Local charity, Sport Aberdeen, has today reached a major milestone in its journey to improve digital services for its members, signalling a step away from traditional printed material to a more efficient digital interface.
The Application Programming Interface (API) – which went live on Sport Aberdeen’s website today (11 March) – offers customers across the city an easy to use, online timetable that provides real time group exercise information across its 18 facilities at the click of a button.
Sport Aberdeen’s Director of Performance and Planning, Jill Franks, said:
“Going live with our new digital timetable is an exciting step forward for Sport Aberdeen, especially at a time when digital technologies are at the forefront of Community Planning Aberdeen’s (CPA) Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP).
“It is essential to the future of the city that customer focused services respond to the evolving needs and growing opportunities of digital technologies.
“The purpose of this improvement is to ensure that booking classes and getting active with Sport Aberdeen is a more fluid process for customers and that we have the most up to date information available in an easy to access format.”
In addition, moving to a more customer focused, digital interface will considerably reduce Sport Aberdeen’s environmental impact.
In today’s environment of austerity, Sport Aberdeen has proven that investment into leisure facilities can have a big impact on the local community.
Since its inception in 2010, Sport Aberdeen has been determined to find ways to reinvigorate its facilities, while encouraging the wider community to participate in physical activity and has invested over £1.9M upgrading and refurbishing its facilities across the city since 2016.
Get active @ Sheddocksley – the seventh facility out of a programme of ten facilities to receive investment from Sport Aberdeen – has been transformed at a cost of £350,000, to one of the most contemporary wellbeing and fitness facilities in the city, reducing its risk of closure and ensuring the sustainability of the facility for the foreseeable future.
Previously a failing and unused 1970’s sports centre in one of the city’s most deprived areas, prone to vandalism and antisocial behaviour, Get active @ Sheddocksley is now a dynamic, accessible and vibrant local focal point that is a hive of activity.
Hailed as a beacon for what can be achieved through community collaboration, Get active @ Sheddocksley has been firmly re-established, pride of place, within its local community.
Managing Director of the charitable organisation, Alistair Robertson, said staff were delighted to show off the new facility following the renovation project:
“The refurbishment of Get active @ Sheddocksley was a big project for us, but it has been worthwhile as it will help secure the long term future of the facility.
“It is important that we encourage and inspire people to get active. Facilities in the heart of the community, like Get active @ Sheddocksley, can lead the way in helping people lead more active lives, both in terms of their physical health and mental wellbeing.”
The pot holed car park and crumbing façade have also been resurfaced, illuminated and brought to life through a bespoke mural designed in collaboration with residents, by award winning local artists, which has helped to create a sense of local civic pride.
In addition, a team of nearly 30 keen Sport Aberdeen staff and Board Members, led by Chairman Colin Taylor, also descended on the facility to volunteer their time repainting external walls and undertaking various landscaping works, supported by Sport Aberdeen’s grounds maintenance company idverde, ahead of the centre’s relaunch.
Since the start of the project, membership numbers have increased from 180 to 970, opening hours have been extended, local jobs have been created and antisocial behaviour is almost obsolete, with no significant incidents reported.
For Sport Aberdeen, the project has also been the catalyst for other developments and the surplus generated will be reinvested into the creation of new opportunities for the local community, with money already reinvested into the conversion of the long abandoned bowling green into a community growing space, which was a direct result of the community consultation,
Get active @ Sheddocksley is a true success story and is vital in demonstrating how partnerships within the community can deliver outcomes that achieve over and above the return on investment, thus inspiring the community to get active.
The 2018 Chairman’s Awards proved to be a great success again this year, with not one, not two…but three winners!
The first winner to be presented with the Peoples Award of the Year, was Jon Lurie.
Jon started working with Sport Aberdeen in February 2010 in the position of Leisure Attendant at Alex Collie Sports Centre, before being promoted to Health and Wellness Advisor in October 2013. The recipient of August 2018’s Employee of the Month, Jon was presented with this award for the passion and person centred approach he shows in his role.
Sport Aberdeen received a letter with glowing praise for Jon from a former participant recovering from prostate cancer who had been referred to light circuit training classes, of which Jon led. The participant could not speak more highly of Jon and wished to thank him for helping overcome a number of hurdles, one of which was getting back into physical activity which had been a large part of his life.
This particular story is one example of how Jon positively impacts the lives of his participants. Jon continually evaluates the needs of his participants to ensure that the activities remain relevant and they get the most out of their classes. The passion and dedication that Jon shows in his job is why he deserves to win the Peoples Nomination. Well done Jon!
The second winner of the Chairman’s Awards to be presented with Employee of the Year, was Ally Barron.
Ally was the recipient of Employee of the Month in March 2018 in recognition for his ongoing hard work and contribution to the successful and continued growth in membership sales. Ally has led teams and venues to achieve a substantial and sustained increase in membership sales leading to the increase in customers and investment opportunities.
Lastly, the team at Get active @ Sheddocksley were presented with the Chairman’s Award for Team of the Year.
The recipients of December 2018’s Employee of The Month in special recognition of their sheer guts and determination during the lead up to the reopening of Get active @ Sheddocksley. The team remained positive despite multiple delays to the project, staying focussed and always ensuring the customers were kept up to date with progress.
Congratulations to Jon, Ally, the Get active @ Sheddocksley team and all the 2018 Employee of the Month winners!
Registered charity, Sport Aberdeen has launched a new kind of workout that will leave you beaming and flexing for more.
Designed to replicate the strength training undertaken by professional gymnasts using the specialist equipment available at Sport Aberdeen’s Alex Collie Gymnastics Performance Centre, the newly launched GymFit class will provide a fresh and fun way to ‘Get active’ regardless of your gymnastic ability.
Taught by professional gymnastics coaches, the class consists of a variety of strength and conditioning exercises that focus on cardio, core and upper and lower body, leaving participants feeling fitter, healthier and one step closer to achieving that gymnast physique.
Sport Aberdeen’s Gymnastics Pathways Coordinator, Aynsley Henderson, said:
“GymFit has been designed to offer a fun way to help adults get active and pick up some new skills in the process. Taught by experienced and professional coaches, the class utilises the wide range of specialist equipment available at Alex Collie Gymnastics Performance Centre.”
Commenting on the new class, Keith Gerrard, Director of Healthy and Active Communities at Sport Aberdeen said:
“Sport Aberdeen is always looking at fresh and innovative ways to inspire people to ‘Get active’ across the city.
“We hope this new gymnastics themed fitness class will create the opportunity for people with an interest in gymnastics to learn new skills while having fun and keeping active.”
GymFit classes will take place at Sport Aberdeen’s Alex Collie Gymnastics Performance Centre on Wednesday’s and Thursday’s from 9.30 – 10.15am and on Friday’s from 12.15 – 12.45pm.
An initiative to beat hunger in the school holidays has recently been recognised for its outstanding service to the community, at the installation of the new Principal and Vice Chancellor of Aberdeen University, Professor George Boyne.
The project was presented with the inaugural University of Aberdeen Principal’s Award for Outstanding Service to the Community, at the ceremony conducted by the Duchess of Rothesay, Camilla Parker Bowles, at Elphinstone Hall, King’s College on 16 January.
Sport Aberdeen’s Director of Healthy and Active Communities, Keith Gerrard, said:
“For Food and Fun to be recognised at such as prestigious event as the Installation of the Principle and Vice Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen was a great honour.
“The project has made an enormous positive impact on those most in need during the school holidays and has only been achieved by the range of partners working collaboratively and sharing their expertise. Sport Aberdeen is proud to be a partner of this Aberdeen City Council project.”
This recognition follows on from Food and Fun’s success at the 2018 Aberdeen’s Sports Awards, where the project deservedly won the Community Sports Project of the Year Award.
The Food and Fun project which is supported by Sport Aberdeen, Community Food Initiative North East (CFINE), Police Scotland, sportscotland, Aberdeen FC Community Trust (AFCCT) and the Russell Anderson Foundation, was originally initiated to combat ‘holiday hunger’, the serious problem of children who rely heavily on their daily free school lunches that are not available to them over school holidays.
A survey to obtain citizens views on Community Justice has been launched by Community Planning Aberdeen’s Community Justice Group.
Community justice involves a diverse range of services, including health, housing, social work, third sector, as well as the police and courts, working together to repair harm to the community, address offending behaviour and support reintegration back into society.
Community Justice partners in Aberdeen are working to improve outcomes for people involved in the justice system, their families and communities.
In order to inform this work, they want to find out what the priorities, views and experiences are of those involved and to learn from them.
They also want to help communities better understand how the system and services function, to enable citizens support this work and make communities safer and stronger places to live, work and play.
According to statistics nearly two thirds (63%) of Scots do not know what community justice is* or its aims to empower communities and to provide people with the information needed to actively participate.
Aberdeen City Council’s Co-Leader, Councillor Jenny Laing, Chair of Community Planning Aberdeen Board, said: “We need citizens to be part of an effective Community Justice system to ensure that our communities are safer and stronger and by doing so making them better places to live, work and play.
“By raising awareness of what Community Justice is we want communities to actively participate in Community Justice. I would encourage citizens to take part in the survey as the results will help us to further develop community engagement in a matter that affects all of us.”
Jonathan Smith, Chair of Aberdeen Civic Forum and Aberdeen Community Council Forum, said: “It is essential that we all listen to the views of our communities, the experiences of those affected, stories shared by our neighbours and explore ways to be safer and more supported together.
”This is an opportunity for the people of Aberdeen to have a meaningful say in shaping the future of Community Justice, and to be part of making a lasting difference for the future of the city.”
The consultation is now open until 01 February 2020. Please click on the link below to take part in the consultation.
Paper copies of the questionnaire can be obtained by emailing: communityjusticeforall@aberdeencity.gov.uk or by writing to:
Community Justice Officer
Aberdeen City Council
Business Hub 11, 2nd Floor West
Marischal College
Broad Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1AB
The survey coincides with the Scotland-wide Second Chancers campaign, which has been launched by the national body Community Justice Scotland. It aims to raise awareness of what community justice is and building confidence in it as an effective sentencing option that reduces offending, reduces the number of victims and improves lives.
Sentences served in the community are more effective than sentences served in prison. Yet data has shown that nearly two thirds of the public don’t know what community justice is: only 21% of Scots agree that Scotland operates a smart justice system that is robust, effective and fair.*
Aimed at changing perceptions of what justice should look like in 21 century Scotland, Second Chancers is centred around the voices of those whose lives have been touched by the justice system.
Comprising of a series of short documentary films and a touring audio exhibition, the campaign tells authentic and raw stories of success and failure, change and transformation, obstacles and helping hands.
To watch ‘Second Chancer’ please click on the link: https://secondchancers.tv/
*Attitudes towards community justice. Independent research commissioned by Community Justice Scotland, published January 2018.
Are you signed up for this year’s BHGE 10K Running Festival and need a little help to keep your training on track?
Sport Aberdeen is offering one lucky person a free entry for the 2020 BHGE 10K Running Festival as well as the opportunity to share their training journey in the BHGE 10 weeks to 10K, which will be featured in the Evening Express every Saturday in the lead up to race day.
To take part, all you need to do is answer the questions below and send them to: BHGE10K@sportaberdeen.co.uk by 12.00pm on Wednesday 20 February.
Name:
Age:
Email Address:
How many times you have run the BHGE 10K:
Why you feel the BHGE 10 weeks to 10K plan will help you achieve your 10K goals?
The winner will be chosen at random and announced on Thursday 21 February.
Sport Aberdeen, organisers of the North East’s longest running charity road race and official partner, Deeside Mineral Water, have launched a competition for local children to design the label for the water bottles, which will be distributed to participants at the 2019 BHGE 10K Running Festival.
For 2019, Sport Aberdeen is continuing to reduce the amount of single use plastic used and are focusing on the importance of recycling.
With the beautiful Aberdeen beachfront and North Sea as the race’s backdrop, young people from schools across Aberdeen are being asked to design labels that that show how plastic bottles can be recycled responsibly to help save the incredible wildlife found in our local rivers, seas and oceans.
This is the fourth year Deeside Mineral Water has run the competition in partnership with Sport Aberdeen.
Keith Gerrard, Sport Aberdeen’s Director of Healthy and Active Communities, said:
“We were very impressed by last year’s competition entries and hope to build on the number received this year. Sport Aberdeen and Deeside Mineral Water are asking local children to think about the recycling element, with the winning design depicting how single use plastic bottles can be disposed of correctly and how recycling can help climate change.
“We hope children from across Aberdeen will get involved in this great opportunity and promote our sustainable city with their label designs.”
The winning design will be made into the water bottle label that will be handed out to runners at the finish line of the running festival on 5 May 2019. The winning designer will also be invited to see their labels being applied to the bottles on the production line and assist in officially starting the 10K race.
Managing Director of Deeside Mineral Water, Martin Simpson commented:
“We received so many imaginative designs from local children who entered the competition last year. The search is on once again to find the budding artist who will represent both the BHGE 10K Running Festival and Deeside Mineral Water at this year’s race.
“The child behind the winning design will be invited to attend a private tour of the Deeside Mineral Water factory to see their label design being applied to the 2019 race day bottles. They will also receive a case of Deeside Mineral Water and some Sport Aberdeen goodies including freebies and vouchers to be used at Sport Aberdeen venues across the City.”
The entry deadline for label designs is 12.00pm on Monday 4 March 2019.
For more information about the competition or to download entry forms, please visit: www.sportaberdeen.co.uk/deeside-mineral-water-competition
Granite City residents today (15 February) marked the launch of the 2019 Golden Games with a spontaneous dance performance choreographed by Citymoves Dance Agency at Aberdeen’s Bon Accord Centre, performed by dancers in their senior years.
This marks the launch of this year’s action packed games, which will take place at the start of June.
Established in 2011, the Golden Games are delivered by the Active Aberdeen Partnership (AAP) and aim to get older adults actively involved in physical activity regardless of age or ability.
The launch event also served as a thank you to the Golden Game Ambassadors for their continued support in developing, promoting and running the games, which has become a hugely successful and permanent fixture in Aberdeen’s sporting calendar.
Alistair Robertson, spokesman for the Active Aberdeen Partnership, said:
“Taking part in sport and physical activity is something that people of all ages and abilities can enjoy and has been proven to have a positive and lasting impact on a person’s overall health and wellbeing.
“The launch of the 2019 Golden Games is the perfect platform to try something new or return to physical activity in a fun and social environment.
“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 2019 Golden Games will take place from 5 – 14 June and will include activities such as walking football, table tennis, target shooting, diving, skiing, pickleball, dance, health walks and seated exercise, allowing new and regular attendees to take part in physical activity.
Over fifty children with additional support needs (ASN) from six schools across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire took part in the ASN Racquet Sports Festival at Sport Aberdeen’s Aberdeen Tennis Centre.
Organised by Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team, with support from Tennis Aberdeen, Badminton Scotland and Aberdeen District Table Tennis Association, the event has become a regular fixture on the ASN calendar.
The non competitive event aims to create a positive, fun atmosphere where children with additional support needs are able to try their hand at sports they may otherwise not get the opportunity to.
Lead Active Schools Coordinator, Grant Wilson, who was in attendance at the event said:
“It was great to see so many children from across different schools have the opportunity to participate in sports they may not usually have access to. This is a great example of working in partnership with national governing bodies, local clubs and our tennis centre.”
This sentiment was echoed by Sport Aberdeen’s Director of Healthy and Active Communities, Keith Gerrard, who commented:
“It is fantastic to see partnerships bringing new activity opportunities to children with additional support needs across the city and shire.
“At Sport Aberdeen, we work with communities to create opportunities for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to feel welcome, inspired and empowered to take part in physical activity.”
The 2019 Racquet Sports Festival marked the first time that badminton has been included in the festival programme.
Each of the three sports involved in the festival – Tennis, Badminton and Table Tennis – offer youth pathways, which will allow the participating children to continue their preferred activity within the relevant clubs across the city.