21.03.2022
10 ‘Beautifully Ambitious’ Years of Link Up
Andrew Magowan, Link Up Programme Manager shares his reflections on Inspiring Scotland’s Link Up Programme turning 10. My colleague described our plans for the celebration as “beautifully ambitious”. True, but the phrase is also a great way to capture the essence of Link Up since its launch in 2012. Link Up was never really a
Read More
07.10.2021
Empowering Scotland’s communities through Link Up
To mark this year’s Challenge Poverty Week, Inspiring Scotland is reflecting on nearly ten years of running Link Up, a programme that has enabled grassroots change at the heart of some of Scotland’s most challenged communities. Too many people are locked in the grip of poverty. We know that one in five working age adults
Read More
04.11.2020
The Potential of our Relationships
Link Up worker Hannah Kirby reflects on Hilary Cottam’s book ‘Radical Help’ and the parallels with Inspiring Scotland’s community development and wellbeing programme.
Read More
22.07.2020
We start with hope
We must take this moment to reappraise and reimagine how our systems of support for the most vulnerable should operate in future, writes Andrew Magowan. How we shape and control the world around us is the primary means by which we develop and express our place and role in this world. If we are unable
Read More
21.09.2018
Collaborating with communities in Kilmarnock: “We want to lift people out of really dark places.”
This article was written by David McPhee and originally appeared in Positively Scottish in May 2017 Isolated. Cut-off. Islands. These are just a few of the new buzz words used to describe people who, often through no fault of their own, become disconnected from mainstream society. If the isolation lasts long enough, they can become
Read More
06.06.2018
It’s Volunteers’ Week and we want to say Thank you
From board rooms to community halls, volunteers are the backbone of our thriving third sector. National Volunteers Week (1 -8th June) is shining a spotlight on the extraordinary commitment of the 12 million volunteers who give their time and experience to charities across the country every week. It is an opportunity for those of us
Read More
26.02.2018
The importance of social connectedness for mental health and wellbeing
Mental Health has been a taboo for a long time. It is encouraging to see the topic going up the agenda and becoming a subject of lively conversation, not just amongst professionals but with family and friends too. It is slowly but surely becoming looked at for its universal relevance and central importance to our
Read More
30.05.2017
Let’s change the way we fight poverty and inequality in Scotland.
Let’s break the cycle, says Deputy Chief Executive Helen Chambers We know inequality breeds poverty. And poverty, in turn, breeds inequality. But it’s not that simple. Inequality is not just about being poor. Inequality means never having opportunity when you have ability and knowledge. It’s about not having a choice when there should be so
Read More29.03.2016
What makes a Link Up worker effective?
Tackling societies biggest issues depends on very special types of people on the frontline. At Link Up we have been analysing what the critical factors are that make our workers most effective in connecting the communities in which they work. Since 2012 Inspiring Scotland’s Link Up Programme has been leading efforts in actively tackling inequality
Read MoreContact us
We work with experts from the voluntary, public, private and academic sectors. Get in touch if you want to help us build a better Scotland.
Contact usA note on privacy
Inspiring Scotland will only use the personal details you provide here to respond to your enquiry and will not use them for any purpose, unless you give permission and agreed during any follow-up discussions.
Your details will be held on the server of our third party website provider host for 3 months but not for longer than is necessary, and will not be added to any marketing databases. By completing this form you are agreeing to the terms of Inspiring Scotland’s Privacy Statement