TDC welcomes Northern Ireland’s funding of Community Wealth Building projects

October 15, 2025

Courtesy of David McKelvey

Ahead of The Democracy Collaborative’s Global Lead for Community Wealth Building, Neil McInroy’s keynote address at this year’s Development Trusts NI (DTNI) conference, we are pleased to hear that a total sum of £300,000 (around $400,000) has been awarded by the government to two CWB projects.

Community Wealth Building partnerships in the town of Larne and in the North West region are each to receive £150,000 — funded jointly by the Northern Irish Department for the Economy and Department for Communities — to pilot community-led economic and social development initiatives.

“This is good news and a welcome fillip to ongoing CWB action in Northern Ireland. NI badly needs a stronger, more dynamic and inclusive economy. Community Wealth Building is the way and it’s great to see the Ministers for Economy and Communities, as well as the NI Executive, championing CWB. We will follow progress with interest.”

- Neil McInroy, Global Lead for CWB, The Democracy Collaborative

“The report of the independent advisory panel to the Minister for Communities and Northern Ireland Executive in 2022 set out one of the most ambitious agendas anywhere for advancing Community Wealth Building and creating a fairer, more democratic economy. Now what is required is action and implementation — at The Democracy Collaborative we welcome these new efforts to build community wealth and put the report’s recommendations into practice.”

- Joe Guinan, President, The Democracy Collaborative

At today’s DTNI conference in Derry, Neil will be speaking on how Scotland, another UK devolved nation, is about to implement the first piece of CWB national legislation anywhere in the world.