The future of Aberdeen’s Sports Awards has been secured after the Evening Express agreed to take on the event.
This year will be the 26th edition of the annual ceremony recognising the Granite City’s sporting heroes, from world-class athletes to the many clubs, coaches and volunteers in the community.
The Active Aberdeen Partnership (AAP) – who lead sport and physical activity in the city – have run the awards previously, but were forced to prioritise other areas, leaving the event with an uncertain future.
However, they will now go ahead on Thursday October 3 at P&J Live – Aberdeen’s new exhibition and conference centre.
Evening Express editor Craig Walker said: “The Evening Express has been a key partner in the sports awards since Alistair Robertson and his team at Sport Aberdeen approached the paper and we became media partners, helping promote the event and its different award categories and lifting the event to become the standout night to celebrate north-east sporting success.
“Thanks to the many sponsoring partners and the organisations that make up the AAP, it really has gone from strength to strength.
“The Evening Express champions local sport, from grassroots to elite, from schools competitions to world and Olympic level and the awards are a perfect fit for us.
“We look forward to continuing our excellent relationship with the AAP and we’re looking forward to taking Aberdeen’s Sports Awards to the city’s new event complex at P&J Live on October 3 for what will be the first event of its kind in the venue.
“We are also delighted to welcome our headline sponsors Fantastic Fanatics.”
The awards in their current form were established in 1994, when the Aberdeen City Council, Chris Anderson Trust and Sports Council awards were brought together in one ceremony.
In recent years, the main Sports Achiever of the Year prize has been dominated by athletes who’ve excelled on the international stage.
Sprinter Zoey Clark has won two years in a row as a result of relay medals at the World Championships and World Indoor Championships.
Before Clark, household names recognised include paracyclist Neil Fachie, canoeist David Florence and rower Katherine Grainger, as well as swimming sensations Robbie Renwick and Hannah Miley.
Speaking on behalf of the AAP, Alistair Robertson, managing director of Sport Aberdeen, said: “Over the last 25 years, Aberdeen’s Sports Awards have celebrated the city’s wealth of sporting talent and recognised the many clubs, coaches and volunteers that make an invaluable contribution to participation and community engagement.
“Championed in recent years by the AAP, I am now delighted to announce the awards will be taken forward by our commercial partners, the Evening Express, who will oversee the organisation and delivery of future editions of this important and highly valued event.
“I know the committed team at the Evening Express will do a fantastic job, continuing to shine a light on the sporting achievements at the heart of our city. From grassroots and community-driven sporting achievements, to those who progress to represent the north-east with pride on the national and international stage, all inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.
“We look forward to working closely with them to promote another exciting event in 2019.”
Nominations for this year’s awards are now open and close on Sunday August 4.
The categories and criteria for each section are listed to the right.
One big difference in the categories this year is the removal of the Disability and Junior Disability Sports Achiever of the Year sections.
Just like in 2017, when the separate Male and Female Sports Achiever of the Year prizes were combined, the judges have made this decision to promote inclusivity within sport.
Athletes’ will rightly be judged on levels of success within their own discipline, regardless of whether it is able-bodied or para competition.
Another difference is the separation of Coach of the Year into Community/Participation and Performance sections.
The aim of this is to give the judges the chance to recognise the people who have helped athletes achieve glory in elite competition, without ignoring those grassroots coaches – often volunteers – who dedicate their time to providing sporting opportunities to the Granite City public, young and old.
To nominate an individual or club you think are deserving of one of Aberdeen’s Sports Awards, visit www.aberdeenssportsawards.co.uk
An Aberdeen primary school has launched a fundraising drive to help kids living in poverty.
Staff at Kittybrewster School hope to raise cash to open up a sports clothes store for children.
The aim is to raise enough money to help children whose parents cannot afford sports gear.
The Kitty Kids Kits initiative was dreamed up by Jo Bell, the Active Schools co-ordinator at Kittybrewster.
She hopes to provide children with trainers, shorts and other sports clothing, in an effort to ‘remove the barriers to physical activity’.
Acting head teacher Ross Watson said:
“Our Active Schools co-ordinator Jo Bell is raising money for this.
“Jo is a valued member of staff at Kittybrewster – her commitment to the school community is evident through her desire to raise funds to support children who attend the school. Kitty Kids Kits is in addition to a range of initiatives at Kittybrewster to poverty-proof and close the poverty-related attainment gap.”
Jo has set up a GoFundMe page to raise the money which has already pulled in more than £1,000 of generous donations from members of the public.
Jo said:
“Kittybrewster Primary School is creating a Kitty Kids Kits sports equipment store to remove barriers to children’s participation in physical activity and sport.
“The store will provide free trainers, T-shirts, shorts and more specific kit where necessary.
“Participation in physical activity is crucial in the development of happy and healthy young people.
“It improves health and wellbeing outcomes, teaches valuable life skills and encourages social skills.
“International research suggests that enhanced health and wellbeing contributes significantly to improved school attainment.
“Therefore, the benefits are not limited to the games hall.
“All donations will go to the school and be used to purchase Kitty Kids Kits available to any child that requires it for school or extra-curricular activities.”
A popular sporting festival designed to get older adults active got off to a flying start this Wednesday.
Now in it’s 9th year, Aberdeen’s Golden Games which is delivered by the Active Aberdeen Partnership (AAP), launched it’s nine day programme of events with a Multi Activity Day at Aberdeen Sports Village.
The Multi Activity Day gave participants the platform to to try their hand at a wide variety of sports, games and activities which aimed to provide a small taster of what to expect from the diverse programming offered throughout the wider Golden Games festival.
Activities on the day included walking hockey, touch rugby, pilates as well as a walking challenge as part of the Big Fit Walk, where participants, chose the distance and took off in the overcast weather for a brisk stroll.
Alistair Robertson, spokesman for the Active Aberdeen Partnership, said:
“On behalf of the Active Aberdeen Partnership, I would like to thank each and every one of the ambassadors and organisations who support the initiative, for their part in bringing the citywide games to life.
“The Golden Games continues to grow year on year and the opening event never fails to showcase the eagerness amongst the older adult community to get out and try something new.
“This year’s programme is as varied as ever and we really cannot wait to see where it goes next.”
Sport Aberdeen has launched a new volunteer recognition initiative, to show appreciation to its volunteers and the dedication that they show to the organisation.
Volunteers are the backbone of Sport Aberdeen and the organisation is honoured to have hundreds of amazing volunteers who generously share their time, skills and experience to help Sport Aberdeen thrive in creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives.
The new Volunteer of the Month initiative – launched in conjunction with National Volunteer Week – will recognise an individual, team or group of volunteers each month, who have done something special or have really gone the extra mile.
Nickie Scorgie, Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development at Sport Aberdeen, is delighted to be introducing this initiative, stating:
“We actively recognise and celebrate outstanding achievements. The ‘Volunteer of the Month’ scheme will allow us to celebrate volunteer successes, recognise outstanding contributions and those who go that bit extra”
Alistair Robertson, Sport Aberdeen Managing Director, said:
“I simply cannot overstate the importance volunteers play in allowing Sport Aberdeen to achieve it’s aim of creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives.
“These volunteers are very often the people who are working directly within the communities in which we operate.
“We have found that our Employee of the Month initiative has been a great way to build moral and recognise the efforts of our staff and it’s only right that this same attention is given to our hard-working team of volunteers.”
For more information or to nominate a Sport Aberdeen volunteer, please visit: Volunteer of the Month Initiative
An inspirational Aberdeen teenager hopes to use her own experience of an eating disorder to promote physical activity.
Aimee Work, 15, suffered from the problem from the age of just 10.
It started as a dissatisfaction with her teeth but then grew into severe body image issues which led to the schoolgirl restricting her diet.
Despite a battle with her own mental health, Aimee made it to the other side – eventually volunteering with Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools and serving as the chairwoman of the Active Girls committee.
Aimee, who has just left Hazlehead Academy, hopes her experiences can now help inspire a generation of youngsters to love themselves, as well as take up sport and physical activity as positive outlets.
Aimee, from Mannofield, volunteers at her former school, as well as the feeder primary schools Airyhall and Hazlehead.
Her first involvement in the committee was in her second year at school, after a PE teacher let her know about it being formed.
She said:
“They thought it would really benefit me.
“However, the real reason I wanted to be able to take part was, when I was about 10 years old, I suffered from an eating disorder.”
Aimee told the Evening Express she would under-eat and over-exercise in a bid to improve her view of herself.
She said:
“I lost a significant amount of weight, and it got to a point where my body couldn’t cope – both physically and mentally – with what I was putting it through.
“I was quite depressed and I broke down and revealed what I had been putting my body through.
“I really struggled to come to terms with how much I had damaged my body and the measures I went to.
“It was at that point I wanted to bring physical activity back into my life in a positive way.
“When I heard about the committee being set up, I knew I could use the determination and drive I had to ensure issues like self-confidence and body issues were being addressed.
“I think it’s really important that girls and young women are given the mental support they need at this really vulnerable age.
“It’s something Sport Aberdeen and the committee are really good at doing.
“Whenever we do talks or events, mental health is something we always try to address.”
The teen was told she was just a month away from being hospitalised with her disorder.
She said:
“That hit me really hard. I think at the time I was quite young and naive.
“I was aware of what I was doing but I just had this extreme self-hatred about how I looked, and a never-ending battle with my weight.
“It was an extreme focus on how much I ate and exercising as much as I could.”
Aimee now credits her commitment to being active with aiding her recovery, saying she is “in a much better place” and she tries to use her own experience to help others.
She said:
“I’ve completely turned around from what I went through a few years ago.
“We try to highlight the more emotional, social and mental things that come with physical activity, not just the health benefits.”
For her inspirational work with younger girls, Aimee was recognised at the glittering UK-wide Community Leisure awards in Manchester, which presented her with the outstanding volunteer award.
Having left Hazlehead Academy a few weeks ago, Aimee plans to head to college to study for Highers and her goal is to go on to university to train to become a nutritionist in the hopes of being able to promote healthy dieting.
Sport Aberdeen managing director Alistair Robertson said:
“I am absolutely thrilled for Aimee.
“It is fitting tribute for what she has achieved at such a young age and she is an ambassador the city should cherish.
“It is also recognition of the great work of the Active Schools team and the Active Girls Committee who work hard to get girls engaged in sport.”
A popular Aberdeen Walking Football project recently celebrated its third birthday. The project, a partnership between AFC Community Trust and Sport Aberdeen’s Beach Leisure Centre, has continued to grow and attract a wider range of participants.
Weekly footfall has increased year on year since its inception. Fourteen players attended the very first session in 2016.
Today, there are around 40 regular participants with over 118 people in total having attended. Over the three years the sessions have attracted participants ranging from the age of 35 to 72. Together they have clocked up almost 5,000 participation hours.
Sport Aberdeen’s Active Lifestyles Development Officer, Andrinne Craig said:
“It has been a delight to see the group go from strength to strength over the past 3 years.
“Its success is all thanks to the volunteers and players who have embraced walking football and created a fun, social and supportive environment to be active.
“We are pleased to work in partnership with AFC Community Trust to offer an opportunity for Football Fans In Training participants to continue their fitness journey in the Community.”
The project, coordinated by volunteers Stephen Harvey and Dougie Henderson, aims to provide people with a lower impact alternative to a standard football game, but with all the skill, fitness, fun and teamwork you would expect from a regular game.
Walking Football is a growing national sport amongst older participants, and these sessions operate an ‘open to all’ policy welcoming male and female players across a variety of ages, including those who have experienced injury or who are keen to return to physical activity after experiencing a long-term health condition.
David Smith, Senior Community Projects Officer at Aberdeen FC Community Trust said:
“It’s been great to work with Sport Aberdeen to enable this group of men and women, most of whom started their journey to become more active with Football Fans in Training, to stay active and connected in the community. Huge thanks must go to Stephen and Dougie for this commitment and helping the group week in week out, a credit to the city and the community.”
Aberdeen’s Golden Games, which is organised by the Active Aberdeen Partnership (AAP), started in 2011 with five activities and 80 participants. Such is the ever growing popularity of the games, by 2018 this ballooned to 89 activities held over ten days with 425 participants.
2019 sees the games enter it’s ninth year with it’s biggest and most diverse programme to date.
One activity which has been an integral part of the Golden Games since its inception is the Care Home Pentathlon which see’s residents from care homes across Aberdeen come together to compete in a series of five activities in a bid to win trophies and medals.
Hayley Buchan, Wellbeing Coordinator and Dementia Ambassador for the Aberdeen Health & Social Care Partnership said:
“The Care Home Pentathlon is such an important part of the Golden Games. It gives people, who may not be able to take part in the other activities on offer during the festival the chance to be a part of this inclusive event.
“It’s great to see care homes coming back year after year with their residents and staff. They take the games very seriously, but the room is always filled with laughter!
“It’s also great to see that the care homes continue these kinds of activities with their residents throughout the year. For them, this may be a one off event, but they continue to take part in activities in the care home and out in their local community”
Each year, residents take part in a variety of challenges which have included weightlifting, shoot and score and floor basketball.
Organised by Aberdeen Health and Social Care Partnership’s Wellbeing Team and supported by members of care staff and families, the residents take part in activities which are adapted to suit a wide range of abilities. Fun and laughter are plentiful along with a friendly but competitive spirit.
Anna Philip, Activity Coordinator Tor-Na-Dee Care Home has nothing but praise for the event. She said:
“Tor-Na-Dee residents have taken part in the Care Home Pentathlon since the very first event and have loved coming back year after year. it is important for our residents to meet other folk, to go out and experience a different location, they are over the moon with medals which are treasured for months after and the cup provides a focus of pride for the whole home.
“Self esteem and confidence increase and physical activity is shown to be not so hard as anticipated. It’s a high light of the year with everyone in the community, residents, relatives and staff anticipating success.”
2019’s Golden Games Care Home Pentathlon will take place on Thursday 6 June at Westburn Park.
Sport Aberdeen is celebrating after receiving the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a charity or voluntary group can receive in the UK.
Volunteers support Sport Aberdeen in the delivery of its community-based programmes including Active Schools, Active Lifestyles, supporting learn to swim programmes as well as helping to improve the quality of our golf courses at Hazlehead.
Volunteer representatives of Sport Aberdeen attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May, along with other recipients of this year’s Award. It is one of 281 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of nominations and awards has increased year on year since the awards were introduced in 2002, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them.
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit 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. Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse. They include volunteers helping people to overcome mental health problems through sport, volunteers using caravans as mobile café/information centres in geographically remote location and another group mentoring children who have a parent in prison.
Representatives of Sport Aberdeen will receive the award from the Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeen later this summer.
Sport Aberdeen’s Chairman, Colin G. Taylor, was delighted with the news:
“It came as a complete surprise, as I wasn’t aware that we had even been nominated. Receiving the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is fantastic recognition for the volunteers that work with us and to the outstanding work they do for us in the local communities on a daily basis.”
“We have nearly 1500 volunteers supporting our programmes across the company. Their commitment and enthusiasm helping us to deliver valued sport and physical activity programmes and services is incredible.”
This latest recognition is further evidence of Sport Aberdeen’s work in the community.
Sport Aberdeen recently hosted a delegation of educational staff from Iceland.
The educational study trip, which coincided with the Aberdeen Youth Games Primary Festival of Sport on Friday 24 May, was attended by 17 educational staff from preschool, primary school, sport and leisure backgrounds from the Municipality of Kopavogur in Iceland.
During the visit, the VIP guests learnt about Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools, Looked After Children and Priority Families programs and received a tour of Aberdeen Sports Village, before observing the Aberdeen Youth Games Primary Festival of Sport opening ceremony and activities.
In a tribute to the VIP guests, school pupils and students from RGU and NESCOL welcomed the visitors to the games with a spectacular ‘Iceland Viking thunder clap’ as part of the opening ceremony.
Keith Gerrard, Director of Healthy and Active Communities at Sport Aberdeen, said:
“This year’s Primary Festival of Sport brought 1,500 children from over 45 schools together in the name of encouraging active lifestyles amongst young people. It was our absolute pleasure to be able to share this special event with our Icelandic friends and we are confident that the days activities and festivities were enjoyed by all.”
The educational group also visited schools with Unicef UK to learn about the Child Friendly Cities & Communities project, Children’s Rights Respecting Schools and best practice of implementation of the Convention on the rights of Child.
Around 1,500 pupils from 45 city primary schools descended on Aberdeen Sports Village on Friday 25 May, as the annual Aberdeen Youth Games culminated in a celebration of health, wellbeing and the benefits of an active lifestyle.
In the run up to this year’s Aberdeen Youth Games, children from all 45 schools were given the opportunity to submit a medal design for the 2019 games as part of a design competition with Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team and Gray’s School of Art.
The winning entry was that of Nada Fawaz, a Primary 4 pupil from Skene Square School. Nada’s design was selected by a judging panel with representatives from Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team and Robert Gordon University’s (RGU) Sport and Exercise Science team.
As the winner of the competition, Nada was presented with a bespoke replica of her winning medal design in addition to seeing her design feature on all this year’s medals.
The prize was awarded by Aberdeen Youth Games Ambassadors Sir Ian Wood KT GBE, taekwondo world champion Katrina Carr, table tennis champion Colin Dalgleish, snowboarder Douglas Green and Scottish basketball’s Chris Clearly.
Keith Gerrard, Director or Healthy and Active Communities at Sport Aberdeen, said:
“The judging panel was very impressed with the high standard and variety of entries submitted for this year’s medal design competition.
“The winning medal design was chosen because it captured what the Aberdeen Youth Games is all about – health, wellbeing and participation from a vast range of backgrounds and cultures across the city.
“Our partnership with Gray’s School of Art this year, builds upon our close relationship with Robert Gordon University (RGU) and illustrates that not all partnerships are about sport.”
Daniel Sutherland, Academic Strategic Lead at Gray’s School of Art, said:
“The Aberdeen Youth Games medal design competition has been very popular as always and we saw a lot of creative entries this year.
“Nada’s design has given the medals a great new look for 2019 and it has been great to work with her to develop the finished product, which we hope pupils will appreciate when they take them home from the Festival of Sport.”