Capacity Building and Community Control of Local Economic Assets

Abstract

This paper explores the major changes and challenges confronting British credit unions, and highlights some of their implications in relation to notions of capacity-building. The paper’s key themes were presented at a wide range of local, national and international conference presentations including the National Association of Credit Union Workers, Birmingham, 2001; ESRC ‘Capacity building: learning for community economic development’ seminar series, ‘Seminar Three: Capacity-building and community control of local economic assets’, Salford University, 2001; Alternative Economic Spaces, Hull, 2005; and via discussions with local user communities throughout the UK (including through non-academic publishing, including SCCD news and New Start articles).