Live Well Community Referral is a groundbreaking new approach to supporting people who are experiencing barriers – such as anxiety, isolation, low confidence or mood – to reconnect with their communities and participate in local activities that can transform their health and wellbeing.
This innovative approach supports partners and local people to connect with Glasgow Life and community activity. Live Well support is tiered across three levels – Direct, Connect and Navigate – ranging from light touch to intensive support depending on participant need.
Live Well Advisers and Assistants have regular contact points building trust and relationships to help participants achieve their wellbeing goals by participating in community, cultural and physical activities.
Live Well started as a pilot in the disadvantaged community of Calton in Glasgow’s East End. Following a positive evaluation of its impact, Glasgow City Council provided funding for the project to expand city wide.
Throughout the past 12 months Live Well has established as a service available to all communities in Glasgow, with a more focused offer targeted at Glasgow City Council’s 10 Booster Ward communities – those with the greatest health inequalities.
This approach has supported Glasgow Life to connect into the city’s child family poverty system (WFSGP), supporting referrals from GP practices for children and families in Glasgow’s most disadvantaged communities.
Live Well supported 1348 referrals between April 25 – March 26 with 643 received through Whole Family Support via General Practice (WFSGP). A further 297 referrals were supported between April – June 2026 with similar numbers anticipated between July – September.
Live Well Community Referral was developed with the ambition to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Glasgow.
It would build on Glasgow Life’s unique position in having a presence in every community across the city. This was considered in the context of city and national priorities to offer a solution to the unique challenges within Glasgow.
The interim evaluation for the project identified the following areas of strategic fit:
• The improvement to physical and mental wellbeing aligns to Glasgow Life’s objectives, Local Improvement Plan priorities and national public health frameworks. Live Well supports national public health priorities and compliments existing exercise referral delivery within Live Active to offer both clinical and community routes for 1-2-1 support.
• Support for child family poverty through WFSGP aligns to Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council focus areas. The WFSGP project is coordinated by Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership who lead a city-wide approach with other partners.
• Live Well positively contributes to Glasgow’s Public Service Reform and ‘No Wrong Door’ approach to reduce fragmentation and simplify access to support. Glasgow Life is uniquely placed to perform a dual role in managing referrals with 1-2-1 support and as an activity deliverer responding to participant need. This has led to additional activities being delivered via Live Well funding that target local communities.
• Be Well + supports through a blend of library inductions, digital skills training, adult learning workshops, financial guidance, and engaging community activities.
• Feel Well supports wellbeing by connecting people with culture, creativity, and each other.
• Move Well is a one-stop shop for individuals unlikely to become active without support, providing advice, support, and connections to Glasgow Life and community activities.
• Artist in Communities transforms lives by engaging local communities across the city in creative and cultural activity
Glasgow Life engages referral partners at strategic and community level, including webinars, visits and presence at community events and functions. The team produces content demonstrating their impact and service to ensure referral partners and people living in Glasgow know about Live Well and how to get in touch.
The service receives referrals from a range of partners including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Alliance Scotland Link Workers, SAMH, Local Housing Associations. There are 16% of referrals received from the individual themselves.
The most common reasons for referral include, improving mental wellbeing and low mood, social connection and loneliness, and increasing access to physical activity. The interim evaluation highlighted the following health benefits to participants:
• Reduced Isolation and Increased Social Connection
• Increased Confidence
• Improved Mental Wellbeing
• Increased Physical Activity and Healthier Routines
• Empowerment, Skills and Independence
• Early Evidence of longer-term lifestyle change
As well as impact on participants and communities, Live Well supports partners in the city to extend their reach to support people they previously could not and to offer 1-2-1 support to those referred which is invaluable to the wider sector to act as a community connector.
