Self Management for Life: What we learned
- Area of Work: Self Management
- Type: News Item
- Published: 22nd September 2026
The ALLIANCE publishes report outlining key learning from the delivery of Self Management for Life 2024 Small Grants.
In 2024, a new cycle of funding for the Self Management Fund, titled Self Management for Life, began. This cycle focuses on prevention and risk reduction, aiming to engage people early in their journeys with their long term condition, disability or caring responsibilities, supporting people on waiting lists or seeking to remove barriers to accessing support.
Self management puts people ‘in the driving seat’ of their care, empowering them to live their lives on their terms. The ALLIANCE has administered the Self Management Fund on behalf of Scottish Government since 2009, to date granting over £31 million to 518 projects.
In the 2024 round, small grants were awarded to 16 organisations, sharing £203,187 of funding and benefiting over 1600 individuals. Across the projects, the key pillars of effective self management support summarised in the five self management principles in Gaun Yersel, shone through in the projects’ successes; notably relationship building, flexibility and whole-person support. The third sector is well placed to provide this, with highly trusted organisations who know the communities they work with and the agility to adapt their services to changing and emerging needs.
As a learning fund, the Self Management Fund aims to encourage and support projects to adapt plans, led by the people they support, and projects in this cohort such as Feeling Strong and Inclusive Images have demonstrated the rewards of this approach by pivoting successfully in response to participant need.
The report can be downloaded below.
To get in touch, please email SelfManagement@alliance-scotland.org.uk
End of page.
You may also like:
The ALLIANCE publishes a report outlining key learning from the delivery of Self Management Reflective Practice sessions.
Continue readingThe Self Management Fund has awarded new grants to 23 organisations across Scotland
Continue readingThe Self Management Programme is changing to focus on the Fund, share learning, and support better health and wellbeing in Scotland.
Continue readingFree self management and wellbeing resource for everyone helping young people with their wellbeing.
Continue readingFindings show a need for quicker diagnosis and improved referrals to self management support.
Continue readingTickets available now for workshops from HSTAR Scotland taking place in February and March.
Continue readingGlasgow-based charity Spider Arts are launching a free arts therapy group for adults at The Hidden Gardens.
Continue readingFree exercise sessions in Hamilton for people living with Parkinson's and their carers.
Continue readingNext programme launch of SMS:CONNECT, the free online self management programme for young people aged 9–17, from Children's Health Scotland.
Continue readingSeven people and organisations were celebrated for their contribution to self management.
Continue readingSMART Recovery run programmes that support people to self manage their recovery journey from any type of addictive or unhelpful behaviour.
Continue readingDownload a Communications Resource Pack to support promotion of this year’s Self Management Week.
Continue readingYou can refer a young person directly or support them in self-referring.
Continue readingRead on for our top 10 ways to get involved in Self Management Week 2025.
Continue readingEASE is an app for disabled people in employment. The app will connect disabled employees to support and resources.
Continue readingWe have extended the deadline for nominations to the Self Management Awards to 10am Wednesday 18 June.
Continue readingSubscribe to receive future editions of the professionals newsletter.
Continue readingSelf Management Week will run from 22-25 September. Join the conversation around self management and keep an eye out for our events!
Continue readingThe 2025 Self Management Awards are open for nomination from 7 May to 11 June.
Continue readingCapacity building approaches found to save money and improve wellbeing outcomes in new evaluation report.
Continue reading2024 was another successful year for the Self Management Programme.
Continue reading150 people gathered in the Scottish Parliament to celebrate nominees and winners of the Self Management Awards.
Continue readingDownload Communications resource packs for both Self Management Week and the Self Management Awards.
Continue readingThe shortlists for this year's Self Management Awards have been announced!
Continue readingSelf Management for Life will fund 32 projects for up to 3 years to support the development of self management support across Scotland.
Continue reading