Making Common Weal Future Fit

Common Weal is now nearly seven years old and readers of this newsletter will no doubt be aware of just how much has changed in Scotland during that period; and also how much has frustratingly stayed the same. 

While Common Weal has become an important part of Scotland’s intellectual landscape, and an important influencer of policy and priorities, our own internal structure, and our financial and management processes, had stayed pretty much the same. 

Earlier in the year Robin McAlpine asked to step down as Director, he is now our Head of Strategic Development. We brought in specialist Amanda Burgauer to undertake a Strategic Review to help make sure we are operating as effectively and efficiently as possible. She has since been appointed as Interim Director. 

Part of the review was to look at where our income comes from and where it goes to. We took the tough decision to close Source last month, in order to safeguard the continuation of other workstreams in Common Weal, such as our policy development work. 

What this change does enable is a refocus of resources on supporting the team and on strengthening our voice. You will see the first fruits of this work as we launch our new website, designed to be a much better resource for people who want to find out about Common Weal, its big ideas and our policy library. It will also give a space to some of the policy analysis we used to provide through Source.

Our goal is a refreshed and dynamic organisation with renewed vigour, stepping up its efforts to change Scotland for the better in the years ahead. 

Everything that we do at Common Weal is made possible by the kind and generous support of individual people who believe passionately in a Scotland that puts all of us first. Thank you for your support.   

The Common Weal Team