On Thursday, 13 March 2025, the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI), alongside partners the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and Simon Community Scotland, proudly hosted a Scottish Parliament reception to celebrate the impact of the Digital Lifelines Scotland programme. The event was sponsored by Clare Haughey MSP and supported by a range of third-sector organisations.
The evening followed a timely mention of Digital Lifelines Scotland in a parliamentary debate on Health and Social Care Innovation. During the debate, Ms Haughey praised the programme as “a fantastic example of the powerful manner in which digital inclusion and digital services can be enabled to support individuals.”
Following opening remarks from Ms Haughey, attendees heard from DHI’s Moira Mackenzie and Margaret Whoriskey, who presented the background and progress of Digital Lifelines. To date, the programme has supported over 5,500 people, distributing over 3,200 devices and 3,800 data packages. Crucially, more than 500 staff and volunteers have been trained as Digital Champions to offer continued support in their communities.
The second half of the evening highlighted the programme’s real-world impact. Vari MacFadzean from Harbour Ayrshire shared a powerful personal story of transformation, representing the work of 35 organisations that received Digital Lifelines Scotland funding. Claire Longmuir of Simon Community Scotland spoke passionately about placing lived experience at the heart of service design, while David McNeill (SCVO) reflected on the wider system-level influence of the initiative and the vision for future growth.
Exhibitions during the event further showcased the creativity and impact of the programme. SCVO presented creative works from participants, and Simon Community Scotland demonstrated the By My Side app, now supporting hundreds of people daily with access to vital services and information.
DHI also welcomed NHS Fife and partners involved in the Chief Scientist Office’s Reducing Drug Deaths Innovation Challenge, highlighting the ongoing role of digital innovation in harm reduction.
As the evening concluded, DHI and its partners reaffirmed their commitment to growing and sustaining Digital Lifelines Scotland, with hopes to expand its reach and continue supporting some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals through digital inclusion.
Discover more about the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI):
The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) is a national resource, key enabler and catalyst for change, occupying a unique and visible position at the heart of the Scottish innovation ecosystem for digital health and social care. We are a world-leading collaboration between the University of Strathclyde and the Glasgow School of Art, publicly funded by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and the Scottish Government. We are a not-for-profit organisation. Our expertise and influence allow us to play a pivotal role in building a fairer, inclusive, accessible, and equitable health and social care system by harnessing the power of Scotland’s academic, public, private, and third sectors.
