CLES - Centre for Local Economic Strategies

Great to see the new South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Corporate Plan setting out an ambitious vision - and even better to see how our work on RORE (with partners New Economics Foundation, Centre for Thriving Places and Cooperatives UK) has helped shape it! Behind-the-scenes work to support institutions to gradually shift how they operate isn’t always easy to see. But this plan shows real signs of progress: embedding challenges, alternative perspectives and fresh ways of working. So much of what RORE has brought to the table - rethinking economic priorities, new approaches to inclusion, a focus on meaningful engagement - has been embraced and built into this plan. That’s a win for long-term change. Credit to Oliver Coppard and the leadership team for driving this forward. That’s exactly why RORE was established - recognising that change takes time, and that rethinking priorities from the inside out is key to making a real difference. This isn’t the end of the journey, but it’s an important step. Excited to see where this leads and how we keep building momentum. Read the Corporate Plan🔗 https://lnkd.in/euygfaqK Learn more about RORE 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eCv3y3jq

Tom Lloyd Goodwin reflects on our day yesterday in London, launching the North West Regional Leaders Board's prospectus to the goverment - a co-developed "offer and ask" document which details the region's strengths, challenges and what it needs to thrive. A great piece of work, which you can find on the website of North West Employers who work with the NWRLB as Secretariat 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eE_tYcBF

Delighted to be in Parliament today, celebrating the launch of the North West Leaders Board's offer and ask document to the government: Powering Up the North West 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eatn6Kkt This has been a fascinating piece of work, collaborating with the leaders and our partners at North West Employers, and we're delighted to see it come to fruition, with seven asks for the North West: 💰 Proper funding 📈 Economic policy that goes beyond growth 🤝 Fix adults and children's services 🏘️ Support for more homes 🌳 Empower local climate action 🚅 Improve transport connectivity 🏥 Encourage NHS and local gov joint working Afrasiab Anwar MBE Tamoor Tariq Phil Cresswell Alistair Bradley Aniela Bylinski James Duncan Paulette Lappin Steven Broomhead Gareth Dowling Jonathan Brook.

📢 Big news for local economies - Scotland has officially announced its Community Wealth Building Bill. When it's passed, this world-first piece of legislation will be a major step in reshaping how wealth is generated and retained within Scottish communities. In her latest blog, Naomi Mason reflects on: 🔹 What the new legislation means for Scotland’s local economies 🔹 How councils and communities can leverage it for real change 🔹 Lessons the rest of the UK can take from this bold approach 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eS9HF2Qh #CommunityWealthBuilding #LocalEconomies #EconomicDemocracy #Scotland #PolicyUpdate

Like many others, CLES is gearing up for the upcoming Spending Review. 🌅 This morning, Sarah Longlands, joined LBC News to discuss new research from the Local Government Association highlighting the urgent need for sustainable funding for local government. 🌆 And this afternoon, we sent this briefing by Alice Pugh to all MPs, outlining key priorities for investment in local economies 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eGanGPEb The Spending Review is a crucial moment to shape the future of our communities. Now is the time to make the case for funding that empowers local economies and strengthens public services. #SpendingReview #LocalGovernment #CommunityWealthBuilding #CLES

CLES has been a long time supporter of the People's Powerhouse annual convention - This is the North - celebrating the power of people's experiences and voices in the North. This year's event asks, if more local power is on its way, how do we keep it real? #letthepeoplein #PeoplesPowerhouse. Sign up for your ticket here and you'll also get the chance to join our workshop on community wealth building with Victoria Bettany. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ezCQyzme

🚨 Deadline Extended! 🚨 CLES is looking for new trustees to help shape the future of local economic change - could this be you? As the national organisation for local economies, CLES supports communities to build fairer, more inclusive flows of wealth for their place. To drive our mission forward we need diverse voices and bold thinkers to join our board. 🟡 No prior board experience? No problem! We welcome applications from those passionate about economic justice, democracy, and social change. 🔹 New deadline: 5pm, Monday 24 March 2025 🔹 Find out more & apply: https://lnkd.in/e-RPBaxy If you believe in the power of local economies to create lasting change, we’d love to hear from you! Tag someone who’d be a great fit, or share this post to spread the word. #Hiring #Trustees #Leadership #EconomicJustice #Governance #CLES

Great news! Who owns and controls our land underpins ALL economic activity: seeing who is pulling the levers of our broken system will provide crucial insights and tools for those of us who seek to transform it for the better ✊ https://ow.ly/qb7a50VeZUU

🚨 New Report 🚨 What if our schools, hospitals, and universities sourced more from local suppliers, strengthening the local economy, improving sustainability, and ensuring healthier food for our communities? 📢 Feeding the Future: A Roadmap for a Sustainable, Healthy and Local Food Economy in Sheffield is now live. This report, commissioned by ShefFood and the The University of Sheffield and written by CLES's Julian Boys and Sean Benstead, explores how we can transform Sheffield’s food system by leveraging the power of public procurement. Key findings include: 🍎 Universities in Sheffield are leading the way, with 42% of food spend going to local suppliers. 🥖 Local suppliers are keen to work with public sector buyers but need simpler tendering processes and long-term commitments. 🌍 Collaboration between anchor institutions could unlock huge potential for a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable local food system. The report outlines a practical roadmap for action—covering quick wins, medium-term strategies, and long-term reforms. 📖 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eXhfNiru 💬 What are your thoughts on public sector food procurement? How can we make local, sustainable food the norm? Let’s start the conversation! 👇 #SustainableFood #LocalEconomy #Sheffield #CommunityWealthBuilding #PublicProcurement

#IWD2025 #AccelerateAction Last year, we ran analaysis that found that UK loses £100bn every year due to gendered barriers in the workplace, equivalent to the annual contribution of the entire financial services sector 💷📉. But beyond the numbers, the real cost is felt in communities: 🔴 Women locked out of good jobs 🔴 Stagnant wages and underemployment 🔴 Rising health inequalities 🔴 Higher poverty risks for women and their families In some local economies, gender inequality in the labour market is holding back up to 10% of total economic output—a staggering loss that we cannot afford to ignore. One of the most striking examples is the care sector: 👩⚕️ A predominantly female workforce, low-paid and undervalued 👩👧👦 Women providing unpaid caregiving at huge personal and financial cost 💸 High childcare & social care costs forcing impossible trade-offs And yet, despite these pressures, we see excess profits in some parts of the sector, paired with unaffordability, suboptimal quality and inaccessibility. This isn’t just a call for national government action (though that’s crucial). Local and regional authorities have the power to act now. Some already are—by: ✅ Reforming how care services are commissioned ✅ Partnering with community businesses and social enterprises ✅ Creating better-paid, flexible jobs ✅ Reducing burdens on women and families. Read the report we did last year on this work, in partnership with UK Women's Budget Group and Leeds City Council: https://buff.ly/6WAIa6S It’s time for a feminist future of work: one that ends entrenched gendered poverty and ensures care work is valued properly in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. What policies and actions would you like to see? Let’s discuss 👇 #GenderEquality #FutureOfWork #FairEconomy