Empowering Communities through Inclusive Wealth Creation
Inclusive wealth creation, where prosperity is shared fairly among all, is essential for sustainable community growth. At BRAG, our mission is to empower communities by providing comprehensive support, allowing them to identify their unique needs and then address them. Our well-proven community-building approach encourages everyone to engage in the process of envisioning a brighter future. We start by asking the community what they believe is missing, then assist them in crafting a local economic plan that includes a clear vision, resources, and support to harness the economic growth opportunities they create. This approach leads to jobs, employment, and inclusive growth as natural outcomes.
Flaws in Traditional Approaches to Economic Regeneration
Previous models for economic regeneration typically involved external experts who identified a community's "need" and then provided specific services or activities to meet it. While this approach yielded some results, it fostered a culture of dependency, where vulnerable community members felt reliant on outsiders for solutions. Crucially, this model often excluded local people from the decision-making process, diminishing the community's sense of ownership and agency.
This dependency was further aggravated by a top-down, procurement-driven approach to service design and delivery, often lacking a coherent, integrated strategy. Many of these services were limited by funding cycles, leading to discontinuity once grants ended, ultimately leaving communities in the same or worse conditions than before the intervention. Moreover, this approach often prioritised housing and public realm projects that created a superficial impression of community improvement, with little real economic benefit to local residents. Where investments were made in employability and enterprise, they tended to follow national directives rather than local needs, leading to misalignment with regional regeneration goals.
Since 2010, significant funding cuts have particularly affected employability and enterprise programs, highlighting the need for a more sustainable approach to community empowerment.
A New Approach to Community Empowerment
BRAG believes that strengthening communities requires unlocking their full potential by deeply understanding local needs and engaging with the community to find tangible solutions. This new approach involves making robust use of all community assets—whether it's the people, local resources, or other underutilised assets. Our role is to help communities see the opportunities they possess and to work with those who own or control these assets. Our aim is to bring the right people together to get the right initiatives off the ground, thereby fostering a sense of ownership and encouraging sustainable, inclusive growth.
By focusing on local involvement and comprehensive planning, we aim to create a community-driven ecosystem that is not only resilient but also adaptable to changing needs and challenges. This inclusive and collaborative approach lays the foundation for a truly sustainable future, where everyone has a stake in the community's success.
