Torry Sports Centre will host a ‘We Love Torry’ day to encourage residents to stay active and healthy.
The Sport Aberdeen venue will welcome anyone on Saturday 14th May from 10am onwards with an assortment of activities and taster sessions on offer.
The family fun day will include fitness classes conducted by Sport Aberdeens Health and Wellness Team, tennis, boccia, basketball tasters courtesy of Twilight Basketball with AFC Community Trust also delivering walking football and a health walk in the afternoon.
In addition to these taster sessions will be a number of children’s activities including street sports, face painting, a fire engine visit and more.
There will be 20 other stall holders ranging from community groups, local community centres and health related organisations as well as those who offer financial support and advice.
Healthy snacks and a light lunch will be provided for the public. Tea, coffee and soft drinks will be available for all.
A Sport Aberdeen spokesperson said:
“We take great pride in supporting initiatives across the city that encourage people of all ages to get out there, keep fit and stay healthy. The We Love Torry event is a great chance for the people of the area and beyond to come along with the family and have some fun.
Move More Aberdeen, funded by Macmillan Cancer Support and delivered by Sport Aberdeen, provides free therapeutic physical activity groups to help people following a diagnosis of cancer to get active and feel good.
The Move More Aberdeen programme plans to deliver free therapeutic gardening sessions though their programme. They have secured a lease to a plot at Garthdee Fields Allotments and hope to transform this into a vibrant therapeutic growing space.
Commenting, MacMillan Development Officer Mark Brown said:
“Gardening is a fantastic activity, for both body and mind, improving physical and mental well being among people affected by cancer.
“We want to create a space that is suitable and welcoming to our participants at the therapeutic garden. The allotment needs work before we can put the programme into action.
“We’re asking the local community for help to provide building materials for gravel boards, bark mulch, a shed and more. If you can help in any way we would love to hear from you!”
The public are being asked to contact Mark Brown if they are able to donate any items.
Phone: 01224 577729
Email: MoveMore@sportaberdeen.co.uk
After Great Britain’s recent success in the Davis Cup, Sport Aberdeen is proud to announce a new tennis programme starting at the end of May at Ruthrieston Outdoor Sports Centre.
Tennis Scotland has supported the initiative with funding support, enabling the appointment of a professional coach to develop and deliver tennis activity at the facility.
Mike Kolacz, Regional Development Manager for Tennis Scotland said:
“The programme at Ruthrieston is a great way for people of all ages to get involved with tennis and I’m sure this weekend’s open day will be a huge success. Tennis Scotland is committed to investing into community tennis across the City and the site at Ruthrieston is another example of a facility where people can play our sport as often as they want and take advantage of a fantastic and varied programme.”
The program will be led by Tennis Aberdeen’s Head Community Coach, Sam Price. Sam has been working as a coach with Tennis Aberdeen at Westburn Tennis Centre for the last 3 years, coaching both juniors and adults as well as running outreach sessions in the local community and schools.
Sam said:
“I am excited to get tennis going at Ruthrieston and engage the local community at this fantastic site. The aim is to develop tennis regardless of experience or ability, as Tennis is a great sport for advancing a range of skills at any age.’
Matt Kerswell, Sport Aberdeen’s Tennis Development Manager said:
“I am thrilled we can utilise Ruthrieston and offer an opportunity for the local community to play tennis. The potential is huge; Sam is an enthusiastic coach and I look forward to seeing him grow the programme. We have put together an offering that hopefully caters for all: Mini Tennis, Junior and Adult programmes plus a FREE adult matchplay evening on Fridays’
Sam will also be working closely with local schools in the area to help establish a pathway into the sport, promoting opportunities to engage.
Join Sam and other members of the Tennis Aberdeen team at Ruthrieston on Saturday 14th May, 10am – 2pm as they launch the programme with a ‘GREAT BRITISH TENNIS WEEKEND’. This is a free open day where all the family can come and give tennis a try. Tennis activity and games will be delivered by the tennis team who will showcase various opportunities for everyone to get involved and play this year. Visit the website for more details and sign up.
For the past couple of weeks the gyms at the Beach Leisure Centre and Peterculter Sports Centre respectively have undergone a complete renovation, with brand new equipment installed. Sport Aberdeen has worked to bring members a modernised fitness experience which champions connectivity, high level performance and ease of use. The gyms had planned to reopen to the public on Monday.
Sport Aberdeen announced today that it had reopened the gyms ahead of schedule, with the public being encouraged to visit the gyms from Friday 6th May onwards.
Work is continuing at Alex Collie Sports Centre and Kincorth Sports Centre and is on schedule to finish next week. To celebrate, Sport Aberdeen will soon be introducing a number of promotions via their website and social media channels.
Commenting, a Sport Aberdeen spokesperson said:
“We’ve been delighted by the support we’ve received on social media.
“Sport Aberdeen venues are modernising and we are really proud of the results at the Beach Leisure Centre and Peterculter Sport Centre gyms. There’s really #naeexcuses not to get active in Aberdeen!”
Both teams made sure that spectators got a true taste of wheelchair basketball as the players fought fiercely to win. Each team took a little runs leading the game in the first half, with some excellent outside shooting from Dundee. However the composed team play of Grampian and use of their height advantage in Scotland U23 Centre, Katie McBriety, allowed Grampian to slowly extend their lead in the 3rd quarter. The final score of the game was 44 to Grampian Flyers Vs 33 to Dundee Dragons, with everyone performing their roles expertly.
The Flyers and Dragons are very equally matched, as both clubs started basketball in the last few years and have developed by playing a number of matches against one another throughout the years. Dundee Dragons started as a wheelchair rugby team that then diversified into basketball due to interest from players, whereas Grampian Flyers is a running basketball club that wanted to expand to include wheelchair athletes.
Both clubs now have players in the Scotland youth squads as well as their coaching staff being involved as well. The Flyers would like to thank all the companies that have supported them and purchased equipment to allow them to play at such a high standard, also we would like to thank the Beach leisure centre for being so accommodating and working with the team to ensure accessibility and storage is not a factor that stops this great activity from taking place.
Greig Smith, 15, from Bridge of Don picked up the medal in the Advanced Novice category with his performances on the 1st and 2nd of April at the AVAS Cup International Figure Skating Competition.
Coached by Kerrie Brown and Daniel Manson at the Linx Ice Arena, Greig has quickly progressed through his levels, competing in various competitions around the country. He also secured a place on the GB Development Squad allowing him to attend squad training camps to further his skating.
After achieving an impressive silver in the British Championship last December, governing body Nisa chose Greig to represent GB in Hungary and he successfully brought the gold home to Aberdeen.
Greig’s training regimes prior to the competition on and off the ice was rigorous with registered charity Sport Aberdeen offering him extended ice hours at the Linx Ice Arena to help his preparations. 28 hours of Greig’s week is occupied with training whilst also balancing school with his regime.
His future plans involve creating a new junior level short and free programme with his next competition at Coventry in June.
Our very own Josefine Bjorkqvist will continue her impressive running record when she takes part in next week’s London Marathon.
Josefine is fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support in the famous race as she adds to her already impressive repertoire of international races.
Originally from Finland, Josefine currently lives in Aberdeen where she works as a Support Assistant for Macmillan, a charity she has strong connections too.
“I am running in memory of my grandmother who passed away in May 2015 after battling breast cancer for 8 years. She was a truly extraordinary woman and my inspiration in life. I started running for cancer charities when she was first diagnosed and have completed five marathons in five different countries since, which is something I never thought I would be able to do.”
Josefine’s role has given her first-hand experience of the work Macmillan do including the successful Move More Aberdeen programme, which is run in partnership with registered charity Sport Aberdeen.
“I am raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support to help them continue their wonderful work. Macmillan fulfil a vital role in making sure that no one faces cancer alone and that when cancer strikes there is always someone to turn to for advice and support. The Move More Aberdeen programme is just one example of a local Macmillan service, which supports people affected by cancer to get active and feel good.“
As well as raising as much money as possible for a good cause, Josefine is aiming for a solid time in one of the world’s most recognisable marathons which is reflected in her training regime.
“Training for a marathon requires planning and there is no room for excuses. I started training four months prior to the race and run 5-7 times per week, gradually increasing my Sunday long run every week. I save time by running to and from work every day and am currently running 50 miles per week. Training in the Scottish winter is half the battle and I have ran through snow, sleet, wind, rain and the occasional sunshine. I eat a standard diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables and fibre and drink plenty of water after a training run. I aim to cross the London Marathon finish line with a sub 3:20 time.”
People can donate to her cause by by visiting her Just Giving page here.
Walk Aberdeen, an Aberdeen based walking programme facilitated by registered charity Sport Aberdeen, is set to receive new funding to introduce dementia friendly walks.
The funding for this has been received from Paths For All, a national organisation that champions walking for everyone, everyday, everywhere. As part of this new initiative, Paths for All have been funded by The Life Changes Trust to help develop the wider walking network in Scotland to become more accessible to people living with dementia. The funding received by Walk Aberdeen will help to ensure that everyone affected by dementia has the opportunity to enjoy walking, whilst benefitting from the social, mental and physical improvements.
Paths For All are supporting six projects to develop this work, with Walk Aberdeen among the candidates chosen for development. The additional funding aims to improve support for those living with dementia and their carers to access walking opportunities, highlight the benefits of walking and increase awareness and understanding of dementia amongst the local community.
Ian Findlay, Paths for All Chief Officer said: “We are delighted to be working with Walk Aberdeen again to take forward this important new initiative. Through already established networks and expertise, Paths for All aim to improve support for those with dementia and their carers to access walking opportunities, highlight the benefits walking can bring, as well as provide respite. We also aim to increase awareness and understanding of dementia within local communities.
The Walk Aberdeen scheme has gone from strength to strength with additional routes added to the
Programme, including walks of varying lengths for people with differing needs, and even buggy walks. Walk Aberdeen is a Sport Aberdeen facilitated programme.
Walk leader Brian Harrison was particularly pleased with the investment and is looking forward to implementing new approaches to make walks even more inclusive:
“It is great to be recognised by Paths for All as an innovative project looking to widen our offer to our communities especially as regular walking has been shown to reduce the instances of developing Dementia by up to 30%”
Sport Aberdeen has today (Friday 15th April) unveiled major plans to modernise its popular facilities.
The investment plan will see the complete modernisation of fitness facilities at the Beach Leisure Centre, Alex Collie Sports Centre, Peterculter Sports Centre and Kincorth Sports Centre.
The modernisation is being undertaken by Pulse Fitness, an industry leader in the design of fitness equipment with over 35 years’ experience. Sport Aberdeen has worked closely with Pulse to bring members a modernised fitness experience which champions connectivity, high level performance and ease of use.
The modernisation will be undertaken in two stages; with the Beach Leisure Centre and Peterculter Sports Centre works taking place between 25th April – 9th May, and Alex Collie Sports Centre and Kincorth Sports Centre 2nd May – 13th May this year.
Contingency plans have been put into place to minimise disruption for members and users during this brief period.
Commenting on the modernisation project, Sport Aberdeen Chairman Fred Dalgarno said:
“Sport Aberdeen’s mission statement underlines our commitment to creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives through physical activity.
“This significant investment will modernise our fitness facilities. We have worked closely with industry leader Pulse to bring in new inter-connected, high-performance and easy to use cardio and strength equipment.
“The modernisation is critical to Sport Aberdeen’s continued success in providing high-quality, value for money leisure facilities on behalf of Aberdeen City Council.
“As a registered charity, every penny we receive is invested back into the services and facilities we provide for the people who live and work in Aberdeen.
“Contingency plans have been put into place to minimise disruption for members and users during this brief period.
“Sport Aberdeen has set up a dedicated mailing list for members and users which will provide regular updates about the progress of the modernisation. Information will also be communicated in venue, on social media and on the website.
“We look forward to unveiling the results, which will mean people have #naeexcuses when it comes to getting active in Aberdeen.”
The latest winner of our monthly survey giveaway has bagged herself 12 free months of fitness with Sport Aberdeen.
Katie completed a 2 minute survey on the Sport Aberdeen website and was chosen at random for the prize. Katie’s luck is definitely on a roll after she met a certain famous runner at the Great Scottish 10K Run, recognise her!?
Well done Katie! Visit our Survey Page for your chance to win Sport Aberdeen memberships!