ALLIANCE Annual Conference 2026 – From hope to action

Read more about the ALLIANCE Annual Conference which took place on 23 March 2026.

The ALLIANCE Annual Conference 2026 brought together colleagues from across the third sector, public services and communities to mark 20 years of the ALLIANCE and explore what it truly means to move from hope to action in Scotland’s health and social care landscape.

There was a clear sense of purpose to the day; a recognition of the work done over the past 20 years but an equally strong awareness of the challenges that remain. For example, financial pressure, widening inequality, and how we ensure lived experience is the bedrock of reform.

The day made space for honest conversations, shared learning and collective ambition.

The conference opened with Pennie Taylor framing the day. She reminded those gathered that the programme was designed to explore prevention, inclusion and rights-based approaches. And that lived experience had a central role to play in shaping services.

The keynote from Neil Gray, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, prompted a lively and engaged discussion. Delegates raised challenging questions about the impact of local budget decisions, tensions between crisis spending and prevention, the implementation gap between policy and practice, the pressure on carers, and rural services.

There were strong feelings in the room about the priorities for the next government and the real need to turn hope into action.

The morning panel, led by ALLIANCE Chief Officer Sara Redmond, brought together leaders from across health, social care and local government to reflect on how the landscape has evolved over the past two decades. Panelists celebrated progress but reiterated persistent challenges and the need for investment. The need for lived experience to shape decisions, systems and solutions was also raised, with the theme running through many of the day’s conversations.

Across the morning and afternoon, delegates took part in a programme of workshops across six thematic zones – from prevention and rights to creativity, integration and reimagining the future, including AI. There were discussions about the social context of health and social care, including housing, inclusion, democracy and asylum.

The afternoon panel examined how the insights shared throughout the day can be translated into meaningful, sustained action. Speakers discussed how Scotland can harness existing strengths and ongoing good practices to drive real, lasting progress in health and social care over the next 20 years, ensuring the sector is able to flourish.

Throughout the day Graphic Facilitator Jem Milton captured the day in real time, with her unique visuals designed to bring the conference to life.

And delegates were treated to a moving and creative performance from the Deafblind Scotland BSL Choir to bring the day to a close.

Marking 20 years offered a chance to reflect on the incredible work done in the health and social care sector and a space to look to the future and the complexity of the challenges. To turn hope into action we must see sustainable investment in prevention, meaningful inclusion of lived experience and a shift in the balance of power to ensure system change is about societal change.

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To see a series of images you can visit our Instagram Highlights, and we will also be producing a conference report.

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The ALLIANCE thanks the conference sponsors Tactuum and Third Sector Lab, inclusive communications sponsors Social Enterprise Scotland and SignVideo by Sorenson, and refreshment sponsor Adworks and IMPACT.

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