Primary school pupils from across Aberdeen had a ball this week as one of Scotland’s largest sports projects culminated in a celebration of health, wellbeing and the benefits of an active lifestyle.
Over 1,500 pupils from 45 city primary schools converged on Aberdeen Sports Village on Friday 24 May, as the annual Aberdeen Youth Games programme concluded with its Primary Festival of Sport.
As she prepares for the FIFA Women’s World Cup next month, Scotland captain and Aberdeen Youth Games ambassador Rachel Corsie believes that the programme can be a transformational one for the young people involved.
She said: “Sport for me has been a catalyst for so much of my success. It offers us the opportunity to work in teams, build friendships, de-stress from our studies and it has the potential to open the door to possibilities that we may have never thought possible.
“I feel privileged to be an ambassador for the Aberdeen Youth Games and I cannot wait to watch the next generation of sporting athletes thrive and push boundaries far outreaching the opportunities I have had so far.”
The pupils at this week’s Festival spent the day taking part in a range of fun sporting activities, coordinated by Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team, and were cheered on by a number of inspirational ambassadors to the programme, including Sir Ian Wood KT GBE, taekwondo world champion Katrina Carr, table tennis champion Colin Dalgleish, snowboarder Douglas Green and Scottish basketball’s Chris Clearly.
Launched by Robert Gordon University’s (RGU) Sport and Exercise Science team and Sport Aberdeen in 2013 – with support from North East Scotland College (NESCol) and The Wood Foundation – the Aberdeen Youth Games is an innovative and multi award-winning programme which promotes physical activity, health and wellbeing amongst young people.
A Legacy 2014 programme, it sees second year students from a range of RGU and NESCol courses deliver over 2,900 hours of skills-based coaching to pupils as part of their work placements with Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team.
This year’s programme expanded to include students from RGU’s new BSc (Hons) Sport Coaching course delivering sport activities at 8 secondary schools, alongside Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team, which included preparing them for the AYG Secondary Festival in February.
This addition means that a total of over 6,000 young people from every city school feel the benefits of the coaching, whilst the students themselves put their own skills to the test in a unique and unrivalled development opportunity.
Dr Bryan McCann, lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science at RGU, leads the development of the Aberdeen Youth Games in partnership with colleagues from Sport Aberdeen and has recently been honoured for his efforts in Universities UK’s MadeAtUni Nation’s Lifesavers campaign.
He said: “The Aberdeen Youth Games is made possible by our exciting and innovative partnership approach to allow our students to act as community assets. The programme provides them with invaluable and impactful real-life learning opportunities, which enhances their employability whilst making a huge difference to the lives of young people in Aberdeen.
“It has been incredible to see the programme grow over the years, touching the lives of thousands of the city’s young people and providing a fantastic experience for everyone involved.”
The Wood Foundation committed £50,000 over five years to support the delivery of the Aberdeen Youth Games. In this, the fourth year of the partnership, it provided an additional £10,000 to support the increased secondary school activities and enhance the overall quality of the programme through the purchasing of high-end sporting equipment.
Sir Ian Wood, Chairman of The Wood Foundation, said: “The Aberdeen Youth Games have engaged thousands of pupils from throughout the city with motivating and exciting physical education opportunities.
“The Festival of Sport is a sight to behold – a field full of happy, energetic and enthusiastic children in a celebration of healthy living and exercise. We are delighted to be supporting Aberdeen Youth Games as part of our commitment to developing Scotland’s young people.”
Everyone who participated in this year’s Festival received a special commemorative medal which was designed by Skene Square School pupil Nada Fawaz, as part of a competition with Gray’s School of Art.
This year’s Primary Festival of Sport had an added Nordic touch, as Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team hosted a delegation of 17 education staff from the Municipality of Kópavogur in Iceland. The pupils and students paid homage to the guests 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: “The Aberdeen Youth Games has become a hugely anticipated and enjoyable event in Aberdeen’s sporting calendar and underlines the importance of keeping young people active in a fun environment.
“Our partnerships with RGU and NESCol encourage a healthy and active lifestyle and help to get more children, more active, more often. Having so many primary schools take part again this year clearly illustrates the powerful and positive impact that sport can have on the health and wellbeing of our local communities.
“I would also like to thank The Wood Foundation for their funding support, as the programme would not be possible without it.”
Chris Clearly, who helped Scotland reach the bronze medal match in his Commonwealth Games debut last year, has been bowled over by his first experience as an Aberdeen Youth Games ambassador.
He said: “It has been incredible to see so many young people having the time of their lives and truly seeing the benefits that sport can bring to your life. The enthusiasm has been infectious and I have to credit everyone at RGU, NESCol and Sport Aberdeen for making it all possible.”
Award winning registered charity Sport Aberdeen struck gold at the prestigious Community Leisure UK Awards last night in Manchester, winning two of the three categories that they were a finalist in.
Get active @ Sheddocksley won the much coveted Leisure Capital Project of the Year Award, ahead of the hot favourite, Warrington’s £20m sports & health hub. A simply staggering achievement for the Granite City facility which has been transformed following a £300,000 investment by Sport Aberdeen towards the end of last year.
Fifteen year old Aimee Work, Chair of the City’s Active Girls Committee, deservedly won the Outstanding Individual Volunteer Award. Aimee was acknowledged for using her personal challenges as a catalyst to become an advocate and ambassador, championing girls’ participation in physical activity to help maintain a healthy active lifestyle.
An inspirational role model, exemplar of volunteering and exceptional speaker, Aimee uses her experiences to help others and has raised the profile of the Active Girls Committee and helped get more girls and young women to be more active – facilitated by Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team and the first of its kind in Scotland – to a level commended by the Scottish Parliament.
The awards recognise the extraordinary impact that leisure trusts make throughout the UK and in their local communities and Sport Aberdeen was the only UK trust to pick up two awards.
Responding to this latest success, Sport Aberdeen Managing Director, Alistair Robertson, said:
“I could not be prouder of everyone in Sport Aberdeen; our Board, staff and volunteers for helping to put our hard work on a UK stage. These prestigious awards are just reward for great team work and the partnership focused approach that we take to all we do.
“I am also absolutely thrilled for Aimee too. It is fitting tribute for what she has achieved at such a young age and she is an ambassador that 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.”
Chairman of the Sport Aberdeen Board, Colin Taylor added:
“It is wonderful to know that our efforts are recognised by leisure industry experts and I hope that Aberdeen and Scotland are proud of these accolades, which take us ever closer to our aim of being regarded as the best leisure trust in Scotland.”
In addition, Sport Aberdeen’s Aberdeen Aquatics team were one of four finalists in the Workforce Development category, for their Aquatics Workforce Development Pathway which helps to enable the sustainability and development of aquatics services in Aberdeen.
Sport Aberdeen was the only trust in the UK shortlisted in three award categories.
Award winning registered charity Sport Aberdeen is delighted to announce that its Get active @ Sheddocksley facility has taken the organisation to the finals of the prestigious 2019 ukactive Awards, in the Scottish Centre of the Year category.
The ukactive Awards are a flagship awards scheme that celebrates facilities that offer excellent customer service with the aim of getting more people, more active, more often.
The award process comprises of an extensive award submission, illustrating the transformation of Get active @ Sheddocksley and detailing feedback from regular users. The final stage of the process will involve independent auditing of the facility.
Winners will be announced at the annual ukactive Uprising Conference, held in Manchester on 6 June 2019.
Director of community leisure operations, David Selkirk, said:
“We’re delighted to have made it through to the finals. Last year, we won Scottish Centre of the Year for our Get active @ Jesmond facility and we are hoping to replicate this success at this year’s awards with Get active @ Sheddocksley”.
This recent recognition continues what has so far been a successful awards season for Sport Aberdeen, with its Get active @ Sheddocksley facility recently being shortlisted in the Community Leisure UK and Elevator Awards, respectively.
Get active @ Sheddocksley underwent an extensive refurbishment which culminated in its reopening in November 2018. The work involved renovations and extending the fitness gym, more than doubling its size, improving the reception space to incorporate a comfortable seating area and the transformation of the squash courts into a dedicated functional training room and a new group exercise studio.
Hailed as an example of what can be achieved through community collaboration, Sport Aberdeen’s Get active @ Sheddocksley facility has been firmly re-established within its local community and has helped to create a sense of local civic pride.
After the successful 32nd year of the BHGE 10K Running Festival, organiser Sport Aberdeen and main sponsor Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE) would like to give thanks to all who participated in and supported this year’s event.
Cameron Strachan from Metro Aberdeen was delighted to win the 2019 BHGE 10K, completing the course in a staggering 32 mins 20 secs and Fiona Bruce, also from Metro Aberdeen, won the women’s race for the fifth time with a time of 35 mins 50 secs.
Murran Mackay (Red Star Athletics Club) was victorious in the 10K wheelchair race in 52 mins and 55 secs and Catherine Lewis triumphed in the 10K handcycles race in 1 hour 10 secs.
The Specsavers 2K was won by Meldrum Academy’s Ross Chalmers with a time of 6 mins 50 secs, Jessica Beaton from Harlaw Academy was the fastest girl with a time of 7 mins 45 secs and Portlethen Academy’s Jack Laird won the Specsavers 2K wheelchair race in 14 mins 24 secs.
First place in both the Male and Female Team race was secured by Metro Aberdeen Running Cluband the title of Corporate Team Challenge Winners was taken home by Team Sport Aberdeen.
BHGE 10K WINNERS:
Men’s Overall Winner – Cameron Strachan (Metro Aberdeen RC)
Women’s Overall Winner – Fiona Bruce (Metro Aberdeen RC)
Senior Men – Cameron Strachan (Metro Aberdeen RC)
Senior Women – Fiona Bruce (Metro Aberdeen RC)
Veteran Men – Michael Carroll (Perth Road Runners)
Veteran Women – Rebecca Watt (Rebel PT)
Super Veteran Men – Paul Eggeling (Aberdeen AAC)
Super Veteran Women – Veronique Oldham (Aberdeen AAC)
Vintage Men – George Mcpherson (Metro Aberdeen RC)
Vintage Women – Carolyn Milne (Ambelside AC)
Junior Men – Aaron Odentz (Aberdeen AAC)
Junior Women – Vicki Elder (Fraserburgh RC)
Wheelchair – Murray Mackay (Red Star AC)
Handcycle – Catherine Lewis
Overall Team – Metro Aberdeen RC
Men’s Team – Metro Aberdeen RC
Women’s Team – Metro Aberdeen RC
Corporate Team – Sport Aberdeen
SPECSAVERS 2K WINNERS:
P6/7 Male – Jamie Ferries (Airyhall Primary)
P6/7 Female – Abby Farquhar (Airyhall Primary)
S1/2 Male – Findlay Murray (Hazlehead Academy)
S1/2 Female – Jessica Beaton (Harlaw Academy)
S3/4 Male – Ross Chalmers (Meldrum Academy)
S3/4 Female – Eloise Cruickshank (Cults Academy)
Wheelchair – Lucy Caird (Portlethen Academy)
With absenteeism costing UK organisations an estimated £29 billion annually, it is easy to see how promoting a healthy and active workforce can be advantageous to businesses.
Part of the BHGE 10K Running Festival, organised by registered charity Sport Aberdeen, the Corporate Team Challenge is open to all sectors of business and industry, from small local enterprises to large global businesses.
Each team participating in the BHGE 10K Corporate Team Challenge receives fitness and health checks for all team members, five free guest passes for use across Sport Aberdeen facilities, free training plans, monthly newsletters and free attendance at running support drop in sessions and seminars for runners of all levels and abilities.
Keith Gerrard, Sport Aberdeen’s Director for Healthy and Active Communities, said:
“The BHGE 10K Corporate Team Challenge aims to encourage employees to come together using sport as a vehicle. Not only promoting a healthy and active lifestyle, it is also a great way to engage employees from across an organisations in a fun and social way, as non runner can sponsor, support or volunteer alongside their colleagues
“Improved physical fitness and wellbeing of employees has been proven to reduce stress levels absenteeism, accidents and injuries around the workplace, while improving workplace morale, employee concentration and motivation levels.
“Many of the companies involved also see enormous CSR benefits from taking part, as they build sustainable connections with local community groups and charities through their participation and enjoy the reputational benefits through good news stories and visible association with a positive initiative.”
The Corporate Team Challenge can also aid companies working towards a Healthy Working Lives accreditation, while keeping employees engaged, health and happy.
Commenting on Seatronics involvement in the BHGE 10K Corporate Team Challenge, Group Marketing Lead, Lauren Forgie, said:
“Seatronics are thrilled to have 12 employees taking part in the BHGE 10K 2019! As a company we achieved our Gold Healthy Working Lives award last year and remain dedicated to offering our employees opportunities to achieve personal health and fitness goals with encouragement from the team.
“The BHGE 10K is a great local event and with the added benefit of health checks for all participants, we thought it would be great to get involved.”
Commenting on RGU’s involvement, Dr Bryan McCann, a lecturer in RGU’s School of Health Sciences, said:
“The university’s decision to take part in the BHGE 10K Corporate Team Challenge reflects our commitment as a Healthy University that promotes and enhances the health, wellbeing and resilience of our entire community of staff and students.
“We have a number of activities running across campus aimed at encouraging people to be more active – including a running, jogging and walking club my School launched in January – and felt like adding the goal of the BHGE 10K, with its associated benefits, would be a natural way of motivating staff.”
This year, there are eight teams competing against each other for the coveted title of BHGE 10K Running Festival Corporate Team Challenge Winners 2019.
One of the longest serving members of staff at an Aberdeen optician is set to celebrate her 70th birthday in a slightly different way on Sunday 5 May.
Maggie Matthews has worked at Specsavers on Union Street for 28 years and fellow staff announced that she would be in charge of the prize giving at the Specsavers sponsored 2K race at this year’s BHGE 10K Running festival, as part of a special 70th birthday surprise.
She said: “I’m really honoured to have been given this wonderful opportunity.
“It’s a chance for me and my and Specsavers colleagues to play a central role in celebrating local achievement in a community setting and at the same time encouraging the next generation of youngsters to get their running shoes on and pick up great habits.
“I never thought I’d be handing out medals at the BHGE 10K Running Festival in my eighth decade! Hopefully I’m a good example of the benefits of staying fit and active.”
The active septuagenarian is no stranger to running events and has undertaken the Kilt Walk event for the last three years, in the process, raising funds for various charities including The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.
Sport Aberdeen’s Director of Healthy and Active Communities, Keith Gerrard, commented:
“We are privileged and excited to have Maggie on board for the 2K prize giving and she is an active role model to us all. Furthermore, twenty eight years is an incredible amount of time to have dedicated to one employer.
“As always we are looking forward to watching a wide variety of people of all ages and abilities take part in this year’s Specsavers 2K race and we hope that Maggie enjoys her special part in the day.”
Starting at the Beach Leisure Centre, making a loop past Pittodrie Stadium and finishing at the 10K finish line, the Specsavers 2K is open to children from Primary 6 to S4 or as a shorter route for wheelchair participants of all ages.
Store Director at Specsavers Aberdeen, Dave McGinty, said:
“We’re delighted to be sponsoring this fantastic event that’s become a real staple in the local calendar, and I know how much Maggie is relishing her prize giving role on Sunday. She’s looking forward to meeting and congratulating all the youngsters. They should be proud of their efforts and the prize giving is a great way to underline that.”
Following a recent review of fees and charges, Sport Aberdeen feel there is merit in a modest increase in the fees and charges for our memberships and coached programme activities.
As of 1 May 2019 we are increasing our monthly membership fees by £2.00 per month. This is the first increase since 2012 and will allow us to continue to invest in facilities and provide the best possible service.
Swimming, tennis, gymnastics and ice skating lessons will also increase by around 5%.
As a charitable trust, we do not pay shareholders nor take profit. All income taken is reinvested into improving the services and facilities that we manage.
Active Starts, Active Futures and Active Lifestyles memberships are unaffected by this increase.
A North East woman is preparing to take part in Aberdeen’s longest running road race to rekindle memories of attending dances at the Beach Ballroom in her youth.
In 2018 at the age of seventy with no previous experience, seventy one year old Morag Ellery decided to take up running. She has completed four 10K’s to date and plans to make the BHGE 10K Running Festival her fifth on Sunday 5 May.
Managed by race organiser Sport Aberdeen and title sponsor Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE), the popular road race enters its thirty second year in 2019.
To prepare for the race Morag joined the St Cyrus Solos Running Club that meets twice a week, where she is the oldest member and also takes part in weekly parkruns to keep her in shape.
When asked what advice she would give to other older adults unsure about taking up running, she said:
“I would certainly encourage more people of any age to get out there and give running a go. The Couch to 5k app and local parkruns are a great way to start. Whether you run, jog or walk, as there is always someone behind you acting as the tail walker. You can take as much time as you need.
“My advice to anyone who thinks they are too old to take part in a 10K is to just do it and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow runners. The spectators certainly cheer you on and there is a fantastic atmosphere from beginning to end.”
Sport Aberdeen and BHGE are proud of the inclusive nature of the BHGE 10K Running Festival. Stories such as Morag’s are an excellent example of how an event in the heart of the community, can encourage people of all ages and walks of life to challenge themselves and get active.
Zoe Lewis, Sport Aberdeen’s Event Lead, commented:
“Morag is the personification of what the BHGE 10K is all about. The variety and range of runners we see take part year on year is inspiring.
“It’s fantastic to see someone like Morag proving that not only is it never too late to try something new, but you can also excel at it as well.”
Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team alongside students from the University of Aberdeen, have gone above and beyond as they engage school aged children across Aberdeen in a huge variety of sports and activities, including boxing, dance and running.
Eddy Eadie and Findlay Rae from the University of Aberdeen, run a lunchtime boxing session at St Machar Academy, which has helped pupils from S1 – S6 try their hand at a sport that is not usually offered as part of the Physical Education (PE) curriculum.
Eddy and Findlay have run the session at St Machar Academy for the whole of the last academic year and have been recognised as role models, who fully embrace and include the school as part of their boxing club and wider boxing community.
Sport Aberdeen’s Active Communities Manager, Graeme Dale, said:
“Students such as Eddy and Findlay, who dedicate so much of their spare time into initiatives such as this to get children active and engaged in sport, are a huge asset to our Active Schools programme.
“The work being done is greatly appreciated by Sport Aberdeen and more importantly, by the children themselves.”
The students have also donated equipment for the school – including skipping ropes and six pairs of gloves and pads – through their own University Boxing Club, to allow the children to continue their training over the holidays and to ensure their experience of the sport is as good as possible.
Commenting on his involvement, Findlay Rae said:
“Watching the kids develop throughout the year has been great. Those coming every week have shown a massive improvement in their boxing skills and they also just seem more confident and chattier, which is amazing to see.
We had one guy who was asking us about boxing clubs here in Aberdeen and is hoping to join up outside of school and continue the sport. To have given him that opportunity and open the door to do something that could become a massive part of his life is really awesome.”
Furthermore and not content on making an impact through just one sport, Riverbank School’s morning Triathlon Club for P5 – P7’s is run by student volunteers Charlotte Benkowitz and Olivia Burridge, who have jointly run the club since last September.
The club aims to get children running in a way that encourages them to better their times and increase the number of laps they can run, through encouragement and friendly competition.
Commenting on her motivation for volunteering, Olivia said:
“We want as many people to get involved and enjoy the sport as much as we can. Volunteering allows us to share our passion for the sport with even more people and hopefully inspire them to love the sport and keep going with it even as they get older.”
Despite being in the midst of their exams, Olivia and Charlotte are planning on attending as many of the upcoming Active Schools Fun Run Series as they can to encourage and support the children.
Registered charity Sport Aberdeen has been announced as a finalist at this year’s Elevator Awards in the Enterprising Communities category.
Organised by Elevator – working to facilitate the start-up, acceleration and growth of new and existing businesses – these annual awards honour business excellence and commends outstanding employers, entrepreneurs, inspirational mentors, businesses at every stage of their journey along with innovations and community impact businesses.
Sport Aberdeen’s Director of Healthy and Active Communities, Keith Gerrard, said:
“Being named a finalist at this year’s Elevator Awards is a great achievement in itself for Sport Aberdeen. We work tirelessly to build and maintain relationships with the local communities we operate within and offer customers the best possible experience at our facilities across the city.
“Our community based initiatives are testament to this shortlisting are a sentiment to what we stand for as a business.”
Sport Aberdeen has been shortlisted in the Enterprising Communities Award category alongside local charities Charlie House and the Gathimba Edwards Foundation.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 27 June at Ardoe House.