Why telling people’s stories is important
- Written by: Rachel Cairns — Development Officer - Lived Experience and Engagement
- Published: 10th June 2026
The ALLIANCE’s Humans of Scotland project works to challenge stigma.
“I quickly realised that I wanted to be an advocate for others to ensure that no-one was treated the same way I was.” – Nicoletta
Telling people’s stories is a way to break down barriers, tackle inequalities, and ensure people can live with dignity.
That’s why The Health and Social Care Alliance started our Humans of Scotland story telling series. Since it was established in 2016, the project has highlighted the stories and experiences of people living with long term conditions, disabled people and unpaid carers across Scotland. Its aim is to challenge stigma around health and social care and share different perspectives and the people behind the conditions.
Contributors have told us they appreciate the opportunity to connect their experience to policy makers, hoping to affect change and improve culture and attitudes; they want to improve a wider understanding of, and draw attention to, their experiences. Some grow in confidence and thrive on inspiring others to speak up.
Lived experience is at the core of the ALLIANCE work because:
- we aim to ensure people’s voices, expertise and rights drive policy sit at the heart of design, delivery and improvement of support and services
- to inform our work and policy stances
- highlight the personal impact of policy and share the concerns of our members
These stories are testament to the challenges faced by those living with long term conditions, their families and those who care for them.
So far, we have published four compilation books:
- Humans of Scotland – powerful and thought-provoking stories from people living with long term conditions
- Humans of Scotland – COVID-19 – the realities faced by disabled people, people living with long term conditions and unpaid carers during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- H is for Human – a collection of stories sharing a diverse range of perspectives on HIV
- Humans of Scotland – Community Links Worker Edition – shining a light on the Community Links Worker Programme, from those who have sought support for their local Community Links Worker, the GPs based in the practices and the Links Workers themselves
You can read all Humans of Scotland stories here
You can view and read all Humans of Scotland book collections here
End of page.
You may also like:
Sara Redmond, ALLIANCE Chief Officer, on the priorities for 2026's Programme for Government.
Continue readingSandra Auld reflects on the ALLIANCE's people focused impact, collaboration, lived experience, campaigns and lasting change in Scotland.
Continue readingMark shares his experience with gambling harms, and how this intersected with the launch of the ALLIANCE's ScotRGH programme in 2020.
Continue readingProfessor Anna Glasier celebrates 20 years of the ALLIANCE and it's vital role in shaping the Women's Health Plan for Scotland.
Continue readingSara Redmond, ALLIANCE Chief Officer, on the challenges faced by community-led health organisations in delivering prevention.
Continue readingAnnie shares her experience of youth politics, and how SAFE has helped her make connections and makes sense of the world of politics.
Continue readingChloe Craig reflects on how we have helped connect Scotland’s lived experience voice to conversations happening beyond our borders.
Continue readingDr Irene Oldfather reflects on two decades of growth, collaboration, and person centred impact across Scotland and beyond.
Continue readingDisabled people are some of those who suffer most in crises but are ignored in planning. Our 6-step model builds justice throughout.
Continue readingMaisie Peebles shares her experience working with Aberdeenshire Public Health Team on a ‘digital conversations’ project.
Continue readingSara Redmond, ALLIANCE Chief Officer, on why the Scottish Government and parties must seize the opportunity for change.
Continue readingDirector of the Links programme, Roseann, discusses why we need to focus on person centred care, and why the programme is central to this.
Continue readingReflections on the ALLIANCE Integration in Action: Inclusive Leadership event.
Continue readingWhat does The Scottish Report tell us about how we're supporting people with inflammatory mediated autoimmune conditions (IMIDs)?
Continue readingAvril McLean from Action from ME shares new resources designed to support professionals understand the impact of ME on people's lives.
Continue readingMandy Wright from Home Energy Scotland shares how partnerships positively impact their work.
Continue readingToo many young people are falling through the mental health support gap. How do we fix the "Missing Middle"?
Continue readingJoe McCready from Carers UK shares how important their annual survey is, and why it is invaluable for unpaid carers to have their say.
Continue readingColette reflects on the last 12 years of the Community Links Worker programme, as well as her own experience of being a CLW.
Continue readingWith the current World Cup, gambling presents an even higher risk. How can we prevent young people from getting tangled in this web?
Continue readingDr Anthony McMahon reflects on the importance of the Community Links Worker within his GP surgery - and why it makes all the difference.
Continue readingAs part of our 20 year anniversary, the Integration Team highlight the importance of our Connected Communities series.
Continue readingTo mark ‘What matters to you?’ Day, The ALLIANCE's Barbara Flynn considers the impact of Tommy Whitelaw’s talks for nurses and midwives.
Continue readingIn her latest TFN column, our Chief Officer Sara Redmond reflects on post election feelings and Scotland’s future.
Continue readingALLIANCE Chief Officer, Sara Redmond, reflects on our Annual Conference 2026 and how we're turning hope into action.
Continue reading