The UK-wide fitness provider today said: “At David Lloyd we are extremely passionate about supporting health and fitness in everyone, but especially in children.”
Aberdeen’s Sports Awards celebrates the wealth of sporting achievements and contributions made by local athletes, volunteers and clubs in encouraging individuals to be active.
The ceremony, hosted by the Active Aberdeen Partnership, will be held at the AECC on Thursday 26th October with 18 categories in the running.
Commenting on the awards, Active Aberdeen Partnership Chairman Tony Dawson said:
“Having David Lloyd back for the second year running as sponsors for the Primary School of the Year Award is brilliant. This category allows us to celebrate our city’s sporting communities and acknowledge those who help to inspire and encourage the next generation to take part in sport and physical activity.”
Rebecca Muirhead, David Lloyd Sales and Marketing Manager, also said:
“The health of children in Scotland is amongst the worst in Europe, with 28% of 2-15 year olds being overweight or obese. We run activities and classes for children including tennis and swimming classes, football, multi-sports classes, ballet, gymnastics, dance classes, family classes, as well as Fitness into Teens sessions for 11-15 year olds. We want to show children as young as 3 that being active is important, and fun!
“That’s why we sponsor this award. We celebrate and congratulate this Primary School for embracing sport, health and fitness as being an essential part of every child’s education.”
Neil Fachie MBE will take an ambassadorial role at the local awards, stepping aside from the running where he has picked up many awards over the years, taking a new stance to inspire more people, of all abilities, to reach their sporting potential.
The multi medal winning Granite City athlete, and now ambassador, will see two awards taking his name acknowledging the outstanding sporting achievements he has made.
Neil Fachie MBE today said: “It is an absolute honour to have an award that has meant so much to me over the years, to now be in my name.”
The Neil Fachie Disability Sports Achiever of the Year Award and The Neil Fachie Junior Disability Sports Achiever of the Year Award, which is new to 2017, will sit amongst 18 categories at this year’s prestigious event.
Long-standing supporters BHGE have sponsored the adult disability category, with Ellis Whittam coming on board as brand new sponsors for the junior disability category.
The awards, hosted by the Active Aberdeen Partnership, will be held at the AECC on Thursday 26th October. Aberdeen’s Sports Awards celebrates the wealth of sporting achievements and contributions made by local athletes, volunteers and clubs in encouraging individuals to be active.
Neil Fachie MBE, commented:
“It is an absolute honour to have an award that has meant so much to me over the years, to now be in my name. When growing up in sport, I often saw other athletes being nominated for various trophies at the annual sports awards. This gave me great inspiration to train harder and try to achieve more.
“Disability sport continues to develop at an incredible rate, and I hope the next generation of local athletes will see my story, and realise that they too can achieve their dreams if the set their mind to it.”
Tony Dawson, Active Aberdeen Partnership Chairman, also commented:
“There is no one more deserving of this role. Neil Fachie MBE is a true credit to Aberdeen and an inspiration to so many people of all ages and abilities.
“Stepping away from the shortlist to now represent these two prominent award categories truly demonstrates his dedication to sport and to encouraging more local athletes to follow in his footsteps.
“These awards allow us to recognise and celebrate the clear culture of sporting excellence and outstanding performance that Aberdeen has fostered.
“The annual ceremony highlights our city’s sporting communities and acknowledge those who go the extra mile by helping to provide opportunities for people to take up sport and physical activity.”
Campbell Elder, Well Systems Fulfilment Leader at Baker Hughes, a GE company said:
“It has been fantastic to see the achievements which Neil Fachie has made in sport over the years and to have an Olympic gold medallist as the Aberdeen Sports Awards Ambassador is very special.
“We are delighted to continue our sponsorship of the adult disability category, now known as The Neil Fachie Disability Sports Achiever of the Year Award and we look forward to the winner being revealed at the event on 26 October.”
The business, which provides Employment Law, HR and Health & Safety services in the UK, has sponsored the ‘Junior Disability Sports Achiever’ award category which will make its debut at this year’s awards which will take place next month.
Ellis Whittam today said: “it is inspirational to see so many youngsters breaking down barriers and that is why we have chosen to sponsor the Junior Disability Sports Achiever of the Year category.”
Aberdeen’s Sports Awards celebrates and recognises the wealth of sporting achievements and contributions made by local athletes, volunteers and clubs in encouraging individuals to be active.
The ceremony, hosted by the Active Aberdeen Partnership, will be held at the AECC on Thursday 26th October with 18 categories in the running.
Commenting on the awards, Active Aberdeen Partnership Chairman Tony Dawson said:
“I am delighted that Ellis Whittam have chosen to sponsor this brand-new award category that will recognise some of the many inspirational young people who live with a disability yet manage to achieve so much through sport and physical activity.
“The annual awards ceremony allows us to celebrate our city’s sporting communities and acknowledge the hard work that goes into providing opportunities for people to take up sport and physical activity in Aberdeen.”
“These awards are a fantastic opportunity to recognise the clear culture of sporting excellence and outstanding performance that the Aberdeen has fostered.
Richard Stark, Ellis Whittam Business Director for Scotland, also commented:
“We are delighted to sponsor Aberdeen’s Sports Awards. As a provider of services to hundreds of charities we always try to deliver inspirational services.
“We are naturally proud to be involved in recognising the inspirational dedication and achievements of the community.”
45 Joinery have sponsored the Team Performance of the Year Award category, which recognises sports teams who have shown exceptional talent and dedication to their discipline over the last year.
45 Joinery today said: “We are immensely proud to be a part of Aberdeen’s Sports Awards as category sponsors and wish everyone all the very best at the ceremony later this month.”
Aberdeen’s Sports Awards celebrates the wealth of sporting achievements and contributions made by local athletes, volunteers and clubs in encouraging individuals to be active.
The ceremony, hosted by the Active Aberdeen Partnership, will be held at the AECC on Thursday 26th October with 18 categories in the running.
Commenting on the awards, Active Aberdeen Partnership Chairman Tony Dawson said:
“It is brilliant that 45 Joinery have come on board as brand new category sponsors and that they have chosen to back this category that celebrates local sports teams and their dedication.
“These awards are a brilliant opportunity to recognise the clear culture of sporting excellence and outstanding performance that Aberdeen has fostered.
“The annual ceremony allows us to celebrate our city’s sporting communities and acknowledge those who go the extra mile by helping to provide opportunities for people to take up sport and physical activity.
Graeme Barney, director of 45joinery, also commented:
“Having recently led a project to undertake a complete refurbishment of the team changing rooms at the Link Ice Arena, we saw first-hand the level of commitment and dedication given to the various ice sports, not only from the athletes but all the coaches and those maintaining the facilities.
“Access to the best possible facilities is crucial in providing opportunities for these people to explore their sporting talents and have provided a platform for some incredibly talented sportspersons who deserve the support and recognition of the local community.
The numerous Active Girls Day Events happening in the city included an event at Bridge of Don Academy. This saw P7- S2 girls from Balmedie Primary, Scotstown Primary, Braehead Primary and Bridge of Don Academy take part in the national day.
The all-girl groups took part in a series of taster sessions held by Bridge of Don School staff and coaches from community clubs including a healthy eating workshop, dance, football and So Yang Do classes.
The annual event, which is promoted by sportscotland, saw activities taking place across Scotland, celebrating the amazing work going into girls’ sport and the incredible role models making it happen.
Scottish Women & Girls in Sport week is coordinated by the Scottish Government and aims to raise awareness of increasing participation in sport and physical activity among women and girls.
A survey, undertaken by Aberdeen’s pioneering Active Girls Committee, formed with backing from Active Schools Aberdeen, found that nearly six out of ten Aberdeen secondary school girls don’t take part in sport because they feel self-conscious
The findings came from 412 responses to the Active Girls Committee Survey held in April this year, which aimed to find out the barriers facing girls’ participation in sport. The research found that the most common barriers to participation were:
Not wanting to do it on your own (68%)
Feeling self-conscious (58%)
Confidence (58%)
The Active Girls Committee was formed to help tackle these barriers and for the girls in the committee to be role models for their peers to help them become more active.
Active Girls Committee Chair, Aimee Work, said:
“The importance and impact which physical activity has is phenomenal. Many girls are dropping out of sport at a young age and it is the Active Girls Committee’s responsibility to promote the fact that it is socially acceptable for girls to participate in sport and physical activity.
“This day is of such importance as it is showing the power that girls have and will encourage girls to do sport and activity for fun. Within the committee we are really trying to promote the fun side of physical activity, and not just the physical benefits but also the mental. We have successfully got more girls participating in our clubs on offer as well as building up their confidence to take part in sport and make health and fitness a part of their lives.
“The Active Girls Day is a way of celebrating an important and fun part of our lives and hopefully it will get more and more Girls and young women across the country involved in sport and physical activity!”
Jo Bell, Sport Aberdeen’s Director for Sport and Active Lifestyles, added:
“Working together with governing bodies in Scotland provides us with a solid platform from which we can continue to inspire more girls to take up sport and physical activity in Aberdeen.
“Identifying certain barriers and tackling these will help to increase the participation of girls in sport and will help to highlight the many benefits that come hand in hand with leading an active lifestyle.
“The Active Girls Day is a fantastic opportunity for our dedicated Active Schools team and community coaches to encourage more girls to try something new in a fun environment, whilst developing skills lifelong skills and meeting new people.”
Relaxed Ice Skating sessions, which take place every Monday from 10.30-11.30am at the Linx Ice Arena, were delivered free of charge on Monday 2nd October.
The free session tied in with ‘Autism Hour’, part of the ‘Too Much Information’ campaign being run by leading autism charity, the National Autistic Society.
The autism friendly sessions, run in partnership with Me TOO!, are open to skaters of all ages and abilities and run throughout the year. The sessions focus on encouraging people with additional support needs to try the sport, offering a safe and welcoming environment with no music and muted lighting.
Sport Aberdeen is proud to offer a range of autism friendly classes throughout the week including relaxed family swimming sessions at both Tullos Swimming Pool and the Beach Leisure Centre.
Sport Aberdeen’s Linx Ice Arena and Beach Leisure Centre have recently been certified as Autism Friendly, making the Granite City’s ice rink the first to receive this award in the UK.
Commenting, Sport Aberdeen’s Director for Sport and Active Lifestyles, Jo Bell said:
“Sport Aberdeen is committed to inspiring people and changing lives through sport and physical activity and recognises the importance of raising awareness of day-to-day barriers faced by people, young and old, living with lifelong conditions and illnesses.
“We pride ourselves on creating opportunities for people of all abilities to enjoy getting active and are constantly looking for ways to improve both our programmes on offer and the environments we create in our facilities. With certified autism friendly centres and trained staff, we are well on our way to providing safe and welcoming environments where people can engage in sport throughout Aberdeen.”
Aberdeen FC Community Trust, official partner charity of Aberdeen Football Club, provides “…support and opportunity to change lives for the better”, primarily through sport and physical activity.
Aberdeen’s Sports Awards celebrates and recognises the wealth of sporting achievements and contributions made by local athletes, volunteers and clubs in encouraging individuals to be active.
The ceremony, hosted by the Active Aberdeen Partnership, will be held at the AECC on Thursday 26th October with 18 categories in the running.
Commenting on the awards, Active Aberdeen Partnership Chairman Tony Dawson, said:
“I am thrilled that Aberdeen FC Community Trust has chosen to sponsor the Veteran Sports Achiever of the Year category, recognising some of the many inspirational sportspeople who have achieved significant improvement in their development as an athlete over the last year.
“The annual awards ceremony allows us to celebrate Aberdeen’s sporting communities and acknowledge the hard work that goes into providing opportunities for people to take up sport and physical activity in Aberdeen.”
“These awards are a fantastic opportunity to recognise the clear culture of sporting excellence and outstanding performance that our city has fostered.”
Ally Prockter, AFC Community Trust Chief Executive, said:
“AFCCT is delighted to support the Veteran Sports Achiever of the Year award for a second year in a row. Sport and physical activity is important at all ages, and AFCCT works closely with our partners to ensure everyone has the opportunity to remain active throughout their lives.
“Putting the name of AFCCT alongside this particular award highlights our commitment to encouraging lifelong physical activity, and the benefits that it brings.”
Since 2010 Active Schools Aberdeen, run by registered charity Sport Aberdeen has recorded more than one million participant sessions in extra-curricular school sport.
Matthew Dalgarno, a pupil at Northfield Academy, clinched the title of completing the one millionth session – an accolade the sporty teenager said he was proud to achieve. The 13-year-old takes part in almost every sport on offer in the extra-curricular programme and has recently started volunteering for Active Schools Aberdeen in his spare time.
Participation levels have increased by an impressive 24 per cent compared to last year with 239,1224 visits recorded in Aberdeen during the academic year 2016/17. This figure compares to 85,421 visits reported back in 2010/11, showing a growth of 180% since that time.
Furthermore, in the last year the number of people delivering these sessions also increased to 663, which is an increase of 7% per cent, with 92% of these being volunteers. Aberdeen has also seen a 35% increase in the number of links between local clubs and schools and 98 local sports clubs involved.
Registered charity Sport Aberdeen which delivers the Active Schools programme in partnership with sportscotland across Aberdeen, has been delivering opportunities for school pupils to get involved in sport and physical activity for more than a decade.
Colin Taylor, Sport Aberdeen chairman, said:
“These highly impressive numbers are extremely encouraging and it is reassuring to know that young people within Aberdeen are exposed to the best possible opportunities to participate in sport, starting from a young age.
“These results have been achieved through a true team effort and I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved for their commitment to delivering all these opportunities. This includes the fantastic PE teachers, teachers and school staff, who do so much above and beyond what they are asked, parents, students, senior pupils, sports clubs and the Active Schools Team. This is a clear and promising reminder of the positive outcomes that can be achieved through partnership working.
“Sport Aberdeen is committed to creating opportunities and inspiring people to take part in sport and physical activity and reaching this milestone is a perfect example of our abilities to do this while working with partners.”
Stewart Harris, Chief Executive of sportscotland, added:
“It is great to see that our partnerships with local authorities and leisure trusts, schools, clubs, Active Schools Managers and Coordinators, is having such a profoundly positive impact in the growth of Active Schools.
“Investment from the Scottish Government and National Lottery continues to allow us to develop a world-class sporting system for all with better and more opportunities for people to participate and progress in sport and physical activity while fashioning ever closer links between schools and clubs.
“This collaboration is helping to ensure that young people in Scotland have the best sporting opportunities and experiences available and can continue to develop and progress throughout adulthood.”
The Scottish Water ‘Learn to Swim Service Provider of the Year’ Award was presented to Aquatics Aberdeen at the glittering awards ceremony where the Granite City swim provider fought off strong nationwide competition to take the category top spot.
Duncan Scott, Learn to Swim Ambassador for Scottish Swimming, Olympic Silver Medallist and World and British Champion, presented the award to Aquatics Aberdeen at the event on 30th September at the Mercure Aberdeen Ardoe House Hotel.
The ceremony was hosted by two-time World 10km Open Water Champion and Olympic Silver medallist Keri-anne Payne and three-time Olympian and double Commonwealth Champion, David Carry.
Aquatics Aberdeen provides swimming tuition for all ages from birth to adults in Aberdeen’s citywide ‘Learn to Swim’ programme, part of Scottish Swimming’s National Framework for Swimming in Scotland which, in partnership with Scottish Water, will enable 100,000 children to learn to swim and benefit from this nationwide programme.
Alistair Robertson, Sport Aberdeen Managing Director, commented:
“I am thrilled that Aquatics Aberdeen have been awarded this top industry accolade, competing against a host of excellent entries from across Scotland. This is testament to the fantastic expertise and commitment of the Sport Aberdeen team behind the programme. “
“There are currently over 5,500 swimmers who take part in the programme each week at the 10 citywide pools that Sport Aberdeen operates, and without the dedicated team who deliver the programme none of this would be possible.”
“Sport Aberdeen is committed to creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives through sport and physical activity. These awards are a humble reminder that we are on the path towards achieving that vision.”
Dianne Breen, Aquatics Aberdeen Manager added:
“We are delighted to have received this award which is a true reflection of how following the well-structured programme, under the guidelines provided by the national governing body, we can inspire more people within Aberdeen to take up swimming.”
“The scheme’s main aim is to teach children and adults to swim safely, giving them the opportunity to participate in an activity which can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities. “
Forbes Dunlop, CEO of Scottish Swimming also commented:
“We are delighted to present the Scottish Water Learn to Swim Provider of the Year award to Aquatics Aberdeen. The programme has grown and developed over the past couple of years, in particular the work that Sport Aberdeen does to ensure all children are given the opportunity to Learn to Swim is very impressive and of course this links directly to the vision of Scottish Swimming – Everyone Can Swim!”
Scottish Water are proud to support Scottish Swimming’s National Learn to Swim programme, which is helping more than 100,000 children learn to swim across Scotland. The programme highlights the importance of swimming from as early an age as possible as the first seven years are the most influential in establishing good exercise habits and setting foundations for learning throughout life.
Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs at Scottish Water commented:
“We congratulate Aquatics Aberdeen on receiving this award. Swimming is a key life skill as well as being great for general well-being and fitness, and our exciting partnership with Scottish Swimming will help thousands of children learn to swim, giving them the skills, confidence and knowledge to stay safe and be competent swimmers.”
Winners were announced on World Alzheimer’s Day, 21 September, at the Glasgow Marriott Hotel where all finalists attended the annual award ceremony.
The project was initially thought up by local resident Anne Duncan after a chat with a member of staff from Sport Aberdeen where she said what she really misses is a “proper bop with her husband Bill”, who is living with dementia.
People of all ages are welcome to the monthly event where the bar is open for refreshments with soup provided by the Foundry, and sandwiches provided by M&S Bank.
Under the umbrella of the Active Aberdeen Partnership, Sport Aberdeen, Aberdeen City Health & Social Care Partnership and Aberdeen FC Community Trust have all come together to facilitate this initiative, which is thought to be the first of its kind in Scotland.
The Awards recognise the country’s most innovative and ambitious projects, by showcasing creative approaches from policy to practice, and highlighting the dedication of people supporting those living with dementia and their families and carers.
Anne Duncan, founder of the Boogie at the Bar initiative, said: “We are thrilled to have won the Best Community Support Initiative at Scotland’s Dementia Awards amongst so many other brilliant projects aimed at supporting people living with dementia in Scotland.”
“Boogie at the Bar gives everyone a chance to have a dance and let their hair down or simply just socialise. We have had an extremely positive response so far and it is becoming clear that this is already becoming a staple fixture in people’s calendars. The beauty of the project is the fact that it brings people together, old, young and those living with dementia, with the main aim to have some fun.”
“This project wouldn’t be possible without the Active Aberdeen Partnership and all partners involved and I would like to thank the Foundry for hosting us and providing the music, without which we would not be able to boogie.”