Community Directory
Accessing Community Information
The Shetland Community Directory is an online platform designed to help residents and service providers easily access and share information about local services, groups and support. The Directory features key details about a range of community resources, including youth and sports groups, community development organisations, community councils and halls, and Third Sector, NHS, and Council services. Users can browse the listings or use filters to search by service type or location, to quickly find the support and activities available in their area.
Historically, a Community Directory was produced in paper form for many years and first moved online in the early 2000s. When this online directory became inaccessible, there was a gap in service. During this time, the national ALISS (A Local Information System for Scotland) database was developed, allowing people to search online for local information in any area of Scotland. However, feedback indicated that Shetland residents missed the local directory and found that ALISS often returned results for national services that didn’t have a physical presence in Shetland. A number of organisations had created their own lists of local services and groups but a comprehensive, reliable and up-to-date resource was still needed.
The new Shetland Community Directory project was established by the Community Planning team at Shetland Islands Council in partnership with NHS Shetland and Voluntary Action Shetland, with funding from the Scottish Government’s Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund. The Directory leverages the ALISS database to gather and share listings, but presents the information on a standalone website that has been customised to meet local needs. Community groups can add listings via the ALISS website, which the Shetland Directory pulls its information from. They then take responsibility for the information on their page and make sure it is kept up to date. ALISS sends annual email reminders asking for the information to be checked.
The Project Officer works proactively to encourage and support groups to sign up and keep their listings updated, promoting the directory via the Shetland Partnership, social media, word of mouth and existing contacts. Assisting community groups to sign up and update their listings helped the local team to understand some difficulties with the usability of the ALISS system. In response, they created detailed step-by-step guidance to make the process as easy as possible, and continue to support users to populate their information when needed. They also work with ALISS and the website’s developers to continually improve the process, aiming to make it as self-sustaining as possible for users. The number of queries coming in has slowed as people become more familiar with the directory and the ALISS system. Over 300 services and groups now have listings on the directory, with a target of 550. Work is ongoing to ensure the Directory is as comprehensive as possible, to promote its use and to consider its impact across the community.
The Community Directory contributes to the ‘People’ priority, by making it easier to quickly access service information, support people to feel connected to their communities, address issues they’re facing and improve their health and wellbeing. It can also contribute to our ‘Participation’ and ‘Place’ priorities by supporting community engagement, linking people with services and groups that can influence decisions affecting their local area and help make their voices heard.