Inclusive Ownership

Inclusive Ownership is a UK-wide partnership supporting communities to take ownership of land and buildings.

Funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, the project supports communities across Scotland, Wales and England to explore ownership of land and buildings, develop sustainable community assets and build stronger local economies. A particular focus is supporting urban and post-industrial communities, and communities that have historically faced barriers to ownership.

What is Inclusive Ownership?

Inclusive Ownership is a five-year project working across Scotland, Wales and England. We support communities to explore, acquire and manage land and buildings for community benefit.

We believe community ownership should be open to more people and more places. The project focuses on helping communities that have traditionally been underrepresented in community ownership, including Black and Minoritised communities and communities experiencing higher levels of deprivation.

By supporting sustainable, income-generating community assets, we aim to strengthen local economies and community wealth.

Who is the project for?

In Scotland, Inclusive Ownership will support communities across 18 local authority areas. The project focuses on urban and post-industrial communities, with a particular emphasis on making community ownership more accessible for communities facing higher levels of deprivation and Black and Minoritised communities.

We are interested in working with:

Community organisations exploring ownership of land and buildings
Communities seeking to develop sustainable, income-generating assets
Communities looking to strengthen local economies through community ownership
Groups interested in community-led regeneration and community wealth building
Communities that have historically faced greater barriers to community ownership

Inclusive Ownership support will be prioritised within the following local authority areas:

City of Edinburgh
Clackmannanshire
Dumfries & Galloway
East Ayrshire
East Dunbartonshire
East Lothian
East Renfrewshire
Falkirk
Glasgow City

Inverclyde
Midlothian
North Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire
Renfrewshire
South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire
West Dunbartonshire
West Lothian

What support is available?

Communities participating in Inclusive Ownership may be able to access support including:

Policy and Systems Change

Inclusive Ownership is not only about supporting individual communities to take ownership of land and buildings. The project will also work to identify and address the barriers that prevent more communities from accessing ownership opportunities.

By gathering evidence from community experience across Scotland, Wales and England, the partnership will help inform policy, practice and future approaches to community ownership and community wealth building.

We will work with communities, policymakers and partner organisations to share learning, develop new models and contribute to long-term system change.

Heather Yearwood, Inclusive Ownership Manager

Cwmpas is a development agency supporting co-operatives, social enterprises and community businesses across Wales. They help communities develop sustainable organisations, access funding and build local wealth, with a focus on creating fairer economies and increasing community control over assets and services.

The Coalfields Regeneration Trust is a national charity dedicated to supporting former coalfield communities. They work with local organisations and residents to strengthen community assets, improve economic opportunities and support community-led regeneration in areas affected by industrial decline.

The Ubele Initiative is a national organisation supporting Black and Minoritised communities to develop sustainable organisations, spaces and economic opportunities. Ubele works to strengthen community leadership, build assets and ensure communities have greater control over the resources and opportunities that affect their futures.

Shared Assets is a membership organisation working to create fairer and more sustainable approaches to land ownership and management. They support communities, organisations and networks to explore collective ownership models, develop community assets and ensure land and resources deliver social, environmental and economic benefit.

CLES (Centre for Local Economies) works with communities, local authorities and anchor institutions to create stronger local economies. Through research, policy development and practical action, CLES supports approaches that build community wealth, reduce inequalities and ensure more wealth remains within local communities.

Job Opportunity: Inclusive Ownership Partnership Coordinator

Job Opportunity: Inclusive Ownership Policy Officer

£4.25 million boost for community ownership across the UK

The project is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.

The National Lottery Community Fund work within and alongside communities across the UK to strengthen society and build a better future. Thanks to the generosity of National Lottery players, they  support activities that strengthen society and improve lives.

With funding teams embedded across the UK, they prioritise efforts where the need is greatest. They fund projects that deliver four community-led missions to support communities to come together, help children and young people thrive, enable people to live healthier lives and to be environmentally sustainable.

By 2030, they will have shared over £4 billion to help create stronger, fairer communities across the UK. But they offer much more than funding. They provide practical support, information and insight to all. So new ideas can become reality, and projects that are already making a difference can grow. All to help communities do something truly life-changing.