Response to the City of Edinburgh Council’s Community Wealth Building Plan

Gemma Gourlay, the University’s Head of Social Impact, responded to Edinburgh Council’s Community Wealth Building plan on how the Council should approach a community wealth building approach and how to collaborate with others on this plan.

Response ID ANON-C9FT-YAD2-6
Submitted to Community Wealth Building at The City of Edinburgh Council
Submitted on 2025-09-24 17:42:54

Your details

1 Your details

First name:
Gemma

Surname:
Gourlay

Email address:
gemma.gourlay@ed.ac.uk

Postcode:
EH1 1LT

Yes, I consent to being contacted about this consultation:
Yes

2 Are you responding as an individual or on behalf of an organisation?

On behalf of an organisation

Organisation name (if applicable)::
University of Edinburgh

Community Wealth Building

3 How aware are you of Community Wealth Building?

Very aware – I know a lot about it.

Spending

4 To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the proposed actions?

Spending – proposed actions – The actions are the right ones to focus on:
Agree

Spending – proposed actions – The actions are achievable:
Agree

Spending – proposed actions – The actions are ambitious:
Neither agree nor disagree

5 Please share any thoughts or comments you have on how we can use our spending power better to support Edinburgh’s economy.

Enter comments:

The actions feel achievable, which is positive, but they do not feel ambitious in their current form. They currently don’t outline resulting impact or note how they will be measured or what success will look like.

Economic Participation

6 To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the proposed actions?

Economic participation – proposed actions – The actions are the right ones to focus on:
Strongly agree

Economic participation – proposed actions – The actions are achievable:
Agree

Economic participation – proposed actions – The actions are ambitious:
Neither agree nor disagree

7 Please share any thoughts or comments you have on how we ensure that Edinburgh’s local economy is inclusive and that wealth in the city benefits local people.

Enter comments:

With resource, the actions feel achievable, which is positive, however do need to be time bound.

For them to be feel ambitious additional detail is needed to outline how they will be measured or what success will look like.

Whilst CWB is an important concept, finding fresh resources to support it is challenging in the current context. In the University’s approach to CWB we have explored ways to support communities by adding additional objectives to existing planned spend or activity, such that it delivers additional
community or social benefits at low or zero cost. Two examples are our community access to rooms programme, and our social investments using treasury.

The University has been undertaking social investment since 2017 and recently recommitted to it as part of its Responsible Investment Policy agreed in April 2025. The social investments we undertake use treasury funds capped at 2% of total, and there may be opportunities for the Council to consider similar approaches.

https://local.ed.ac.uk/community-rooms

https://sustainability.ed.ac.uk/operations/responsible-investment/socially-positive

There may be opportunities for the council to have greater impact by reviewing ways in which a similar approach might be taken?

Employment

8 To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the proposed actions?

Employment – proposed actions – The actions are the right ones to focus on:
Strongly agree

Employment – proposed actions – The actions are achievable:
Agree

Employment – proposed actions – The actions are ambitious:
Neither agree nor disagree

9 Please share any thoughts or comments you have on how we can support fair work and equality of employment opportunities in the city.

Enter comments:

Response shared on Fair Work Charter Consultation.

For actions to be ambitious additional detail is needed to outline how they will be measured or what success will look like.

Land and Property

10 To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the proposed actions?

Land and property – proposed actions – The actions are the right ones to focus on:
Agree

Land and property – proposed actions – The actions are achievable:
Agree

Land and property – proposed actions – The actions are ambitious:
Neither agree nor disagree

11 Please share any thoughts or comments you have on these actions and any other opportunities to make sure that land and property in the city deliver positive local impacts.

Enter comments:

With resource, the actions feel achievable, however should be time bound.

For actions to be ambitious additional detail is needed to outline how they will be measured or what success will look like.

Collaboration and Partnership

12 Below are proposed actions that the Council could take to support collaboration and partnership work on Community Wealth Building in Edinburgh. Please rate each action in terms of importance.

Actions the Council should take to support collaboration. – Host events to share good practice.:
Very important

Actions the Council should take to support collaboration. – Develop a website for sharing the latest Community Wealth Building news.:
Important

Actions the Council should take to support collaboration. – Circulate a Community Wealth Building newsletter.:
Very important

Actions the Council should take to support collaboration. – Post social media content to highlight local case studies.:
Very important

Actions the Council should take to support collaboration. – Hold regular Community Wealth Building drop-in sessions.:
Very important

Actions the Council should take to support collaboration. – Conduct and share research on Community Wealth Building.:
Extremely important

13 Who should be involved in a Community Wealth Building movement in Edinburgh, and how can the Council support the building of that movement?

Enter comments:

Would suggest representatives from key anchor organisations and representatives from key third sector and social enterprise bodies in Edinburgh.

Through regular communications via various methods it would be important to raise awareness of learning opportunities and activities that have taken place to demonstrate action to others and inspire awareness.

Community Wealth Building in Edinburgh

14 How do you think Community Wealth Building can be used to benefit Edinburgh and its residents?

Enter comments:

As outlined in definition Community Wealth Building can generate significant benefits for the city and it’s residents if properly implemented.

15 How do you think Community Wealth Building can be used to make Edinburgh a fairer city and reduce inequalities?

Enter comments:

By recognising the opportunities to engage with communities and empower local change driven by local people and bringing economic benefits through greater local spend and entrepreneurial activity created in conditions to thrive.

16 What is the role of the Council in developing Community Wealth Building in Edinburgh?

Enter comments:

To bring partners together and demonstrate key active delivery through own activities benefiting the city with measurable impact demonstrated and reported.

About you

17 What is your age?
35-44

18 What is your sex?
Female

Feedback about this consultation and engagement activity

19 To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about this consultation and engagement activity?

Feedback about engagement process – I was given all the information that I needed to have my say.:
Strongly agree

Feedback about engagement process – This engagement activity was clear and easy to understand.:
Strongly agree

Feedback about engagement process – I was given the opportunity to have my say.:
Strongly agree

Please provide any other comments or suggestions you may have about this engagement process.: