Sport Aberdeen has been deeply saddened by the recent death of our colleague Murray Cran, aged 52.
Murray had worked for Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools Team as a Lead Sports Coach for a number of years. Over this period, Murray coached at many primary schools in the city and inspired thousands of children to participate in sport. Murray was always popular with the children he coached due to his enthusiasm, sense of humour and passion for sport. Murray was also a popular member of staff at Sport Aberdeen and having made many friends across the company he will be sorely missed.
Our thoughts at this time are with Murray’s wife Evelyn, who also works for Sport Aberdeen, his family and friends.
Every deliberate fire has victims, costs and consequences. Fire setting is an offence. Don’t accept it, report it.
Every week, over 300 fires are deliberately started in Scotland.
These fires blight our neighbourhoods, damage the environment and can sometimes cause injury or even death.
Don’t accept it, report it
All we want you to do, is tell the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) anything you know about fires that have been started in your area. Call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 if you have information about who is responsible. You won’t have to give your name or go to court.
If you have any concerns about a child or young person playing with or showing an unhealthy interest in fire, please contact your local community fire station.
For more information on deliberate fire setting, please visit the SFRS website or download the deliberate fire setting information pack.
Two UDECIDE grants worth over £2,750 will be invested into improving the lives of children and young people in Aberdeen, by helping them to get more active.
Registered charity Sport Aberdeen celebrated being awarded over £2,750 from Aberdeen City Council’s UDECIDE participatory budgeting programme in the Northfield and Torry areas of the city.
The UDECIDE programme is linked to Community Planning Aberdeen’s Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) to generate ideas and allocate funding in Aberdeen. This directly involves local people suggesting ideas and voting on how public money is spent in their local community.
A range of ideas were put forward by individuals, groups and organisations as part of this process, with residents voting on which ideas and projects they wanted to see being awarded funding.
Sport Aberdeen was successful with two proposals from Active Schools Coordinators in Northfield and Torry, both of which focused on activities that enhance physical and mental wellbeing by getting more children and adults physically active.
Sport Aberdeen’s Director of Healthy and Active Communities, Keith Gerrard said:
“We are very pleased to have been part of the UDECIDE process and have two of our projects awarded funding. It’s particularly special because it has been selected by the local community.
“Taking sport and physical activity opportunities to the heart of communities is an important part of our effort to create opportunities, inspire people and change lives through sport and physical activity.”
The Northfield UDECIDE funding will finance the establishment of free monthly ‘For Fun Run’ events held within the Northfield community and at Get active @ Sheddocksley, for children over the age of five and their parents, guardians or carers. The funding will also subsidise t-shirts and medals for all participants in addition to first aid training, a designated first aid kit and a free workshop with Jog Scotland.
In addition, the ‘For Fun Run’ events will link in with schools in the area and will make use of Westpark School’s new purpose built running track, which also received funding from the UDECIDE programme.
The Westpark School running track will be built in memory of long standing Head Teacher Mr Cowie, who sadly passed away last year, for his commitment to the school and the local community. Mr Cowie’s family and friends have also helped raise money for the project.
Councillor Jenny Laing, Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader and Chair of Community Planning Aberdeen, said:
“Participatory budgeting is vitally important in realising the vision of Community Planning Aberdeen – which is for a city where everyone can prosper.
“UDECIDE funding supports projects and initiatives in key communities and is enabling residents to make important decisions on priorities in their neighbourhood, helping to increase opportunities and improve outcomes through a collaborative approach.
“Sport Aberdeen is an important partner in fostering healthy and active lifestyles for young people and the latest funding award will enable the great work that is being done in the city to be expanded.”
Thousands of runners and spectators are expected to attend the Sport Aberdeen event which takes place on Sunday 5 May.
A number of traffic restrictions will be in place around the city and beach area of Aberdeen next weekend for the BHGE 10K Running Festival.
Kicking off at the Race Village on Beach Boulevard, the scenic race route will take runners out towards Waterloo Quay and Aberdeen Harbour, before running the length of the Beach Esplanade, through Bridge of Don, Pittodrie Park and Sport Aberdeen’s King’s Links golf course, before finishing at the Beach Ballroom.
Keith Gerrard, Director of Health and Active Communities at Sport Aberdeen, said:
“The support that the race receives each year is consistently inspiring and as always, the run up to the event is a very exciting time for all involved and it is a pleasure to see the joint efforts of the community, charities and organisers pay off, come the big day.
“We’d like to thank our participants, spectators and sponsors for their support and look forward to seeing them on race day.”
Residents have been advised there will be parking and traffic restrictions in place on roads around the race route.
Organisers are advising people to plan their journeys in advance, with additional crowds anticipated with it being the May bank holiday weekend.
Links Road between the Beach Ballroom and Urquhart Road will be closed from 6.00am on Saturday 27 April until 2.00pm on Sunday 5 May.
Accommodation Road will be closed between the Beach Esplanade and Golf Road from 6.00am on Saturday 4 May until 2.00pm on Sunday 5 May.
The Beach Esplanade from King Street at Bridge of Don to New Pier Road and Pittodrie Street will be closed rom 4.00am on Sunday 5 May, reopening at 1.00pm.
Beach Boulevard from Links Road to the Beach Esplanade will be closed from 4.00am until 2.00pm, with the road from Links Road to Wellington Street closed from 9.00am until noon.
Elsewhere a number of other routes will be closed to traffic from 9.00am until noon to make way for the crowds, including Wellington Street to Waterloo Quay, York Place heading to York Street, Pocra Quay and New Pier Road.
There will also be no traffic access on Commerce Street southbound from Virginia Street and Miller Street to Waterloo Quay between 6.00am and 1.00pm on Sunday 5 May.
Regent Walk at Golf Road eastbound and Seaton Crescent to Seaton Road, Seaton Drive, Seaton Walk to King Street will all be closed from 6.00am to 1.00pm on Sunday 5 May.
Those taking part in the race can meet at the Race Village, which will open at 8.00am, with family activities starting at 8.30am.
The Specsavers 2K Race will start at 9.00am from outside Sport Aberdeen’s Beach Leisure Centre.
The Wheelchair 10K Race begins at 9.25am and the main 10K Race will begin at 9.30am.
This year, organisers also hope to make it one of the most environmentally friendly races in Scotland.
This year’s BHGE 10K Running Festival will see a reduced number of single use plastics in use and water stations to reduce waste and biodegradable goody bags with fewer plastic items inside them.
Zoe Lewis, Sport Aberdeen’s Event Lead, continued:
“Every year we strive to be more environmentally friendly. We understand the importance of reducing our single use plastic use and are making positive changes to help make this year’s race one of the most sustainable yet.
“In addition, there are small ways participants and spectators can help with our plans on the day too, for example by using the green recycling bins provided or taking their own reusable water bottle to fill up at the water station in the Race Village.”
A local Primary School pupil’s design has been selected to appear on the water bottles that will be handed out to thousands of runners taking part in the 2019 BHGE 10K road race.
Eight year old Emma Punchard’s design was selected from entries received for the competition run by Deeside Mineral Water, an official partner of the BHGE 10K Running Festival.
Emma’s winning design will be printed onto the label appearing on bottles of water that will be handed out to runners on race day, Sunday 5 May.
She will also have the chance to be part of the official 10K race start and has been invited to attend a special tour of the Deeside Mineral Water facilities where she will see her label being applied to the bottles and receive a crate of Deeside Mineral Water and a Sport Aberdeen goody bag including freebies and vouchers to be used at Sport Aberdeen venues across Aberdeen.
Young people from schools across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire were asked to design a label that shows how plastic bottles can be recycled responsibly to help save the incredible wildlife found in our local rivers, seas and oceans.
This is the 32nd year of the North East’s well established road race organised by registered charity Sport Aberdeen in partnership with Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE).
Commenting, Sport Aberdeen’s Director of Healthy and Active Communities, Keith Gerrard, said:
“On behalf of Sport Aberdeen, I would like to congratulate Emma and say a huge thank you to all of the children who took part in the competition.
“I would also like to thank Deeside Mineral Water for supporting us for the fourth year in a row. This is a fantastic competition that allows young people to step up and be part of an event at the heart of our community.
“The countdown to this year’s BHGE 10K Running Festival has started but there is still time to sign up for one of our 10K or 2K races”.
Martin Simpson, Managing Director of Deeside Mineral Water commented:
“Deeside Mineral Water are delighted to supply water for runners in this year’s BHGE 10K road race and to continue working with Sport Aberdeen and Baker Hughes, a GE company.
“Congratulations to Emma for her winning label design, which we hope will remind people to recycle responsibly. We look forward to her visit to the Deeside Water factory and wish everyone an enjoyable run on the 5 May.”
Award winning registered charity Sport Aberdeen will be a finalist at the prestigious Community Leisure UK Awards 2019, which recognises the extraordinary impact that leisure trusts make throughout the UK and in their local communities.
In announcing the UK finalists, Chief Executive, of Community Leisure UK Cate Atwater, said:
“Within our association, Sport Aberdeen has been consistently recognised as a progressive, innovative and highly respected community leisure trust. This has now been endorsed by an external judging panel of industry expects drawn from across the UK. Getting to the finals is a great achievement and being finalists in three categories is unprecedented and Sport Aberdeen is the only charity to have achieved this in the history of the event.
Responding to the news, Sport Aberdeen Managing Director, Alistair Robertson, said:
“Having the work we do across the city considered worthy of a UK award is truly humbling and a real tonic in very difficult times. It is a great testament to our Board, my staff and the many volunteers who have all worked very hard to provide the best we can to our customers across the city.
“I am immensely proud that Sport Aberdeen is the only trust in the UK shortlisted as finalists in three categories and this moves us nearer to our aim of being regarded as the best leisure trust in Scotland.”
British optical retail chain, Specsavers, has stepped up to show support to this year’s BHGE 10K Running Festival by sponsoring the 2K race.
With just five weeks to go until the event, race organiser Sport Aberdeen and title sponsor Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE), are delighted to welcome Specsavers as the 2K race sponsor for 2019.
The support provided by Specsavers, the Number 1 optician in the UK, will further enhance race day, in particular the 2K race, by ensuring each runner will be rewarded with a t-shirt and medal as they cross the finish line.
Commenting on the support, Keith Gerrard, Sport Aberdeen’s Director of Healthy and Active Communities, said:
“We are thrilled to have Specsavers come on board as the 2K race sponsor, a new sponsor for this year’s BHGE 10K Running Festival, joining a host of local organisations who are backing and helping raise money for ten local causes.
“The Specsavers 2K race is the perfect opportunity to encourage the next generation to participate in physical activity to help maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.
“This is especially notable at the transitional stage from Primary to Secondary School, where participation levels significantly decrease, particularly the level of girls’ participation that tends to drop over the course of their time at secondary school.”
Starting at the Beach Leisure Centre, making a loop past Pittodrie Stadium and finishing at the 10K finish line, the Specsavers 2K costs only £6 to enter and 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 the store was excited to contribute to one of the North East’s most popular running events:
“The BHGE 10k festival has become a huge date on the calendar for Aberdeen runners, not to mention competitors drawn from all corners of the world, and we’re delighted to have the opportunity of sponsoring it, allowing us to enhance what is already a memorable event for thousands.
“With so many great causes receiving a massive boost from this community-focused family event, we’re proud to be associated with its wonderful aims and look forward to lending our support on race day.”
With the 10 weeks to 10K training programme now in full flow, people are being urged to sign up for the race in good time to avoid disappointment. Over half the spaces have already been filled, but there is still time to secure your place.
For more information about the BHGE 10K Running Festival or to sign up for 2019, please visit: www.sportaberdeen.co.uk/bhge-10k
Registered charity Sport Aberdeen is delighted to announce that its Active Girls Committee has been commended by Scottish Parliament for the important work it does in Aberdeen.
The Active Girls Committee, facilitated by Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team, aims to increase activity amongst girls by 10% by the end of school year 2019/20. The committee comprises of girls from each academy across the city who are championing a move to get more young girls involved in sport and physical activity.
MSP Mark McDonald, who represents the Aberdeen Donside ward, lodged the motion in the Scottish Parliament to celebrate the work of Sport Aberdeen’s Active Girls Committee. Mr McDonalds motion stated:
“That the Parliament commends the work of the Active Girls Committee, which has been established by Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team and aims to increase activity among girls by 10% by the end of the 2019-20 school year; notes that the committee is comprised of girls from each academy across Aberdeen who endeavour to inspire their peers and increase the number of girls taking part in regular sport and physical activity; highlights the committee’s hard work in organising a recent outing to Transition Extreme with girls from Dyce Academy; embraces the number of alternative activities showcased, including skateboarding, BMX biking and rock climbing, and welcomes this focus on breaking down the barriers that can stop many girls from participating in sport.”
Sport Aberdeen is delighted to have reached the finals in prestigious industry awards recognising its excellence in the fields of human resources (HR).
One of only three charitable organisations to reach the finals, Sport Aberdeen has been shortlisted in the Exceptional Employee Engagement and Mike Reid Community Award categories of The Press and Journal cHeRries Awards 2019, which will take place at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) on Thursday 30 May.
Commenting on the news, Sport Aberdeen Managing Director, Alistair Robertson, said:
“It is great to see Sport Aberdeen at the forefront championing for the charitable sector. We are humbled to be one of only three trusts selected as finalists amongst a host of excellent entries from major organisations across the city.
“The news has been received very well by Nickie and the small HR team who do so much and reaching the finals in the Exceptional Employee Engagement category is a reflection of the wider organisation, as each and every employee contributes towards HR.”
Golf in Aberdeen has been given a boost as a popular links golf course received recognition from a trusted golfing website.
Sport Aberdeen’s Balnagask Golf Course received an outstanding 4.75 out of 5 rating, placing it 16th in the top 50 courses for its course layout, condition, hospitality, value for money and pace of play, as part of online golfing community, Golfshake’s, Top 50 Golf Courses Rated for Condition in 2018.
Balnagask features alongside world renowned Scottish golf courses Gleneagles, St Andrews Links and Dundonald – which have played host to The Open and the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open in previous years.
Commenting on the accolade, Sport Aberdeen’s Golf and Outdoor Services Manager, Nigel Spencer, said:
“We are extremely proud of the four courses we manage on behalf of Aberdeen City Council and the membership packages we offer to play these, such as our Get active 5 membership, which is great value for money.
“What is particularly pleasing about this, is that the recognition comes from independent reviews submitted to Golfshake by golfers who have played the course.
“Having Balnagask recognised and listed alongside so many other world class golf courses, showcases the high standard of golf in Aberdeen.”
Golfshake considers Sport Aberdeen’s Balnagask Golf Course as ‘highly recommended’ with 96 per cent of it’s users saying that they would play it again and recommend it to fellow golfers.