Award-winning charity Sport Aberdeen has teamed up with Aberdeen FC Ladies and scored funding to upgrade the Garthdee 3G Pitch located at Adventure Aberdeen Snowsports Centre.       

The Scottish Football Partnership Trust particularly liked the emphasis on the environmental aspects of the project and have seen fit to award up to £20,000 for the floodlighting and kickboard elements of the upgrade – after a successful joint-application was submitted by Sport Aberdeen and Aberdeen FC Ladies.

In addition, funding has also been secured from Scottish Football Association’s Grassroots Football Facilities Fund and landowner, Aberdeen City Council has also contributed with a further significant allocation towards the project.

The Garthdee 3G Pitch is used regularly by Aberdeen FC Ladies Club, with teams ranging from U8s up to the U18s National Academy Programme. Teams from Robert Gordon University as well as pupils from Harlaw Academy also make frequent use of the pitch.      

The key improvement works – kicking off in August – will include a complete resurface of the pitch, new ecologically efficient LED lighting to replace the existing floodlights, and new fencing and timber kickboards around the area of play to limit the migration of microplastics into the local environment.

Local primary schools and the Active Schools Aberdeen team can expect to enjoy more frequent use of the newly refurbished Garthdee 3G Pitch by early autumn when the works are due for completion.

“We are delighted to secure funding in partnership with Aberdeen FC Ladies from The Scottish Football Partnership Trust to improve the Garthdee 3G Pitch, reducing the energy usage and carbon footprint of this popular, well used facility.

“Through our existing partnership with Denis Law Legacy Trust and its flagship programme, Streetsport, we provide free access to our 3G pitches at both Lochside Academy Astro and Northfield Bill Burr Astro to deliver its weekly Friday night sessions. There is potential for Garthdee to be included as another location in the future.

“The ultimate goal is to encourage more young people to participate in sport and physical activity at our much-improved facility.”   

Tony Dawson, Sport Aberdeen Chairman

Stuart McCaffrey, Chief Operating Officer at The Scottish Football Partnership & Trust, said: “We are committed to working with likeminded partners and aim to deliver investment into community-based football clubs and organisations to support them to grow and develop and be more diverse, inclusive, and sustainable, harnessing the wider benefits football can have on the physical and mental health and wellbeing of people and the positive impact we can make to the environment.

“We are delighted to be working with Sport Aberdeen and Aberdeen F.C. Ladies and we look forward to seeing the upgraded facility at Garthdee begin to take shape in the weeks ahead.”

Hazel Reid, Chairperson of Aberdeen FC Ladies, said: “Aberdeen FC Ladies is delighted to have been successful in a joint bid with Sport Aberdeen to The Scottish Football Partnership & Trust for new ecologically efficient LED lighting, fencing and timber kickboards around the area of play. This can only enhance the replacement pitch which will be a new, state of the art, 3G surface.

“Aberdeen FC Ladies is a well-established club within the city. It was identified by Sport Aberdeen as the Key Partner Club at the facility and has a pathway in place to offer players the opportunity to participate from U8s to U18s Regional teams and U16s and U18s National Academy Programme teams.

“Additionally, through a partnership with Aberdeen FC, our players have the opportunity to participate from youth with Aberdeen FC Ladies to the highest senior club level with Aberdeen FC Women. We are looking forward to the benefits of the refurbished pitch and enhanced lighting for both training and matches and we would like to thank Aberdeen City Council for their contribution to the project.”