Shared Assets is working as part of a five-year project funded by the National Lottery Communities Fund.
The Inclusive Ownership project builds on the success of community ownership in Scotland, which developed as a way for communities to take greater control of land and assets, and has since expanded across the country. This new partnership aims to extend those opportunities further across England and Wales.
This project will support over 100 communities to access the advice and pathways needed to move towards community ownership, with a strong focus on improving access to ownership for communities who have historically faced greater barriers, including disadvantaged communities and Black and Minoritised communities. Dedicated work will be done to develop more accessible and inclusive routes to ownership with such groups.
Through the project, we’ll be undertaking research to identify effective economic models, developing practical routes to greater community control, and facilitating knowledge sharing across the UK to strengthen and scale thislearning. We plan to support the development of business plans and build sustainable, income-generating projects that contribute to long-term community wealth.
The project is being delivered in partnership with Cwmpas, the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, Shared Assets, The Ubele Initiative and the Centre for Local Economies (CLES).
Our Associate Christabel Buchanan shared:
“We are in deep crisis underpinned by unjust access to land – with over half of all land in the UK owned by aristocrats, corporations and oligarchs.
At Shared Assets we believe that everyone should be part of decisions about the land around them, not just a select few.
Community ownership could mean affordable housing, healthy and nutritious food for all, essential community spaces, and sustainable energy.
We are delighted to be collaborating with our Scottish partners, Community Land Scotland, to enable and support communities towards community ownership and successful governance of vital local resources.”
