Aquatics Aberdeen hope to make a splash at Scottish Swimming Awards
An Aberdeen swimming programme has, for the second time, made the final shortlist for a highly respected industry award.
Aquatics Aberdeen, run by award-winning charity Sport Aberdeen, will look to secure the title of ‘Scottish Water Learn to Swim Provider of the Year’ at the 2019 Scottish Swimming Awards.
The popular Granite City programme took home the award in 2017 and will be looking to replicate that success at this year’s ceremony which takes place at Glasgow’s Radison Blu hotel on Saturday 28 September.
Aquatics Aberdeen provides swimming tuition from birth to adulthood as part of the ‘Learn to Swim’ programme which follows the Scottish Swimming Framework, with over 5,000 swimmers participating in weekly lessons across Aberdeen.
Dianne Breen, Sport Aberdeen Coached Programme Manager, said:
“We are all thrilled to have made the shortlist again for the ‘Provider of the Year Award’. This really highlights the dedication and passion that the Aquatics Aberdeen team put into their work day after day, year after year.
“The ‘Learn to Swim’ programme is a fantastic vehicle for children and adults alike to learn new skills and develop confidence in the water all whilst encouraging physical activity.”
The awards look to celebrate the fantastic work and commitment carried out in Scotland by athletes, coaches, clubs and partners across all disciplines of swimming.
Sport Aberdeen is celebrating the completion of exciting new developments at Aberdeen Snowsports Centre which will ensure an enhanced experience for snow sport fans in the north-east.
Colin G. Taylor, Sport Aberdeen Chairman, with Aberdeen primary pupils.
Managed by award-winning charity, Sport Aberdeen, Aberdeen Snowsports Centre has invested over £100,000 into improving the slopes, including £72,000 from Aberdeen City Council’s Developer Obligations Fund.
The works include the installation of a travelator, a state-of-the-art conveyor to make access to the centres tubing slope and birthday party activities much easier and more fun, new high performance LED lighting and access improvements to the centre’s Hobbit Hut, a popular feature for parties and school groups.
As a way of celebrating the new improvements Aberdeen Snowsports Centre will be running a free tubing taster session on Saturday 24 August for people of all abilities aged five and up. The session will run from 15:00 – 16:30.
Aberdeen Snowsports Centre users will be able to make full use of the brand new travelator which has been installed on a section of the tubing slope. The equipment, often used in ski resorts worldwide, will enable people to hop on and off with ease, leaving more time for the slopes.
The addition of this moving walkway will also enable children and adults with additional support needs to access the slopes with greater ease, creating an inclusive environment where a wider range of people can participate in these exciting sporting activities.
Colin G. Taylor, Sport Aberdeen Chairman, officially opened the brand-new travelator, and commented on the improvements:
“We are delighted with the improvements to the Aberdeen Snowsports Centre and it is my hope that this will inspire more people to take to the slopes and enjoy the brilliant facilities we have on offer here in our city.
“Providing and maintaining first class sporting facilities which are accessible to the local community is a key factor in breaking down barriers and encouraging more people to participate in sport and physical activity, and in doing so reaping the social and health benefits attached to this.
“The new travelator for the tubing slope, and the wider improvement works, will help Aberdeen Snowsports Centre to offer more inclusive activities for customers of all abilities and interests, all year round which I am sure will be warmly welcomed.”
Image caption: Colin G. Taylor, Sport Aberdeen Chairman, right, with Wajeeha Hamid, Gavin Pedrog, Junaid Hamid, Abbie Pedrog, Matthew Johnston, Josh Karim, Hunter Castello, Emily Johnston, Talha Khan.
Award-winning charity Sport Aberdeen has highlighted the importance of creating opportunities for young people to take part in work experience programmes as a way of gaining invaluable industry experience.
Sport Aberdeen was delighted to offer placements to two students this summer, providing a real hands on feel for working in the leisure industry.
Twenty-year-old Stephanie Watson, an International Business student at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, recently finished a six-week placement which saw her working under Sport Aberdeen’s Digital and Communications leads within the busy Marketing and Communications department based at the charity’s head office in Bridge of Don.
Stephanie spoke fondly of her experience, saying:
“Work Placements are becoming increasingly more important to young people. There is a huge amount of competition when trying to secure a job post-graduation and therefore having internship experience puts you in an advantageous position.
“Sport Aberdeen has provided me with invaluable experience within their marketing department.
“They have created an opportunity which has allowed me to apply the knowledge I have gained at university to real-life situations and have also allowed me an insight into how a large organisation operates, which will be very beneficial for my future career.”
Megan Westwick, who is going into her final year at Banff Academy, was appointed to her position through Aberdeen City Council as part of their ‘Career Ready’ internship scheme, which aims to support young people to develop skills, confidence and gain the experience needed to kickstart a rewarding future career.
Megan’s four-week placement saw her assist Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team in the running of their busy summer holiday camps programme at the Beach Leisure Centre.
Image caption: Nickie Scorgie, Sport Aberdeen Head of HR and Organisational Development, Megan Westwick Sport Aberdeen placement student, Joanna Bell Sport Aberdeen Active Schools Assistant and Neil Yacamini, Aberdeen City Council Employee Transition Team Lead.
Nickie Scorgie, Sport Aberdeen Head of HR and Organisational Development, said:
“It has been fantastic having Stephanie and Megan on board with us over the summer in two very different, yet equally rewarding roles and Sport Aberdeen prides itself on providing an environment that attracts, develops and retains talent, from volunteers and interns right through to senior management positions.
“From citywide gyms and fitness facilities, to work within the wider communities through our Active Schools and Active Lifestyles programmes, we are in a unique position to offer a diverse range of work experience opportunities.
“The charity benefits hugely from investing in young people and we look to build a local network through work experience opportunities, aiming to attract students who share Sport Aberdeen’s vision of inspiring people, creating opportunities and changing lives through sport and physical activity.”
Image banner caption: Nickie Scorgie, Sport Aberdeen Head of HR and Organisational Development and Stephanie Watson, Sport Aberdeen placement student.
Sport Aberdeen presented with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service
Award-winning registered charity Sport Aberdeen was officially presented with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a charity or voluntary group can receive in the UK.
Sport Aberdeen Chairman Colin G. Taylor and volunteers from the charity were presented with the prestigious award by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeen, Councillor Barney Crockett.
In May this year volunteer representatives from the Granite City charity travelled to London to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace along with other recipients of this year’s award.
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service recognises and celebrates outstanding work by volunteer groups benefitting their local communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Winners are announced each year on 2 June, the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.
Volunteers contribute hugely to the community work carried out by Sport Aberdeen, including helping people to overcome mental health problems through participation in sport, helping to run ‘Move More Aberdeen’ classes – an innovative physical activity programme that helps people affected by cancer through physical activity. They also assist with ‘Active Lifestyles’ sessions – a programme developed specially for those starting out, recovering from injury, living with a long term health condition and older adults.
Colin G. Taylor, Sport Aberdeen Chairman, commented on receiving the award:
“Volunteers are the lifeblood of Sport Aberdeen. Receiving this prestigious recognition is testament to the invaluable time and enthusiasm that is offered up on a daily basis by our volunteers, allowing Sport Aberdeen to serve the local community and change people’s lives through sport and physical activity.
“Nearly 1500 volunteers support in the delivery of Sport Aberdeen’s community-based programmes and I would like to thank each and every one of them for their commitment and outstanding service.”
Registered charity Sport Aberdeen is proud to have been announced as a finalist in two categories at a prestigious north-east third sector awards event.
The annual ‘Celebrate Aberdeen Awards’, which aims to shine a light on the city’s leading third sector organisations and individuals, has shortlisted Sport Aberdeen in the Large Organisation of the Year and as third sector partner in the Corporate Partnership of the Year category alongside Me Too!
The Large Organisation of the Year award recognises Sport Aberdeen’s commitment to providing positive change in the community through a variety of impactful programmes, with local people at the heart of them, as well as an ongoing modernisation of its facility network which currently comprises 19 venues across the city.
Alistair Robertson, Sport Aberdeen Managing Director said:
“It is always humbling to receive award recognition, and this only stands to highlight the incredible work carried out on a daily basis by our employees and volunteers alike. There is always a host of deserving entries to select from, so I am delighted that Sport Aberdeen has been selected as a finalist in not only one, but two categories this year.
“The last year has undoubtedly seen us face some challenges, but throughout this we have continued to focus on our goals of increasing participation in sport and physical activity by creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives.”
Sport Aberdeen’s ongoing work with local Additional Support Needs (ASN) charity, Me Too!, will also be in competition for an award with the organisations in the Corporate Partnership of the Year category.
The partnership launched the ‘Boost Band’ initiative last year at Sport Aberdeen’s Beach Leisure Centre, providing discreet wrist bands which can be worn when visiting venues which subtly notify trained staff of any hidden disabilities.
The initiative aims to create an environment of understanding and is designed to boost independence in all users and staff.
Phionna McInnes, Me Too! Chief Executive commented on the news:
“We are delighted that our ongoing relationship with Sport Aberdeen has been recognised by Celebrate Aberdeen.
“Boost Bands can empower parents and carers to have confidence to allow their cared for to have increased independence without having to explain to multiple staff members of their additional support needs.
“Rolling this initiative out across Sport Aberdeen’s venues has been a rewarding experience and it’s great to know that the reception form users and staff has been so positive.”
Families in Aberdeen facing challenges are being assisted through an exciting partnership which has enabled local charity Sport Aberdeen to create a new post. The project engages with families throughout the city which are dealing with uncertainty and stress by supporting children and parents to take part in sport and physical activity.
Sport Aberdeen and Action for Children, a UK children’s charity committed to helping vulnerable children and young people, have recently joined forces to appoint a new Project Activator post within the city, made possible through a grant from the Changing Lives Through Sport and Physical Activity Fund – a partnership between The Robertson Trust, The Scottish Government, sportscotland and Spirit of 2012.
Julie Erskine, who previously worked for the sportscotland institute of sport as an exercise physiologist, has now been appointed to the role by Sport Aberdeen and is embedded within the Action for Children’s Priority Families Team. This will build on an existing partnership between the two charities which saw Sport Aberdeen provide free memberships to families who are part of the project.
Having taken a career break to be a professional road cyclist, racing across the UK and Europe, Julie decided to change direction and was “delighted to be offered the Project Activator post”, adding, “I felt it would be a great balance between working with people, utilising my sports background and my love of being active to help make a difference to others in the local community.”
Programme interventions work both on a one to one basis and with the family as a whole. The project uses activities offered by Sport Aberdeen and partnerships within the local sports network, providing a wide range of opportunities that help meet key objectives including enabling vulnerable families in Aberdeen to:
- enjoy better physical and emotional wellbeing
- better engage in positive and constructive behaviours and choices
- have increased confidence and self-esteem.
The additional resource will allow the project to offer a much greater level of support to meet the needs of families and individuals within the city, who often have fewer opportunities to engage in sport and physical activity and are frequently affected by negative outcomes leading to health inequalities.
Julie Erskine commented on her involvement and the positive impact of the partnership, saying:
“The free Sport Aberdeen memberships enable them to access local gym and swimming facilities, as well as swimming lessons with the Aquatics programme. The support we receive from the Active Schools programme has been fantastic where several children and young people have benefitted from their after school and holiday activities.
“It’s extremely rewarding to see the positive impact that being more active has on families’ emotional and physical wellbeing and their relationships both with one another and other people.”
Keith Gerrard Director of Healthy and Active Communities, Sport Aberdeen commented:
“Successfully securing this additional funding, allowing us to appoint Julie to the post of Project Activator, will enable us to make a positive impact on a number of people involved in the Priority Family Project. It is Sport Aberdeen’s core belief that every child in Aberdeen should have access to sport and physical activity, which has a proven positive effect on both mental and physical wellbeing.
“With the addition of Spirit of 2012 as a new funder we are sure that this enhanced partnership will enable significant change and we look forward to continuing to work with others to create opportunities, inspire people and change lives through sport and physical activity.”
Ruth Hollis, Director of Policy and Impact at Spirit of 2012 said:
“We’re really pleased that Sport Aberdeen and Action for Children are able to create this new post, which will be so important in bringing about positive change for vulnerable families in Aberdeen. The Changing Lives fund is creating sport and physical activity opportunities across Scotland, which will have a lasting impact on the health – and the happiness – of all those involved.”
Paul Carberry, Action for Children Director for Scotland, said:
“We are very pleased to have Julie join our Aberdeen Priority Families team as a Project Activator. This role will play an important role in increasing the uptake of physical activities for the families we support at our project in the city. We are incredibly grateful to Sport Aberdeen for all of their support to date in this partnership as well as to funders for making this new post a reality.”
Aberdeen charity playing key role in community health and wellbeing
An award-winning Aberdeen charity has highlighted the vital role that leisure trusts play in helping to prevent long-term illness, reduce social isolation and significantly cut costs to local and national health care services.
Alistair Robertson, Managing Director of Sport Aberdeen, brought together North East Scotland MSP and Convener of the Scottish Parliament Health and Sport Committee, Lewis Macdonald and sector-wide partners, to raise awareness of the significant role leisure trusts play in the co-design, provision and delivery of health and wellbeing services locally and nationally.
The meeting, held in response to the Health and Sport Committees enquiry into primary health care services across Scotland, which started in April this year, is expected to publish its findings in September.
Alistair Robertson, Sport Aberdeen Managing Director and Vice Chair of Community Leisure UK, the professional association that champions the charitable leisure trust sector in the UK said:
“We are continually working alongside people in communities, with our partners in Community Planning Aberdeen including the city’s Health and Social Care Partnership, to address health inequalities in the city, engaging in innovative ways to help mitigate the effects of ill health, in turn reducing the financial burden on health care services.
“Our diverse range of services have been developed in direct response to the expressed needs of people experiencing combinations of social isolation; long term illness; declining health; injury and life-limiting conditions. Participation numbers for these targeted programmes exceeded 22,000 last year.”
The meeting clearly demonstrated the difference that Sport Aberdeen, and leisure trusts throughout Scotland, can make in terms of illness prevention and promoting healthier active lifestyles, notably in areas of deprivation where health inequalities can be clearly seen.
In the last year, Sport Aberdeen:
- Saw 2,000,000 visits to its facilities.
- Grew its ‘Get Active’ membership scheme to 7500 people, who benefit from access to swimming, fitness, skating, tennis, golf and a wide range of physical activity opportunities.
- Sport Aberdeen’s Healthy and Active Communities programme with target services for older adults under its ‘Active Lifestyles’ banner delivered 107 activities each week
across the city and in 2018/19 provided 4563 sessions with over 40,500 participations.
- The specialist ‘Move More Aberdeen’ programme for people and their carer(s) who may be experiencing a combination of isolation; long term ill health; declining health; injury; and/or life limiting conditions, received over 700 referrals from health care professionals and recorded over 22,000 participations by local people, helping to increase their mobility through building strength and balance; improving their sense of wellbeing and reducing dependency on others.
- Recognising the importance of good health across all ages, Sport Aberdeen’s ‘Active Schools’ partnership with sportscotland has enabled significant positive change; over the last four years participant sessions have risen by 54 per cent to over 278,000. This programme ensures children are actively engaging in sport during and after school; having fun and increasing their levels of physical activity.
- More than 930 specialist one-to-one and group sessions were delivered last year, benefitting children and young people with complex additional support needs through the ‘Looked After Children’ project and outdoor education service.
The second phase of the inquiry is now underway, and the Scottish Parliament Health and Sport Committee has issued a call for views as part of an ongoing inquiry into the future design of primary care health services. This phase will specifically focus on the prescribing of sport; leisure and physical activity as part of community-based NHS primary health care and the outcome of this inquiry is highly likely impact Aberdeen City in the future.
Mr Robertson added:
“We will continue to contribute our knowledge and expertise of delivering health and wellbeing initiatives, whilst offering solutions that can prevent people from falling into health crisis in the first place and look to learn from the inquiry’s findings. As a charity we are committed to creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives through sport and physical activity.”
As a result of the overwhelming popularity of Sport Aberdeen’s Pre-school gymnastics and Kindergym classes in the city, the programme is being expanded to meet the growing demand.
Pre-school Gymnastics is a fantastic way to keep little ones active and to help develop their motor skills. There are lots of options available from adult and child classes for children 18 months to three years and independent classes for those over the age of three.
With more than 250 new participants since August last year, it has prompted the move to offer more choice to communities across the city.
The new programme of more than 40 classes a week will be introduced in August at the start of the new school term and sees additional classes at the Alex Collie Gymnastics Performance Centre and the Beacon Centre, as well as the introduction of classes for the first time at the Kincorth Sports Centre to create opportunities in the South side of the city.
Additionally, pre-schoolers at Beacon will benefit from a recent upgrade to the venue by Robertson’s Facility Management, which sees the addition of a sunken trampoline, with landing areas into a new foam pit, guaranteed to be a huge hit with the three to five year olds!
Kindergym classes are 45 minutes long and provide a safe, fun environment where children can be active and explore the fundamentals of movement. The child works directly with their parent/guardian, alongside qualified coaches who will guide the floor and apparatus activities through the use of music and songs.
Pre-school classes are also 45 minutes long and children attend independently to learn fundamental skills of movement and basic gymnastics techniques working with qualified coaches.
Keith Gerrard, Director of Healthy and Active Communities said:
“Pre-school Gymnastics is a hugely important activity which teaches young children from 18 months to five years old fundamental skills that can be used in many other sports and activities at later stages of their lives. These types of activities also help to develop skills in critical thinking, stimulate interaction as well as boosting their general health.
“We are delighted to have been able to respond to the growing demand for classes and create more opportunities for communities across the city.”
To find out more about the range of exciting classes near you and how to book please go to the Sport Aberdeen website: https://www.sportaberdeen.co.uk/gymnastics-trampolining
Award-winning charity Sport Aberdeen is pleased to announce it has sealed a renewed partnership agreement with sportscotland, the national agency for sport, as it continues to strengthen its work with children and young people across the city.
The agreement, which will bring over £1.6 million of funding into the city over four years, will enable Sport Aberdeen to continue to support the delivery of local sport and physical activity provision through the hugely successful Active Schools and Community Sports Hubs programmes.
Both initiatives help Sport Aberdeen to deliver against key outcomes in Aberdeen’s Local Output Improvement Plan for children and young people and support the whole community to be more active.
Over the last four years, Active Schools Coordinators have supported significant positive change in engagement from school children. Participant sessions have risen by 54 per cent to over 278,000 a year, while the number of secondary pupils now holding sports coaching and sports leadership qualifications has gone up by 40 per cent.
The number of schools which now have active links to sports clubs has risen by a staggering 154 per cent, which highlights the significance of partnership working, and the positive impact it is having on school and community sport interaction.
Sport Aberdeen currently supports five Community Sports Hubs across the city which work with 24 sports clubs. The aim is to increase the number of people participating in sport within local communities by improving access to sport and supporting local sports clubs to work together as part of a hub.
Over the last year Community Sports Hubs facilitated by Sport Aberdeen have seen an astounding rise in participation, from 1,500 to 5,500 (267%), and a 110 per cent increase in the number of active coaches.
Alistair Robertson, Sport Aberdeen Managing Director, said:
“We are delighted to announce this new four-year agreement with sportscotland, which builds further on our strategic partnership spanning over a decade.
“This further investment by sportscotland is testament to Sport Aberdeen’s commitment to creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives through sport and physical activity. The Active Schools programme has had a hugely positive impact on participation rates of children and young people in extracurricular sport in schools over a number of years, whilst Community Sports Hubs have been instrumental in supporting local sports clubs to develop and positively impact on their communities.
“We look forward to continuing our work with sportscotland in Aberdeen and further strengthening our relationship through this latest agreement.”
sportscotland Chief Executive, Stewart Harris said:
“We are delighted to continue our partnership with Sport Aberdeen and Aberdeen City Council to support the delivery of sport and physical activity across the city.
“We want to help the people of Scotland to get the most from the sporting system and by working with our partners we can maximise our resources, creating a greater impact and ultimately making sport more accessible.
“Sport has a key part to play in a thriving Scotland and through initiatives like Active Schools, Community Sport Hubs, and wider investment directly into clubs and facilities, we can play our part in creating strong communities with sport at their heart.”
Sport Aberdeen has announced today that it is entering into a strategic partnership with the ARCHIE Foundation.
The ARCHIE Foundation, is a children’s charity which aims to make the difference for more than 200,000 local sick children every year, providing much-needed extras not already catered for by the NHS.
Following several months of discussions, the two organisations have identified a number of areas, where they feel working collaboratively will help them achieve shared goals.
With the ARCHIE Foundation’s fundraising campaign, the Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail, adopting a Charities theme this week (15-21 July), Sport Aberdeen Chairman, Colin Taylor and ARCHIE Foundation Chairman, Joe Mackie met to launch the partnership at the vintage clown sculpture, close to the Beach Leisure Centre, which is operated by Sport Aberdeen.
The two organisations are exploring a range of projects to benefit both parties, including developing programmes and access to Sport Aberdeen facilities for ARCHIE’s patients and their families, both during and after treatment to support and improve the health and wellbeing of not only the child receiving treatment, but wider family members.
Sport Aberdeen will also support staff volunteering opportunities at the ARCHIE Foundation merchandise store for the Oor Wullie BIG Bucket Trail and events, as well as the loan of equipment to support fund raising activities – including the Big Bounce Weekend.
Announcing the partnership, Sport Aberdeen Chairman, Colin Taylor said: “The ARCHIE Foundation is an important local charity, working tirelessly to enhance the lives of children and their families during one of the most difficult times of their lives.
“With Sport Aberdeen’s commitment to creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives through sport and physical activity, we believe there is a great opportunity to work together for the benefit of those children and their families in the local community dealing with significant health and wellbeing challenges.
“We are extremely excited to form this new strategic partnership with the ARCHIE Foundation and look forward to working closely together on a number of initiatives over the coming months.”
Joe Mackie OBE, Chairman of The ARCHIE Foundation, said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Sport Aberdeen. They, like us, are committed to making a difference to the lives of local families and everyone at ARCHIE is looking forward to working together.”