At the end of last year the Scottish Parliament took an historic step by agreeing to the general principles of the Community Wealth Building Bill – an act that promises to rewire Scotland’s economy, ensuring that the wealth created in our communities stays in our communities, empowering local people to make their local economies work for them.

In the Stage 1 debate, MSPs from across the political spectrum recognised both the potential of this Bill and its necessity.

Richard Leonard MSP said: “we should have local economies where far more power rests in the hands of local workers and local communities.. We should have a redistribution of wealth and power.” While Jamie Greene MSP emphasised the Bill “must be meaningful, and it must deliver its intended purpose of improving the wealth of communities across the country.”

As the Bill progresses it presents a vital opportunity, but for it to be truly transformative it must empower the people and organisations already leading the way. As Willie Coffey MSP remarked, the “key to success” is simple: “work with local people to help them to progress their vision” “instead of driving the process from the top down”.

This is crucial. If this Bill becomes legislation in 2026, the real test will be whether it provides a lever for devolved decision making and investment to the local level. Public bodies should be partners, not just top-down directors, enabling the community anchors who have the trust and knowledge to deliver lasting change.

Daniel Johnson MSP of the Economy, Business and Fair Work Committee cited our evidence, stating: “although community lies at the heart of the concept of community wealth building, the bill makes no reference to the community groups, third sector groups or private sector representatives in the partnerships.”

This must change for the Bill to be effective in building on the viable community wealth building approaches that communities are already putting into practice.

The evidence is already here

Across Scotland, communities are already leading the way on building sustainable community wealth – they are proving what is possible when local people have the tools and trust to act. 

To help fill in the picture of what’s already happening on the ground, in Autumn 2025 we travelled the breadth of Scotland with storytellers from Greater Community Media, to tell the stories of how community organisations are shaping community wealth building in Scotland:

• In Glenfarg, a community rebuilt its bus service after commercial operators withdrew, reconnecting residents, and becoming a catalyst for wider regeneration.
• On Tiree, a community-owned turbine is powering investment into essential infrastructure, services, new homes and local businesses.
• In Langholm, the community completed an historic land buy-out to create the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve, and are now regenerating the land and the local economy.
• In Fort William, the Nevis Centre is Fort William’s village hall and economic engine under one roof, keeping a vital community space in local hands.
• In Govanhill, a community-led newsroom is showing how owning your own story is the first step to building community wealth, and strengthens local decision-making.
• In Midlothian, MAEDT is feeding the community’s soul through a community pantry, café, and a derelict bowling green transformed into a thriving community garden,  building local food security, skills and resilience.

These examples are not isolated anecdotes. They are a snapshot of the sophisticated, resilient, and beautifully diverse community sector that is holding Scotland together.

These organisations are the community anchors providing their communities with a fixed point to navigate from when it is most needed. And while each organisation has a different role in their communities, they are all vitally interconnected as the community sector.

Investment, not reinvention

The government’s role is not to reinvent this movement, but to invest in it.

Organisations like these should be at the forefront of shaping the future of community wealth building, because it is already their mission- building in the gaps where there is need, with limited resources they pull together, and achieve miracles.

Our sector could provide a blueprint for the future if Scotland is serious about moving to a wellbeing economy. For this to be realised, community wealth building needs to become a consistent cross-cutting priority across government.

To truly mirror the coordinated ecosystem of national networks and intermediaries representing Scotland’s diverse community sector, its principles must be built into economic development, planning, health, food systems, transport and climate policy. Their collective strength lies in deep local knowledge, shared learning and the ability to scale practical solutions. They provide a ready-made infrastructure that could deliver sustainable community wealth equitably and effectively. 

Local People Leading

In February the Scottish Community Alliance will host our Local People Leading, a national parliamentary event bringing our diverse sector together under one roof. It is a rare opportunity for the people running these community organisations to sit directly with the decision-makers shaping their future.

From deep dives into funding models that ensure natural capital assets deliver long-term benefits to the people of Scotland, to planning systems that put biodiversity and communities first, this event will lay out the priorities of what matters locally, and spotlight the collective contributions that are leading local democracy and community wealth building agendas.

A challenge for 2026

As the Bill progresses through Stage 2 and we look toward the 2026 election, the dial must shift.

Communities are tired of surviving on short-term project grants while delivering long-term essential services. It stifles their potential, and stretches their resilience. Sharon Hill from MAEDT asks: “Treat us the same way we treat our community. Trust us. Respect us and support us, but trust us to do what we do.”

Our series This is Community Wealth Building makes clear what’s possible when you combine care with persistence – that with trust and investment, communities can genuinely transform their futures for the common good. 

To turn this legislation into reality, we need a system that builds on and invests in the community wealth building communities across Scotland are already pioneering. We need multi-year funding, genuine partnerships, and a transfer of power.

Communities know that wealth is more than money – it is wellbeing, fairness, pride and opportunity. They have built the foundations. Now, decision makers must help them build the rest.

 

Read more from our series This is Community Wealth Building and what we’re calling for to support Community Wealth Building across Scotland.