Across the UK, local government, business and community groups are fuelling a revolution and reclaiming their local economies. When aligned with the values and aspirations of the community, these systems can reshape places to drive positive and sustained social and environmental action.
The ‘Wellbeing Economy in Action’ project will bring these stories to life, creating a compendium of first-person narratives which evidence the myriad benefits of taking a holistic approach to place-based change.
Liz Zeidler, chief executive, Centre for Thriving Places: “It’s easy to feel hopeless in the face of a brutal 24-hour news cycle. Bad news may sell, but there’s a growing appetite for stories of the real shifts that are happening that nourish us and, more importantly, spread a different way of doing things. Across the UK, local groups and organisations are collectively working to shift the long-embedded, exhausted systems that rely on consumerism and profit to define our future. With this new project, the repositioning of local economies towards a much more meaningful and positive future can be given the platform they deserve.”
The current economic model, measured by GDP growth, puts society and the environment in service to profit, exacerbating unhappiness, inequality and climate breakdown. However, in a wellbeing economy, success is measured instead by how well the system serves and supports social, health, cultural and environmental outcomes. Essentially, if a wellbeing economy is thriving, so is the wellbeing of the local people and environment.
Bevis Watts, chief executive, Triodos Bank UK:“Interest in wellbeing economics has grown exponentially and this is a really good news story. Through our sponsorship of this project, we hope to spotlight what is happening on the ground, where local communities are taking back control of their own economies. At Triodos we have always been steadfast in our belief that people and the planet need not be sacrificed for a healthy economy and that, in fact, by prioritising positive societal and environmental impact we can all thrive.”
Sarah Davidson, chief executive, Carnegie UK: “These stories show that local communities across the UK are building systems which improve people’s lives without undermining the environment. At Carnegie UK, we believe that collective wellbeing should be our top priority. We’re proud to support this project as it shows that wellbeing public policy is already taking root up and down the UK.”
Centre for Thriving Places is committed to embedding deep-rooted and long-lasting change and works in partnership with local authorities, organisations and individuals to provide practical pathways to improve wellbeing.
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Notes to editors:
For further information and photography please contact:
Ellie James
T: 0117 311 0241
[email protected]
About Centre for Thriving Places
Founded in 2010, Centre for Thriving Places was created to change the economic compass from pointing to consumption and growth toward wellbeing economics for people, place and the planet.
This planet and people first vision is brought to life by a multi-disciplinary approach offering strategic consulting, training and evidence-based measurement tools like the Thriving Places Index and Happiness Pulse. Centre for Thriving Places works alongside local authorities, organisations and individuals to provide practical pathways to measure, understand and improve wellbeing.
Learn more: centreforthrivingplaces.org
About Carnegie UK
Carnegie UK’s purpose is better wellbeing for people in the UK and Ireland. We are an independent charitable foundation established with an endowment from Andrew Carnegie over 100 years ago.
At Carnegie UK we’re working on research and practice to expand what we know about wellbeing. And we’re making the case to decision-makers for action to improve the quality of people’s lives now and in the future.
Learn more: carnegieuktrust.org.uk
About Triodos Bank
Founded in 1980, Triodos Bank has become a frontrunner in sustainable banking globally. As an independent bank that promotes responsible and transparent banking, it does not see any conflict between a focus on people and the planet and a good financial return. Instead it believes that they reinforce each other in the long-term.
Triodos Bank has banking activities in the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Spain and Germany, as well as Investment Management activities based in the Netherlands but active globally. Triodos Bank co-founded the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV), a network of 54 sustainable banks. Together these banks want to grow sustainable banking and its impact on the real economy substantially.
Triodos Bank UK Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Triodos Bank NV. Registered Office: Deanery Road, Bristol, BS1 5AS. Registered in England and Wales Company No. 11379025. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 817008. VAT reg no 793493383.