A recent funding boost from Sports Leaders UK will be used to up skill and engage over 75 young people from schools across Aberdeen in Dance Leadership as part of Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools programme.

Local charity Sport Aberdeen was recently awarded £5,700 from Sports Leaders UK to provide Dance Leadership training for 20 teachers from Hazlehead, Lochside and Bucksburn Academies, in addition to three Dance Development Officers from Citymoves Dance Agency.

As part of the project, the newly trained Teachers and Dance Development Officers will deliver five Dance Leadership workshops across the city to over 75 senior pupils between January and March 2019.

Once qualified as Dance Leaders, these pupils will go on to deliver dance sessions to their peers and younger pupils in extra curricular clubs in their respective schools, thus helping to increase the number of pupils in the city being active.

Dance is one of the most popular physical activities for teenagers in the UK and is the perfect way to help young people develop and enhance their leadership skills whilst helping themselves and others stay physically active.

Graeme Dale, Development Manager – Active Communities at Sport Aberdeen said:

“We are delighted to have been chosen by Sports Leaders UK to receive this funding, with it having tangible benefits for the city. Working closely with local schools and City Moves, this funding will allow us to build both the dance tutor and dance leader workforce and ultimately get more children and young people taking part in and enjoying the benefits of dance.”

Designed with today’s education landscape in mind, the training courses, deliverable through a wide variety of subjects are designed to improve the vital skills and employability prospects of young people of all ages and abilities.

Sports Leaders UK Partnerships Officer, Fiona Kennedy, commented:

“Sports Leaders UK is delighted to support Sport Aberdeen to enrich their Dance Programme across the City. Our SCQF Dance Leadership qualifications provide a platform to engage and develop young people with all abilities and experience.

I believe the Dance Tutors will empower and inspire a passionate and qualified dance workforce who will become role models to a younger generation. We look forward to supporting all tutors, schools and community groups involved to ensure an excellent Dance Programme across Aberdeen.”

Sports Leaders UK work with over 2,000 organisations and 90,000 young people every year across the UK to upskill them through formally recognised leadership awards and qualifications.