Sport Aberdeen is still on a high after a fantastic evening on Saturday 17 September at P&J Live, celebrating some remarkable third sector organisations at the Celebrate Aberdeen Awards.
Making a return for the first time since 2019, the Celebrate Aberdeen Awards welcomed more than 570 attendees who came together to recognise the amazing work carried out by charities, social enterprises, volunteers and fundraisers in the city and the positive, life changing impact this makes to society.
With thirty-three finalists shortlisted across 11 award categories, Sport Aberdeen was truly honoured to be a winner in two categories.
WeToo! and Sport Aberdeen were named Team of the Year, recognising their strong partnership established to pull together an itinerary of sports activities as part of Summer of Play 2021 – funded by Aberdeen City Council (ACC) – for children with additional support needs.
The collaboration between the two charities ensured that families were able to access relaxed sessions and meet the Summer of Play criteria for children and young people to ‘reconnect, socialise and play.’
Graeme Dale, Head of Sport and Active Communities, said: “It is always humbling to accept award recognition and we are absolutely delighted to receive special appreciation for our work with WeToo!
“WeToo! is a fantastic charity, empowering parents and carers of children with additional support needs and we look forward to our continued strong partnership working in the future.”
Phionna McInnes, Chief Executive at WeToo! said: ““I am thrilled to have our work and continued partnership with Sport Aberdeen recognised with the Team of The Year award.
“Teamwork within any single organisation is important, however for two organisations to come together and appreciate that as a team, we could achieve better, is incredibly special.
“I am proud of how much we have grown together and delighted to have this recognised by the panel and judges at Celebrate Aberdeen.”
Bob Thow was awarded Volunteer of the Year, recognising his commitment to volunteering at Adventure Aberdeen Snowsports Centre weekly, delivering lessons to individuals with additional support needs and private lessons for children aged 4 or those who are struggling.
Bob also volunteers with Special Olympics Grampian group, taking them to competitions in the UK and abroad, and he volunteers with the Special Olympics GB team.
Commenting on his win, Bob said: “I felt privileged to make the shortlist for the Volunteer of the Year category but to win was a complete surprise!
“I thoroughly enjoy volunteering with Special Olympics GB and with Sport Aberdeen at its Adventure Aberdeen Snowsports Centre – it is so rewarding to watch the individuals I work with flourish and become more independent. “I really appreciate the recognition of this award.”
Sport Aberdeen is ecstatic to receive the news that it is a finalist in two categories of the Northern Star Business Awards 2023.
The prestigious awards – organised and hosted by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) – provide a perfect platform to showcase the talent and hard work being carried out by local businesses across a variety of sectors in the north-east.
65 organisations have been shortlisted in 13 categories. Sport Aberdeen is thrilled to be a finalist in the ‘Business of the Year’ category, demonstrating the positive impact it has made on the region’s economy in the last 12 months.
Its entry focused on successfully achieving growth, not only in income, but through increased participation in sport and physical activity as part of its commitment to getting more people across the city active. The charity experienced a 19.1% increase in Get active memberships compared to financial year 2020/2021 and a 25.6% increase in income.
Sport Aberdeen is also a finalist in the ‘Student Placement’ category, recognising the amazing contribution and impression made by a student from Robert Gordon University (RGU) during their placement.
Molly McMillan, a third year Digital Marketing student, completed her placement in the marketing and commercial development team for a duration of 12 weeks, from January to April 2022. She helped to develop content for social media, draft blogs and press releases, generate ideas for TikTok content and helped with monthly reporting.
Alistair Robertson, Sport Aberdeen Managing Director, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be shortlisted in two categories, along with so many other talented and deserving businesses from across our region.
“I am extremely proud of our team for continuing to break down barriers and help more people in Aberdeen to get active and take part in some form of physical activity.”
The winners will be announced at a glittering ceremony on April 28 at P&J Live Aberdeen. The full list of finalists can be viewed here.
An Aberdeen partnership makes a return with its popular initiative – Step out September – designed to combat social isolation and inspire people to get active.
Individuals of all ages and abilities from across the city are invited to take part in safe and local walks, meet new people, and improve their physical health and mental wellbeing.
Step out September is a partnership project between Sport Aberdeen, Aberdeen City Health & Social Care Partnership (ACHSCP), RGU SPORT, Aberdeen Sports Village and Aberdeen FC Community Trust.
The named partners collaborate in a wider movement ‘Stay Well Stay Connected’ – a group established to promote enhanced health and wellbeing, develop meaningful community relationships by bringing people together and improve diversity and inclusion practice.
A range of gentle social walks will take place from 18 to 26 September 2022 with the purpose of connecting people and enabling them to enjoy Aberdeen’s open spaces.
Everyone is welcome – individuals who use a wheelchair, walking aids or have a child in a buggy are invited along. No special equipment is required, but participants are encouraged to bring a jacket and wear comfortable shoes.
Andrinne Craig, Sport Aberdeen Healthy Communities Manager, said: “We are so excited that Step out September is returning for a second time as it was so well received last year!
“We have a full timetable of social walks designed to break down barriers and ensure everyone in Aberdeen, regardless of age or ability, can get active and connect with others. A memories walk, buggy walks and menopause walks are new to our 2022 timetable.
“Many people enjoyed walking outdoors during the pandemic, not only for exercise purposes but to connect with the outdoors and their local community.
“It is our hope that Step out September will help people connect with their local social walking group and act as a starting point for people to come along once and then take part regularly if they wish.”
Emma Hunter, Operations Manager at Aberdeen FC Community Trust, said: “Aberdeen FC Community Trust is delighted to be part of the initiative and with the focus being on social isolation and health and wellbeing, these are key objectives that we aim to support our local community with.
“Our long-standing health walks are delivered by our fully trained health and wellbeing team and are a great first step into gentle exercise for anyone. We vary our walk destinations and one of the highlights is stopping off for a cuppa and a blether with friendly like-minded people.
“It’s the perfect motivation to get out and explore the local area while getting the body moving and activating the mind. We can’t wait to see some new participants and as always, they will be welcomed with open arms.”
The full timetable of walks and further information on the Step out September initiative can be found here.
Award-winning charity Sport Aberdeen and Aberdeen City Council have announced the opening date for the much-anticipated health and wellbeing venue, Get active @ Northfield.
The £4.8m venue – funded by Aberdeen City Council and Sport Aberdeen and supported by sportscotland’s highest value grant of £100,000 – will open on Monday 26 September.
Get active @ Northfield will provide the local community with a 25m swimming pool, 40 station gym and a studio offering a range of fitness classes for all ages and abilities, as well as community wellbeing space.
Programmes within the venue will include specialised classes for older adults, help and support for those starting out on their fitness journey, public swimming sessions as well as swimming lessons for children and adults.
Tony Dawson, Sport Aberdeen chairman, said: “We are delighted to welcome the community of Northfield and surrounding areas to their newly-modernised venue, which we believe will be a fantastic hub to support the health and wellbeing of local residents.
“Through the combined knowledge and resources of Sport Aberdeen, Aberdeen City Council and sportscotland, we are thrilled to be able to provide more opportunities for individuals to participate in sport and physical activity and see the life-changing impact that being active can have.”
Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader, Councillor Ian Yuill, said: “This is a fantastic addition not only to the communities of Northfield and Mastrick, but communities across the city.
“Following the recent temporary decommissioning of the Beach Leisure Centre pool, it is great to have a new venue open and available to the public, providing more opportunities for people to take part in sport and physical activity.”
Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader, Councillor Alexander Nicoll, said: “This is a very impressive facility, we look forward opening the doors at Get active @ Northfield.
“Physical activity has many positive impacts, we are pleased that people of all ages and abilities will be able to benefit from the programmes set to run within the new health and wellbeing venue.”
The excitement and buzz in the local community has been apparent in a recent survey conducted by Sport Aberdeen. The results highlighted that 98.5% of survey respondents said they will make use of Get active @ Northfield when it opens, with over 85% saying they will use the facilities more than once a week.
A Northfield resident said: “The new facility looks amazing – let’s get it open to the community!”
Another remarked: “I cannot wait to be able to get back active and fit with the gym, swimming pool, etc!”
We are truly saddened at the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and send our condolences to the Royal Family, and to all across the UK and wider Commonwealth at this time.
Information on how the City of Aberdeen will mourn her passing can be found here.
Please note that all Sport Aberdeen venues will be closed on Monday 19 September in recognition of Her Majesty’s State Funeral.
We jumped at the chance to catch up with Aberdeen rhythmic gymnast Louise Christie after her remarkable performance at the Commonwealth Games.
Louise is a Holiday Camp Leader for us at Sport Aberdeen and she trains from our venue Get active @ Beacon as part of Beacon Rhythmic Gymnastics club.
Have a read of our interview with Louise below. ⬇️
Q. You’ve just won Scotland’s first medal in rhythmic gymnastics since 1994, delivering Team Scotland’s best-ever result in the competition with a silver medal success! How does that feel?
It feels so surreal! It still hasn’t sunk in yet and I haven’t stopped watching the video in disbelief of what I’ve achieved. To know I’ve made history in my sport for Scotland means the world to me and hopefully it inspires the future generation and shows them these results are possible.
Q. How was your overall Commonwealth Games experience in Birmingham?
My experience at the Commonwealth Games was amazing. The atmosphere in the arena was something that I will remember forever. It was also special to compete at a multi-sport event and be inspired by other incredible and world class athletes in the village. I have learnt so much through my experience in Birmingham and can’t wait to see what’s next in the future.
Q. What’s next for you now? Are you taking some time to celebrate or are you straight back to training?
I have already started training again as I am representing Great Britain at a world challenge cup in Romania at the end of the month however, I will have a bit of a break after this to reset and recover before getting back into training to work towards some new goals.
A moment with one of Louise’s coaches, Amy Stewart…
Q. Louise has made history with her achievement, how did it feel watching her standing on the podium?
Louise standing on that podium made me very emotional, throughout the ceremony I couldn’t hold back the tears! To see the Scotland flag rising up and knowing history had been made was a life changing moment for both of us and very well deserved. I feel everything that happened and all that was achieved at the Commonwealth Games was a long time coming for Scotland.
Q. You’ve done an amazing job as Louise’s coach, is there anything else you’d like to add?
Thank you! I mean it wasn’t an easy journey to get everything right for Louise, with our new code of points coming into play at the beginning of the year as well as many changes being made and new routines etc, but it was all worth it in the end.
You can read more about what inspired Louise to take up rhythmic gymnastics in our previous story here. If you feel that your child(ren) would enjoy the sport, then check out our Gymnastics Aberdeen programme, which operates from various venues across the city.
Pupils at Oldmachar Academy are gearing up for an inspirational afternoon on Friday 2 September as part of the build up to the Tour of Britain, the UK’s biggest cycling race.
Arranged by The Archie Foundation with support from Lead Active Schools Coordinator, John Dixon – 20 Higher PE pupils will gather in the school’s library to welcome a visit from two of the world’s top Paralympic cyclists, Neil Fachie OBE and Lora Fachie OBE.
Husband and wife Neil and Lora will showcase the world of Para-cycling and speak about sporting triumphs throughout their careers at the Paralympic Games, Road World Championships, Track World Championships and the Commonwealth Games.
After the engaging and inspirational presentation, pupils will have the chance to ask questions.
Graeme Dale, Head of Sport and Active Communities, said: “This is an excellent opportunity for Higher PE pupils at Oldmachar Academy to be inspired and hear from two world-class Paralympic cyclists.
“It is great to see a plethora of activities on offer in the north-east as part of the Tour of Britain cycling festival and we are delighted to be involved.
“Following this event, we hope to strengthen Sport Aberdeen’s partnership with The Archie Foundation and explore ways to collaborate again in the future.”
Lynne Brooks, Partnerships Manager at The Archie Foundation, said: ““We are delighted to be bringing together both a visit to Neil’s old high school and to Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital (RACH) this week, to help inspire the next generation. “Neil and Lora are incredibly inspirational individuals, both Neil and Lora have recently joined as Patrons of The Archie Foundation and we hope that will inspire many of our patients that anything is possible, no matter your diagnosis.”
Get active @ Beach Leisure Centre has formed an agreement with Aberdeen’s inclusive running club, Aberdeen Frontrunners.
Aberdeen Frontrunners is one of Scotland’s newest inclusive running clubs which welcomes all sections of the community, with an emphasis on LGBT+ communities and their allies. The club was originally founded in September 2019 and restarted in June 2021.
The group currently has around 30 active members and is looking to continue growing. It organises two weekly runs, one being at the beach on a Wednesday evening from 1830 to 1930.
Thanks to an agreement established with Sport Aberdeen, Aberdeen Frontrunners will have access to the following facilities at its Get active @ Beach Leisure Centre venue from Wednesday 31 August:
- Use of grass area for meeting, warmups and cooldowns
- Use of café seating area for 15 minutes pre and post run if required
- Use of toilet facilities and showers if desired
- Use of lockers
Gavin Davidson, in charge of Community & Partnerships at Aberdeen Frontrunners, said: “This is great news and a big boost to the club. We talked it over and the Club Committee are very pleased with the idea.
“Thanks a lot for your assistance with this.”
More than 200 University of Aberdeen postgraduate students on the Professional Graduate Diploma in Primary Education (PGDE) course gathered at the King’s Pavilion Playing Fields on Wednesday 17 August to attend an Active Schools event.
Through continued effective partnership working between Active Schools Aberdeen and University of Aberdeen, the day was organised with the purpose of upskilling the next generation of Primary school teachers – building their confidence in the delivery of physical education (PE).
Two group sessions were planned and organised by Active Schools Coordinator Cameron Robinson – a morning session from 1000 to 1230 and an afternoon session from 1300 to 1530. These were delivered by Active Schools Coordinators from across the city, supported by staff from University of Aberdeen.
The students took part in different sporting activities including touch rugby, football, hockey, athletics and circuits, learned about the practicalities of delivering PE in a classroom environment, and were given a platform to ask questions before going on placement.
This complements the work of the Physical Education, Physical Activity and School Sport (PEPASS) group, consisting of representatives from Aberdeen City Council’s Integrated and Family Services and the Sport and Leisure industry, with the shared goal of improving the quality and access to sport and physical activity.
Kim McRobbie, Active Schools Inclusion Manager, said: “PE is a crucial part of the primary school curriculum, having a positive impact on children’s physical health and emotional wellbeing.
“It’s great to play our part in helping future teachers to develop the fundamental skills and be confident when teaching PE through our successful partnership working with University of Aberdeen.
“It’s alarming to see and hear how negative past experiences of PE have stayed with students and teachers into adulthood. Our role is to inspire them to change this for the next generation of school children.
“One student commented that they hated PE at school which made them nervous about the event… but by the end of the day, they said they loved it! Everyone took part in every activity, seeing that sport is for all.
“I’d like to give a huge thanks to Active Schools Coordinator Cameron Robinson for his responsibility in organising the day, and Alyson Young, Programme Director for the PGDE programme. We look forward to building on this partnership going forward.”
Alyson Young, PGDE (Primary) Programme Director at University of Aberdeen, said: “The School of Education at the University of Aberdeen has been working closely with Active Schools Aberdeen and the PEPASS group for a number of years and now that the PGDE (Primary) Programme has returned to campus we were very keen to give our students some practical experiences of PE before they embark on their first placement.
“I think it’s fair to say that a lot of fun was had by students and staff alike! Participation and engagement by students was extremely high, with many talking about how this practical experience gave them more confidence and changed their perceptions of what PE would be like. It was also great to hear students reflecting on their experiences and asking challenging questions, particularly about inclusion.
“What a great opportunity to develop and understand skills and attitudes in physical activity and PE for a new generation of primary teachers. A huge thanks to everyone involved and we can’t wait to do it again soon!”
Ian McGregor, Partnership Manager at sportscotland, said: “Sport and physical activity has a huge role to play in young people’s development and that’s why it’s so important that the experience they have at school is a positive one.
“This partnership between Active Schools Aberdeen and University of Aberdeen is a fantastic way to upskill the teachers of the future and give them the confidence they need to provide young people with more and better opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity.”
Looking ahead, Active Schools and University of Aberdeen are planning a similar session with the HWB course in the 2nd year of the MA in Education Programme (the 4-year undergraduate programme) and in the second semester of the PGDE(P) programme.
In order to keep our main greens playable all year round, it is crucial that we carry out our Greens Maintenance Programme.
This year, we’ll be closing our courses whilst the works take place. We’ve integrated this into our calendar to cause as little disruption as possible and will endeavour to have the courses back open for play as soon as we can.
The courses will be closed on the following dates:
- Kings Links – 5 to 7 September
- Hazlehead Pines – 12 to 14 September
- Hazlehead 9 Hole – 12 to 14 September (temporary greens will be in play on the 9-hole course)
- MacKenzie Championship – 19 to 21 September
- Balnagask – 26 to 28 September
The works are weather dependent and whilst this will cause some temporary disruption, we hope to keep this to a minimum.
Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) visited our courses to inspect the greens on two occasions this season, so after it made recommendations, our Greens Maintenance Programme consists of:
- Scarification to remove organic matter
- Aeration where greens are hollow cored/solid tined
- Application of wetting agent whilst the cores are open
- Top dress the greens to fill the holes
- Overseed the greens
- Apply fertiliser to the greens
The maintenance programme also incorporates the results of organic matter testing recently completed on our greens.
We thank you for your continued support and patience during this time.