Creating Hope - Conference 2026
Welcome to our hub for Suicide Prevention Scotland's annual conference, which takes place in Glasgow on Wednesday 27 May 2026.
Growing Capacity for Hope through Action
Date: Wednesday 27 May 2026
Time: 09:30am – 4:00pm
Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow
This year’s Creating Hope Conference will bring people together from sectors, communities and lived experience networks to focus on how we grow capacity for hope through meaningful, collective action.
Over the last year, organisations and communities across Scotland have developed powerful work that demonstrates how hope can flourish when people collaborate, share learning and take action rooted in compassion.
Our Creating Hope Conference 2026 will celebrate that work, explore what helps to turn ideas into impact, and create space for participants to shape what comes next.
Book your free place at the bottom of this page.
Visit our Creating Hope Conference 2025 hub for loads of brilliant information and insight - click here.
What to expect at our conference
We've got a brilliant day of presentations, workshops and conversations coming up
Here's what's planned:
Presentations showcasing promising practice, lived and living experience‑informed approaches, and innovative work happening across Scotland
Interactive workshops offering space for deep discussion, shared problem‑solving and identifying opportunities for joint action
Conversation spaces to explore key themes around inequality, community capacity, and system‑wide collaboration
Networking sessions to meet colleagues, strengthen partnerships, and widen your organisation’s reach
Opportunities to inform and influence future national activity under Scotland’s suicide prevention strategy
"A great example of how to make events accessible"
As a lived-experience voice at these events, there are always so many 'close to home' moments that can make the day feel quite intense. I found myself teary-eyed more often than not. Suicide Prevention Scotland do an excellent job of keeping attendees safe; offering listening volunteers throughout the day and encouraging an open door policy where people can step out of the agenda for as long as they need. They are a great example of how to make events accessible for us, as people with lived-experience.
Charlotte, Suicide Prevention Scotland Lived & Living Experience Panel
Who should attend our conference
Wondering if our Creating Hope Conference 2026 is for you? Take a look...
This national event is designed for:
Professionals and volunteers across the public, private and third sectors
People working with adults, children and young people in any setting connected to suicide prevention, mental health or wellbeing
Organisations working in suicide prevention, mental health, wellbeing, inequality, or community‑based support
People with lived and living experience who want to shape Scotland’s suicide prevention work
Anyone supporting communities, tackling inequalities, or working collaboratively to reduce suicide risk
Support is available
Suicide is a difficult topic, and many of us coming together will have lived and living experience. Cruse Scotland listening volunteers will be available throughout the day for anyone feeling overwhelmed and looking for some space away from the main room and workshops. We'll be able to give more information on the day and they will also be wearing Cruse Scotland t-shirts.
Creating an accessible conference
A range of measures will be in place to support the conference being accessible and inclusive.
On the day we will:
Be thoughtful about our words and actions and ask participants and speakers to offer us feedback
Talk about stigma and discrimination and offer ways for you to do the same, on your own terms
Set up rooms so there is space for people's walking aids and wheelchairs and provide time to move around the venue between workshops and parts of the day
Provide hearing loops throughout the events space
Include clear descriptions of what to expect and the main content of workshops
Have an open-door policy at all times, so you can join and leave when that works for you
Offer quiet spaces to relax or take time out, away from the main agenda
Have listening volunteers who will be able to spend time with you talking through anything that comes up through the event that you want to talk through or support you to give any feedback about the event
Make the day work for you
If there is anything else we can do to help you attend on the day, contact angelaf@cosla.gov.uk to let us know.
You can request anything that will make your experience better and we will do our best to meet any requests.
For example, we could provide large print and audio versions of materials, British Sign Language interpretation, and captioning. All requests will be kept private.
All requests should be made at least two weeks before the conference.
We may be in touch with you directly to discuss your requests, but we will never ask for any proof or reasoning behind an access request.
Terminology
At Suicide Prevention Scotland we recognise that terminology and labels used to refer to social groups and experiences is ethically and politically complex, can be harmful and is subject to debate and update.
Throughout the conference, we will use the terminology partners themselves or cited publications have used to refer to the communities they are led by or referring to.
We are committed to continually engaging with this critical debate to understand and mitigate harm.
Why attend Creating Hope Conference 2026?
Previous delegates have told us that our Annual Conference is valuable because it:
Creates meaningful connections across sectors
Provides space for reflection, learning and collaboration
Amplifies lived and living experience
Supports shared understanding of challenges, priorities and opportunities
Helps shape future national work and strengthens collective action to prevent suicide in Scotland
Book your tickets now
You can order your tickets from here - complete the details and we'll get you signed up
Go social with us!
Join us on #SuicidePreventionScotland channels and find more pictures, film and information from our conference
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