Over the month of July, the Community Sport team piloted a series of skateboarding and BMX taster sessions in partnership with Aberdeen City Council’s Family Learning team. Using local, free-to-access facilities and engaging over 30 families, these short sessions introduced kids and their parents to the basics of these exciting Olympic sports. The team collaborated with renowned BMXer Ashley Armstrong to deliver the BMX segment of the sessions.

Held at Northfield Skatepark and Sunnybank Park, the sessions also included other sports and arts activities. These events aimed to gauge the popularity and demand within local communities for such offerings. Feedback collected so far indicates a high level of enthusiasm from young people who might not typically engage with traditional, mainstream sports.

Joe Coleman, Lead Community Sports Hub Coordinator at Sport Aberdeen, said: “There are great skateparks dotted all over the city but young people often don’t know how to use them or have the correct equipment.  These sessions have been great in introducing families to the basic skills needed to access these spaces and to inspire young people in new ways of getting active on their doorstep.  We’re stoked on how it went and hope to do more work in this area based on the success of the pilot”

You can read more about Ashley Armstrong’s inspirational story here.