Award-winning charity Sport Aberdeen has been able to offer a number of educational outdoor activity days for children in the city thanks to funding received from Aberdeen City Council.  

Almost five weeks of outdoor and adventurous activity sessions have been organised by Adventure Aberdeen, part of Sport Aberdeen, for children and young people who would otherwise not have access to these opportunities.

Up to 80 children and families can take part in activities each week ranging from forest walks and wilderness skills to hill walking and gorge walking. Participants will also have the opportunity to try canoeing at the city’s historic Rubislaw Quarry culminating in a family fun day at the end of the programme.

^{Participants taking part in a wilderness skills and forest walk session}

Children and young people have been identified through close partnership working with key children’s services across Aberdeen City including Action for Children -Aberdeen Priority Families, Barnardo’s and Intensive Support at Craigielea.

We are really pleased to be working in partnership with several children’s services throughout the city, giving families who would perhaps not ordinarily have the chance to take part in these types of outdoor activities this summer the opportunity to do so.

Graeme Dale

Graeme Dale, Sport Aberdeen Head of Sport and Active Communities, said: “We have a fantastic outdoor activity offering on our doorstep and thanks to funding received we are able to facilitate five weeks of adventurous and educational sessions this summer.

“Working together with key services allows us to target and reach more children and young people and it is my hope that this initiative will help to inspire more young people to get out and get active while making the most of the amazing natural landscape that we are fortunate to have around us.”

Mary-Louise Clipston, Northern Star Project Worker (Barnardo’s), who attended one of the forest walk and wilderness skills sessions, said: “I went along on the forest walk with a 9-year-old boy who I work with. I was a little nervous that a child whose main interests are Fortnite and football might not find it very interesting… but it quickly became clear there was no cause for concern!

“The time whizzed past as we explored nature, played games, learned how to safely light fires, and had a den building contest. This particular child has very little opportunity to engage in these sorts of activities and I have no doubt that the chance to access these events will positively impact his wellbeing.”