York Community Wealth Building Podcast

This is a special episode, because it takes everything that we’ve talked about in the past 18 episodes and it focuses on an opportunity that the city of York has right now, to put some of the community wealth building principles into practice.What am I talking about? Well, let me introduce this week’s guest, Phil Bixby.Phil is an Architect and Passivhaus designer who has lived and worked in York for more than thirty years. Over the past decade Phil has worked with heritage academic Helen Graham as My Future York, exploring ways to get the city to think creatively about its future. This led to the My Castle Gateway and My York Central community engagement projects, and subsequent work with York Central Co-Owned (known as YoCo) – facilitating community-led action to create a mixed community and local economy within the massive York Central redevelopment.So, what does this mean? Well, we have one of the biggest city centre brownfield regeneration sites in the country on our doorstep with York Central, which has been in the works for four decades. Phil has been part of the conversation around what happens on this site for the last 10 years or so, and has been fighting to make sure that the wants and needs of the community are reflected in what gets built there.If you’ve driven through that part of town recently you’ll see that money is being spent, infrastructure is being invested in, and there is already momentum to this project.The question is, will York seize the opportunity to do something creative with this, that people in generations to come will look back upon as a marker of York’s commitment to building community wealth rather than private wealth, or will it continue with business as usual?In this episode we dig into the origins of the YoCo project, including why Phil and Helen were first commissioned to do public engagement around the site.We discuss how architects and city planners tend to approach complex issues and systems, and how that might not always be the best way forward. We talk about the disparity between people genuinely believing that York is unlikely to change in the next 10 years, yet also paradoxically believing that it has changed a lot in the past 10 years. And Phil shares his tips on how to do genuine public engagement, rather than a tickbox “public consultation”. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Phil Bixby of YoCo, I’m Ben Porter, and this is the York Community Wealth Building Podcast, brought to you by Fieldwork. You can become a YoCo member here, or follow them on Instagram or Facebook. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

This week’s guest is Kate McLaven.Kate is the York Local Lead at Joseph Rowntree Foundation, working on their place based Emerging Futures Team. She is leading local York based work in service of social, economic and climate transition. She also works as a project lead, facilitator and grassroots organiser with Story Of The Changing in York.In this episode we start by giving a bit of background on Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Emerging Futures Team, including what Kate’s role as York local lead involves. We talk about the New Constellations journey, which was a project that JRF funded in 2023, which later became Fieldwork - the action research collective bringing you this podcast.We then talk about how the way we work is just as important as the actual work itself, with JRF taking on the role of Field builder in place based work, and Kate highlights some of the community wealth building projects across the country that are taking over assets and using them to generate community wealth in perpetuity. Finally we chat about what it means to go beyond assets and financial wealth when it comes to placemaking and building community wealth.I hope you enjoy this conversation with Kate, I’m Ben Porter and this is the York Community Wealth Building Podcast, brought to you by Fieldwork. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

Helen Jones is a disabled, queer person who is curious about the world, passionate about learning and a compassionate activist. Helen is the founder of Quiet Pride, a York based event where disabled LGBTQ+ people celebrate their wonderful, intersectional identities, which aims to be as accessible and inclusive as possible.She’s a previous chair of York Disability Rights Forum, a position she held for 5 years which saw her carry out advocacy work on behalf of the disabled community, she writes a blog called Unlocking Words where she writes about nature, disability, sexuality and tarot, and she’s also a fellow member of Fieldwork. In this episode we explore the origins of York Disability Rights Forum, and why a forum like this is important social infrastructure for building inclusive places. We talk about some of the false assumptions around disabled people, which are often reduced to caricature and are loaded with prejudice. We discuss how we can make disabled people more visible in society, how ordinary people can get involved in community wealth building even if they currently feel powerless, as well as the benefits to us in all in not always choosing the cheapest and easiest option. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Helen, this is the York Community Wealth Building Podcast, hosted by Ben Porter and brought to you by Fieldwork.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

Beth Fenton is a qualified therapist living and working in York. Alongside their private therapy practice, they work for the local authority delivering workshops on mental health and wellbeing, and also teaches trainee counsellors at York Learning. Beth is particularly keen to address areas of social injustice through mental health support and to make therapy more accessible for everyone.In this episode we talk about the unexpected importance of friction, which becomes a theme we keep returning to.We discuss how capitalism promises a fulfilled life if you just work a little harder, and just put in a few more hours, and yet we know that no amount of material things prevents us from experiencing mental health problems which can undermine the whole idea of economic efficiency. We dig into the values behind Beth’s work, in particular an ethos around each-one-teach-one, and we also have a brief stop discussing the impact AI is having when trying to find local providers of services, such as mental health support.Just before we jump in, if you or anyone you know is experiencing mental health problems and you don’t know where to turn, Beth recommends the Live Well York website, which can signpost you to services, products, activities, hubs and clubs in your area. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Beth Fenton, I’m Ben Porter, and this is the York Community Wealth Building Podcast, brought to you by Fieldwork.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

Sam Gardner is Director of Enterprise Works, the University of York’s enterprise hub. His work focuses on accelerating high-growth companies and advancing “Enterprise for All”. Through targeted, research-led interventions and strong partnerships, Enterprise Works removes barriers to participation and scale in under-recognised entrepreneurship, enabling more diverse founders and ventures to realise their potential, and translate enterprise talent and innovation into social value and economic growth.Many of you will already have come across Enterprise Works in the work they’ve been doing to support local business, but you may not know how much of a focus they have on developing social value. In this episode we talk about some of that work, and why Enterprise Works is focusing on social value and not just economic value. We talk about the cultural changes taking place that are helping to reinforce the narrative around community wealth building, the need to connect York to the rest of the region, the requirements that need to be put in place for changes in procurement to actually go ahead, as well the pitfall that community wealth builders can fall into which will hinder its chances of actually working. https://www.instagram.com/uoyenterpriseworks https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/enterprise-works-at-the-university-of-york/posts/?feedView=all This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

Violet Cannon is the CEO of York Travellers Trust, and Founding Director of Proud Gypsy Traveller CIC.Drawing on lived experience and strong connections across Gypsy and Traveller communities, Violet has spent her career championing inclusion, cultural understanding, and representation. She has led and contributed to numerous Yorkshire-based initiatives, including youth media projects, research and consultancy for local authorities, and nationally recognised creative work shown at the Tate Modern. Violet is an author, a trained intercultural mediator, and experienced facilitator, and is also a fellow Fieldwork member.  Fieldwork is the collective bringing you this podcast.In this episode we explore the importance of narrative in shaping how people perceive communities. We talk about the barriers faced by marginalised groups like Gypsies and Travellers, which are only worsened by the lack of recognition that Gypsies and Travellers are an ethnic minority within Britain.We talk about hopes for the future, what every day people can do to contribute to community wealth building, and Violet reminds us why it’s best to start small with acts of kindness and camaraderie. I hope you enjoy this conversion with Violet Cannon. I’m Ben Porter, and this is the York Community Wealth Building Podcast brought to you by Fieldwork.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

Dr Graham Gill is a Policy Fellow at the University of York, with a PhD in Sociology and a passion for sustainable cities.His research focuses on urban sustainability, unequal economies and social exclusion. He is currently working alongside the Climate Change Team at City of York Council, with a mission to help shape the city's climate adaptation strategy and, most importantly, to make sure the people and organisations across York are engaged and ready for the transition.In this episode we spend some time talking about how no city is actually sustainable, and how they all create structural inequality through the way they are incentivising growth. We discuss why it is that when cities spin narratives, such as becoming a green city, a city of culture, a city of heritage, it’s not just because we value those things in and of themselves, but usually it’s because we’re using those badges as marketing to try and attract capital and wealthy individuals to move here to boost our economy. We talk about how businesses can create more meaningful jobs for their employees, and we have a brief stop comparing Neoliberalism to Managerialism and I ask whether a return to managerialism would actually be a good thing.Graham brings years of research in this area to our conversation around community wealth building, so it was an honour to have him on the podcast. I hope you enjoy listening to the episode, I’m Ben Porter and this is the York Community Wealth Building Podcast, brought to you by Fieldwork.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

For anyone wanting to understand more about how community wealth building works, this podcast is for you.Stephen Hunt is a York-based consultant and advisor working on inclusive economies, specialising in poverty and economic development. His work sits between designing initiatives that support more inclusive economic systems, helping institutions deliver sustainable change, and using evidence and learning to shape what happens next — with much of his work centred around entrepreneurship.He has supported work in more than 30 countries, focusing on education, entrepreneurship, market systems development, and business environment reform — working across public, private, and civil society contexts to improve how things actually work in practice. In this episode, we start off by getting a better understanding of Stephen’s work and how it functions in developing economies, before bringing the conversation back to York and discussing how the principles of building inclusive economies abroad are just as important to implement here.We talk about why the UK is looking to community wealth building in 2026, with Scotland leading the way. We outline what the 5 pillars of community wealth building are, how we can use them to shape discussion and policy, but mostly importantly why community wealth building initiatives have to work with markets to become sustainable. Stephen is incredibly passionate about this area and has a grounded understanding of what it will take for the community wealth building movement to succeed in the UK. Hosted by Ben Porter, this is season two of the York Community Wealth Building Podcast brought to you by Fieldwork.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

Tom McKenzie is co-director of SPARK:YORK, a project that transformed a former derelict site on Piccadilly into a hub for independent trade. In the context of community wealth building, SPARK represents a shift away from traditional, high-rent commercial models and toward a system that keeps profit and opportunity within the local area. In this episode we discuss the realities of running a social enterprise in York, balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders, the difficulty of measuring social value, and why and how SPARK has always had community support baked into its model.This is the York Community Wealth Building Podcast, hosted by Ben Porter, brought to you by Fieldwork. Funded by York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

Rob Ainsworth is Founder and Director of Yahala Mataam CIC, York’s refugee led event caterer, pop-up restaurant and cookery school. Yahala Mataam means welcome restaurant in Arabic, and it’s their mission to give opportunity, build confidence and restore dignity in the lives of refugees and asylum seekers through food projects.Rob is a social entrepreneur who loves to think up new ideas that will make a difference in society, and an encourager that is passionate about justice, giving and fairness.In this episode we talk about the value of allowing people to contribute to society, and the change it makes in people when they feel useful and able to give. We discuss the reality of running a social enterprise when all the staff are part time, business support doesn’t quite seem to fit your model, and even finding a bank that would take on a social enterprise seems to prove tricky.We talk a lot about relationships, assets, challenges and social infrastructure, as well as the importance of festivals in bringing together diverse groups of people to celebrate what residents can offer to others around them.This is the York Community Wealth Building Podcast, hosted by Ben Porter, brought to you by Fieldwork. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

Dr Mike Calvert is a retired lecturer at York St John University, who was also employed part-time to look at the University’s responsibilities in providing public good.He also attended conferences and visited organisations in the UK and abroad, addressing issues of social innovation, social enterprise and the social economy. Mike is now a trustee of Red Tower, an inclusive welcoming space for creative, learning and social activities, based in the only part of York’s city walls made of brick. In this episode we talk about the history of this unique space, what it’s used for now, the challenges of operating such a space when relying on volunteers, and also why Red Tower was initially a community interest company, but later changed to becoming a charitable incorporated organisation. Hosted by Ben Porter, brought to you by Fieldwork. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

Polly Orton is a co-director at SPACE YORK CIC - a community run co-working space based above Brew York on Walmgate, Community outreach office for YorSpace - York’s community land trust, and a freelance community organiser. In this episode we mostly focus on SPACE, discussing the challenges of creating and operating a workspace that has community and affordability at its core. We talk about the sacrifices that operating in this way requires the team to make, when they run the workspace around their own full time work, without taking payment for the time they’re putting in.   And of course we discuss the assets, challenges and benefits, of being a social enterprise operating in the city of York.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

Stuart Priest is the director of Circus Skills York CIC. Circus Skills York provides workshops that inspire and educate, using circus skills such as juggling, slack lining and diablo to teach and train all ages, from school PE lessons to corporate team development. Alongside this, Stuart also serves as a STEM ambassador, using his thirty years of high-performance computing management leadership, with a commitment to social good. He’s a co-ordinator at one of York’s Trussel food banks, and has previously steered Kakapo Energy Ltd, an ethical venture dedicated to greening the local business landscape. In this episode we explore why the community interest model was chosen for Circus Skills York, how circus skills contribute to developing creativity and confidence, and Stuart shares his advice to new social enterprises in what they should do in their first year to give them the best chance of success.Follow Circus Skills York on Facebook or Instagram. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

Anjelica Finnegan is the Development Lead at York Together, a network of radical changemakers distributing funds and other resources.Their mission is to create a space for people to participate, learn and act together, to challenge injustices, and create the conditions for better systems to emerge across York. While they’re a fairly new group, they have emerged from previous work in the city and are very involved in the issues they are working to address. This is something we discuss in depth during this episode, as it’s a fundamental belief that local people need to be trusted to solve local problems.In order for that to happen though, there are several things that need to be put in place from a social infrastructure perspective. This forms the core of the discussion we had, based around a few practical steps that we as a city can look to take to move us forward, towards a more equitable and sustainable future.I’m Ben Porter, and this is the York Community Wealth Building Podcast, brought to you by Fieldwork.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

James Neward is a designer and community-led housing enabler, with expertise in low carbon architecture, retrofit & community led projects.Throughout his career he’s delivered a range of environmentally conscious residential, commercial and community projects, with a focus in championing natural bio-based construction methods.He’s co-founder of YorSpace, a Community Benefit Society + Land Trust that locks York land and buildings away into community ownership. They’ve recently delivered 14 affordable homes in partnership with York’s first Housing Co-op at their Lowfield Green site in Acomb, with phase two starting later this year which will see the addition of 6 flats and a community space.In this conversation we talk a lot about co-operatives and the benefit that using the co-operative structure has not just for the members, but also how that could extrapolate out to a society if we saw more people coming together to run businesses co-operatively.We discuss some of the challenges that James and the YorSpace team have come up against in trying to build mutually owned homes, particularly in finding affordable borrowing costs from lenders who see mutual ownership as a risk rather than a mitigation of risk. We then talk about what could be next for YorSpace, as they begin to look at supporting others in the city to use the community land trust they’ve built, to help bring more assets into community ownership. YorSpace was built as an asset for the city, not just as a vehicle to allow Lowfield Green to happen, so if you’re someone with an idea that could involve a community building - this podcast is for you.I’m Ben Porter, and this is the York Community Wealth Building podcast, brought to you by Fieldwork.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

Sarah Williams is an author, a tutor, an artist, a writing coach, and as of 2025 is the managing director of York Creatives CIC, a community that looks after York’s artists and those working in the creative industries.In this episode we talk about the social value organisations like York creatives provide to their local areas. We explore some of the challenges faced by social enterprises and non profits in trying to deliver work that isn’t profit motivated.We talk about the state of western civilisation in 2026 and how our hunger for growth has put us back into a state of feudalism - an uncomfortable realisation after all of modernity’s promises of technology democratising access to each new thing we’re sold a monthly subscription to.But after all that we return this central idea of community wealth building and the positive impact it can have on our local area, if we choose to prioritise community wealth over individual wealth.Find out more about York Creatives at https://instagram.com/yorkcreatives This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

Tash Almond is a facilitator and systems change practitioner with over 25 years experience working across communities, and the voluntary and social enterprise sectors. She is a director of Good Organisation, which supports disadvantaged people to share in the economic benefits of tourism, she runs projects of community-led research with Outside Influence, and is also a senior programme co-ordinator at Local Trust.In this episode we talk a lot about community led tourism. What it means, why we should care, and how it can offer York as a city, plenty of additional benefits by running community led tourism initiatives alongside the existing tourism industry.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

Why should we, as communities, own assets? The second guest on the York Community Wealth Building Podcast is Owen Powell, lecturer at York St John, director of SPACE YORK CIC and author of the Fairer Futures for York report for Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). We spend time discussing: • What 'community wealth building' (CWB) - often seen as an academic term - actually means for the average person • Examples of where it has worked well elsewhere that we can learn from • What some of the challenges are when applying CWB principles in York • Why CWB might just succeed in York • What the future of the region could look like if we put policies in place to stop extractive practices This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com

Sue Williamson is CEO of Tang Hall SMART CIC, a York based community music and arts social enterprise.She’s also the CEO of Tang Hall Employment charity, and Chair of York Social Enterprise Coalition.She was previously a music subject leader, SENCO and English teacher at Burnholme Community College, and was instrumental in the campaign to save the building for community use when it was closed as a school.   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wearefieldwork.substack.com