Across all jurisdictions of the UK, the acquisition of local assets, such as land and buildings, is promoted at a policy and public authority level as a valued means of strengthening communities. While research has established that owning community assets can positively impact on communities, less is known about the conditions under which processes of asset acquisition lead (or do not lead) to increased empowerment, wellbeing, and resilience.
The Rural Assets study aimed to understand the impacts of the processes of community asset acquisition upon the empowerment, resilience and wellbeing of rural communities. To achieve this aim, primary data was collected through interviews and Knowledge Exchange events with rural community members, public authorities, key national support organisations and policymakers from across Northern Ireland. Wider UK activities related to the Rural Assets project, such as the community coproduction element, can be found in our Main Public Output available here.