Community organisations asked to take part in wealth study

Community organisations across the Highlands and Islands are being asked to take part in a new study to explore how to maximise opportunities to generate community wealth.

Economic and community development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has commissioned specialist research consultancy the Diffley Partnership to carry out the work.

It will draw on the region’s long history of community ownership and social enterprise and identify approaches that have proved most effective. It will explore opportunities to build on past successes and how best to target support.

As well as a large-scale online survey of community organisations and some focus group activity or follow-on depth interviews, the study includes consultation with a range of key stakeholders and a general review of policy.

It will explore how land and community asset ownership could better support community wealth, considering issues such as longer-term sustainability. It will factor in land and assets already in community ownership, as well as potential assets that could be important sources of revenue.

Researchers will also examine how to maximise community benefits associated with broader commercial and public sector development, particularly large-scale projects.

Fieldwork will be carried out from today (Monday 19 August) to 30 September with a report of the findings and recommendations shared and published early next year.

Rachel Hunter, HIE’s director of enterprise and community support, said:

“Community wealth building is about growing the prosperity of places that are influenced by public and private sectors, as well as social and community-led enterprises. It’s about strengthening the impact this has on the country’s economy while making sure the communities benefit more.

“As well as income generation, it takes in wider aspects of the economy, such as fair work and labour markets, addressing inequalities, and ownership of land and property.

“This study will bring all this together in a way that helps us determine the best ways to support the development of places. It’ll be particularly useful in relation to the role of social and community led enterprises in future community wealth building as a key feature of Scotland’s prosperity.

“We’re appealing to social and community organisations across the Highlands and Islands to take part in the study. The more input we have, the more accurate, effective and useful the study will be.”

The study takes place against a backdrop of the Scottish Government’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation, which recognises the need to generate, circulate and retain wealth in local communities as part of a wider wellbeing economy. It will also inform the work of the Highlands and Islands Regional Economic Partnership.

Minister for Employment and Investment Tom Arthur said:

“We need to ensure our long-term economic planning puts people at its core.

“Community wealth building is a practical and sustainable model that’s grounded in evidence.

“This study will help to inform the next stages of work to support communities across Scotland to make the most of the economic opportunities available, and I look forward to the report’s publication.”