The ALLIANCE celebrates 10 years of Community Links Programme

On 23 August, we celebrated a decade of our Links Programme and good practice at Glasgow Women's Library.

It has been 10 years since we began a pilot for the Scottish Government for Community Links Workers in Primary Care. 

In 2014, the programme saw seven Community Links Practitioners start their journey working in seven Deep End GP practices across Glasgow. The past decade has seen a lot happen, with the ALLIANCE now employing more than 80 Links Workers across Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire, as well as having a partnership with the Trussel Trust basing Links Workers in their foodbanks. We have also ventured on a new partnership with SGN, funding two Energy Efficiency Outreach Workers through the programme, equipping individuals with the skills and resources needed to tackle fuel poverty.

Last week we held a celebration event which brought together some of our team and guests from our original seven GP practices, HSCP, Scottish Government, and Third Sector and Statutory service teams. Our celebration was hosted by the Glasgow Women’s library.

We opened with a warm welcome from Director of the Links Programme, Roseann Logan, who spoke about the benefits of the programme and its multiple areas of good practice. We then heard from ALLIANCE Chief Director, Sudsan Young, who congratulated the programme on a decade of good work, before disability poet and activist Nuala Watt gave an impactful reading from her new poetry book.

We then heard from a variety of important figures in the development of the Links Worker Programme; from Dr Peter Cawston, Deep End GP and our original clinical lead, Colette Mason, Programme Manager of the Links Programme, Gayle Weir, Community Links Worker, Phil Donnelly, Senior Officer and a lovely video from Lorna Robertson and Laura Donovan, showcasing the Young Adult Project they help facilitate with input from one of the participants and their mum. 

It was a lovely morning in the heart of one of the communities we work across, utilising a great venue that provides some much for the community and wider areas.

We also produced a 10 year celebration Record of Learning which you can find attached below, and which we hope people enjoy reading.

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