ALISS: Connecting people to community support

Since 2009, ALISS has helped people find local health and wellbeing support. Any group, big or small, can add their information.

When ALISS was first developed 15 years ago, Scotland was beginning to rethink what really keeps people well. As highlighted by Sir Harry Burns in the ALISS Report 1, there was a growing understanding that health and wellbeing aren’t supported by formal services alone. People also rely on social connections, places, and activities that help them feel part of their community. If Scotland wanted to become a place where everyone could enjoy good health and wellbeing, we needed to start valuing both formal and informal support services.

As work on ALISS began, this was reflected in what people told us when we asked, “What keeps you well?”. Their answers were consistent: statutory services like the GP and pharmacy mattered, but so did local walking groups, lunch clubs and allotments. These community assets were informal and often invisible to anyone who didn’t already know about them. So, the ALISS team set out to capture information about these local assets alongside statutory services, creating a single web-based system where people could find the support they needed.

ALISS for everyone

This is still very much at the core of what we do. However, we often hear people say, “We are not a big organisation providing a service, can we still be on ALISS?”. The answer is yes. Health and wellbeing support comes in many forms, including:

• Local choirs or bands
• Book groups
• Befriending services
• Sports clubs
• Community gardens
• Money or energy advice services
• Foodbanks
• Peer support groups for managing long term conditions

All of these play an important role in helping people live well and stay connected to their community.

The power of local initiatives

Last year, we visited the Nan McKay Hall in Pollokshields and saw first-hand the impact a community centre can have on local people. The Hall offers a variety of activities, from art classes and exercise groups to gardening and a lunch club. People told us how taking part had helped them regain a sense of purpose and how it had improved their quality of life. None of these activities would appear on a list of statutory services, yet all are essential to people’s health and wellbeing.

A call to action

As the ALLIANCE celebrates 20 years, ALISS continues to ensure that the knowledge held within communities is recognised, valued, and easy for people to find. So, if you organise activities in your local area or are part of a community group – no matter how small or informal – we invite you to add your information to ALISS. ALISS is free, easy to use, and by adding your information you could help someone in your community connect with something that helps them stay well.

If you have a question for the ALISS team, please get in touch at hello@aliss.org.

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