector
Building on this, Partnership Manager Pauline Gordon’s 2023 blog highlights socially responsible public procurement as a key driver of CWB in Scotland. With around £14.5 billion spent annually by the public sector, procurement represents a powerful lever to keep wealth local, support fair work, and deliver wider social and environmental benefits.
Embedding social value, partnership, and prevention at the heart of public spending is essential to creating a fairer, more inclusive and resilient local economy in line with Community Wealth Building principles.
Our blog on Maximising the Impact of Public Procurement:
If you have any questions, please contact the team for support at policy.engagement@gcvs.org.uk