On Friday 26 September 2025, Sport Aberdeen joined Aberdeen International Airport and AberNecessities to deliver Jet Set Spin, believed to be Europe’s first spin class on an active airfield. The event ran 12:30 to 15:30 while aircraft and helicopters operated nearby, creating a one-off experience that raised over £24,000 for local programmes.
Why JETSETSPIN matters for Sport Aberdeen
The funds raised will go directly to our SPACE programme, helping care-experienced young people take part in physical activity, sport and wellbeing opportunities they might not otherwise access. Jet Set Spin also highlighted the power of local partnerships, showing what can be achieved when organisations and individuals come together.
Led from the saddle
A special thank you to Mark Wallace, Health & Fitness Retention Manager at Sport Aberdeen, who led the class on the headsets and built the playlist that kept everyone moving. If you’d like to pedal along in your next spin class at Sport Aberdeen click here to visit the official Jet Set Spin 2025 Spotify playlist.
Thank you
- Aberdeen International Airport for opening the airfield, coordinating safety, and backing the idea end to end.
- Every participant, donor and supporter who made the day happen.
- Our friends at AberNecessities, whose work supports local children and families across the region.
Voices from the event
“Hosting a spin class on an airfield, right next to an active runway takes a lot of organisation so I want to thank the team for their brilliant work to allow us to raise an incredible amount for the two charities.” — Robert Paterson, Head of Operations, Aberdeen International Airport
“As Aberdeen International Airport’s Charity Partner, we were incredibly grateful to be invited to be part of this wonderfully, unique event alongside our friends at Sport Aberdeen. We have been completely overwhelmed, not only by the fantastic amount of funds raised, but by the collective effort of the three organisations to make this inaugural event a ‘high-flying’ success. It really was a day to remember that will make an incredible difference to children in our local community. We can’t thank the Jet Set Squad enough for ‘pedalling with purpose’ and those who donated to ensure that we can continue to gift the essential and basic necessities that ‘No Child Should Go Without’.” — Danielle Flecher-Horn, Founder of AberNecessities
“I’m absolutely delighted with the incredible support we’ve had from our local community, you’ve really got behind this in true Aberdeen style! A huge well done to my fellow spinners who did a fantastic job, not only taking on such a unique challenge but raising much-needed funds to support our SPACE programme. It’s humbling to be part of such an amazing team effort, and on behalf of everyone at Sport Aberdeen, a big heartfelt thank you to each and every person involved.” — Keith Heslop, Chief Executive, Sport Aberdeen
Who pedalled
Big shoutout to all of our participants who gave up their time and energy to make this happen. Thank you to all of these amazing people:
- Keith Heslop and Stewart Macindoe (Sport Aberdeen)
- Robert Paterson (Aberdeen International Airport)
- Danielle Flecher-Horn (AberNecessities)
- Rory Cromarty (EIS Waste)
- Geoff Aberdein (True North Advisors)
- Jay Emmerson (Milton Brasserie)
- Jason Stewart (Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce)
- Barry Duncan (CNR International)
- Sam Milne (Brown Sugar)
- Yasmin Coffey (StudioBe)
- Estera Pawlak (Influencer, Opportunity North East)
- Claire Dunn (Outmilers)
- Laura Anderson (TV and radio personality, Love Island)
- Kenny Cope (Space Solutions)
- Cheryl Henderson (Munro’s Travel)
- Leigh-Ann Rogie (ThinkPR)
- Paul Binnie (Nomad Infrastructure)
- Kelci Graham (Neospace)
- Sarah Gillanders (Married at First Sight UK, Major Recruitment)
How you can help
Jet Set Spin might be over for this year but that doesn’t mean we don’t continue to need your support. Sport Aberdeen relies on partnerships, fundraising, and volunteers to deliver a multitude of community and youth focused programmes. Creating opportunities, inspiring people, and changing lives through sport and physical activity. Here’s just a few ways you can still get involved:
- Donate or share the official fundraiser page to keep the momentum going.
- Volunteer your time or skills with Sport Aberdeen.
- Talk to us about hosting or backing a future challenge event.
Young swimmers in Aberdeen had the chance to take to the water alongside Olympic and Paralympic champions during a landmark Learn to Swim event at Get active @ Northfield.
The session marked the start of Learn to Swim Month and celebrated Sport Aberdeen being named 2024 Learn to Swim Provider of the Year.
More than 40 children joined Olympian Duncan Scott and Paralympic medallist Toni Shaw in the pool for a special session recognising Aberdeen’s role in helping to create “Generation Swim” – a new wave of confident and capable swimmers.
The Learn to Swim National Framework is delivered in partnership between Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water, with Sport Aberdeen supporting over 5,600 children each week through lessons across the city.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Duncan Scott said:
“Getting in the pool with the young swimmers in Aberdeen has been a brilliant way to celebrate Learn to Swim. These sessions go way beyond technique, they’re about helping kids become safer, healthier and more confident in and around the water.”
Local star Toni Shaw, who began her swimming journey in Aberdeen, added:
“As someone who learned to swim in this city, it’s incredibly special to return and see the enthusiasm these kids have. I know from experience how powerful swimming can be in shaping confidence, friendships and ambition.”
Sport Aberdeen Recognised Nationally
The Provider of the Year title was awarded to Sport Aberdeen for its commitment to teaching water safety and swimming skills, with particular recognition for:
- Strong links with local swimming clubs
- Partnership working across the city
- Programmes for children with additional support needs
Dianne Breen, Coached Programme Manager for Sport Aberdeen, said:
“We are incredibly proud to be part of this national programme, which continues to transform lives here in Aberdeen. Welcoming Duncan and Toni was a brilliant experience not just for the children, but also for our staff, who work tirelessly every week to ensure the highest standards of instruction and safety.”
Building Confidence in the Water
The Learn to Swim Framework has already helped more than 210,000 children across Scotland to become more confident in the water, with a goal of reaching a further 50,000 by 2028.
Sport Aberdeen lessons help youngsters build key life-saving skills such as floating, stroke technique and water confidence, laying the foundations for lifelong fitness and wellbeing.
Find out more
Learn more about the national Learn to Swim programme: Scottish Swimming Learn to Swim
Explore swimming lessons in Aberdeen: Sport Aberdeen Swimming
Scots tennis coach hopes ‘Learn to Lead’ will promote healthy, active lifestyles
Judy Murray has today (Thursday 5 June) launched an exciting new initiative to equip and empower young girls to become Scotland’s next generation of sporting leaders.
The Learn to Lead programme will see the tennis coach work with schools across Scotland to inspire and support youngsters to stay active and develop leadership skills.
Murray, a former GB Federation Cup captain and mother to two former world number one tennis players, Jamie and Andy Murray, believes urgent action is needed to turn around a worrying trend which continues to see millions of girls drop out of sports as they enter their teenage years.
Research conducted by Women in Sport found that 1.3 million teenage girls who had previously considered themselves ‘sporty’ are dropping out of exercise and activity when they leave primary school.
Learn to Lead looks to target youngsters ahead of their move to high school, giving them the opportunity not only to play sport, but to coach it too.
The programme will give p6 and p7 pupils (aged 10-12 years) the chance to develop basic leadership and organisational skills by empowering them to set up and run lunchtime or after school tennis clubs for p1 to p4 girls (aged 4-9 years).
The clubs, which can be run in school gyms or playgrounds, will incorporate fun-filled games and exercises in a playful environment, building on Murray’s successful Miss Hits programme, which was launched UK-wide in 2014.
Although a teacher will be required to supervise, Learn to Lead allows older primary pupils to take charge by planning, setting up, demonstrating and running activities for the younger girls, sharing their knowledge and passion for the sport.
Initially, Murray will partner with 20 schools across Scotland, targeting primary schools with a local tennis club or equivalent facilities nearby, ensuring girls have a convenient place they can continue playing should they wish to do so.
Learn to Lead has been piloted in Aberdeen city and Aberdeenshire, where dozens of youngsters have been introduced to both tennis and leadership, with many now progressing to play with local clubs.
Judy Murray said: “As a female tennis coach, I want to inspire the next generation of girls to learn to lead sporting activity so I can be confident that once I have retired, we have a well-trained coaching workforce in place and ready to continue growing the girl’s side of the game.
“I believe Learn to Lead will help us to not just get girls playing sport at a young age but keep them engaged throughout their lives and perhaps even provide a route towards careers in coaching or developing sport.
“My life has revolved around sport and as well as the obvious physical and mental health benefits that brings, the life skills you develop by being part of a sport really prepare you for what adulthood will throw at you. And of course, the friendships you form often last a lifetime.
“It worries me that so many girls drop out of sport in their teenage years. I hope this programme can help address some of the issues around this by providing a fun and friendly atmosphere with development options too.
“Whether girls go on to become competitive players, coaches or just develop a love for sport at any level, this is about growing participation and getting young girls active.
“I am really proud of what Miss Hits has already achieved, and hope that over the coming months we can build on this with our junior workforce leading the way.”
Sarah Fraser, lead active schools coordinator (projects) at Sport Aberdeen, said: “Learn to Lead has been a huge hit. From our initial work with the programme we have already seen huge benefits for the girls involved. For some of the younger girls this has been the first sports club they’ve been involved in, and it has given them a chance to try out tennis. For the older girls who are leading the classes, we have been struck by the confidence and leadership skills they have gained.
“I would definitely encourage schools to get involved. Learn to Lead is easy to pick up and deliver, and it is a great way to support girls to not just try sports, but to continue playing and develop their skills as they approach their teenage years and beyond.”
Regular attendees at Sport Aberdeen’s ASN table tennis sessions competed at the Perth & Kinross Disability Games last month, with some securing medals!
Organised by Sport Aberdeen’s community sport team in partnership with Aberdeen District Table Tennis Association, the weekly table tennis sessions take place on Monday evenings from 18:00 to 19:30 at Get active @ Westburn and are always free to attend.
Amongst the medal winners were three participants from Aberdeen Amputees Table Tennis Club who appreciate attending Sport Aberdeen’s weekly sessions, remarking that it is a great way to gain extra training time.
The list of medal winners is as follows:
- Alex Rae – Gold in Learning Disability Group
- Kenny Shewan – Gold in Ambulent Amputee Group
- Atholl Smart – Bronze in Ambulent Amputee Group
- Lee- Ann Shaw – Silver in Ambulent Amputee Group
Congratulations to everyone who took part! Donna Fraser – a regular at the weekly sessions – also enjoyed attending.
Any individuals with additional support needs keen to play table tennis and make new friends is welcome to come along to the Monday evening sessions at Get active @ Westburn.
There is no need to book in advance, simply show up! To find out more, email communitysport@sportaberdeen.co.uk
Last Friday 30th May, we said farewell to Stella Farr after 26 years of her hard work and commitment working in our aquatics and coached programmes team.
Stella worked out of seven different locations in her time and originally started out with Aberdeen City Council, prior to Sport Aberdeen becoming a registered charity and arms length organisation in 2010.
From starting out in a storage cupboard behind the lifts on the 5th floor of St Nicholas House (four people crammed into a tiny space!) to latterly working at Sport Aberdeen’s open, bright and spacious HQ on the 4th Floor of the Kings Church building in Bridge of Don, Stella has seen it all.
One of Stella’s standout moments was when Sport Aberdeen won Scottish Swimming’s ‘Learn to Swim Provider of the Year’ award in 2017 – the inaugural year in front of a celebratory home crowd in Aberdeen.
Stella’s team view her as the ‘go to person’ for any problems as her knowledge is unparalleled. To put it into perspective, here are some approximate numbers of Stella’s achievements:
- Personally allocated over 20,000 participants into classes
- Over 150,000 calls made and answered
- Written over 100,000 individual emails in the last 10 years
- And in the days before the online On Course platform – stuffed over 10,000 envelopes (the stuffing machine was always broken!)
Above L-R: Dianne Breen, Stella Far and Keith Heslop (CEO)
Dianne Breen, Coached Programmes Manager and Stella’s former boss, said: “Stella was on sabbatical when I took on the Aquatics team in 2009 and I was pretty intimidated by her reputation — I heard stories about her straight-talking, no-nonsense approach and her ability to call out incompetence from a mile away.
“What I found was that yes, she is fierce. Yes, she has the uncanny ability to spot a problem before it even happens. And yes, she holds everyone — and I mean everyone — to her impossibly high standards. But what I didn’t expect was just how much heart she has for this job, for the people she works with, and, most importantly, for teaching people to swim.
“She’s the AI of coached programmes — fast, accurate and basically knows everything. But she’s also got this huge heart, and it’s the passion she has for her work that makes her so fabulous.
“She’s sharp, quick-witted and often has us in stitches, whether she’s recounting an interaction with a customer or just giving someone that look when they ask a ridiculous question or frustrate her. We all know the look!
“One of her most memorable phone calls was a customer she had been chasing for a while over unpaid debt. The customer advised that he didn’t need to pay the required amount as he had an agreement in place over how he was going to repay the debt – when Stella asked who this agreement was with, he confidently advised the agreement was with himself.
“When Stella repeated out loud “so you made the agreement with yourself?”, the whole team just about hit the floor – the perks of an open plan office!”
Dianne recalls another one of Stella’s many entertaining interactions:
“Stella was trying to chase a customer for payment but they had SO many excuses – ‘on the bus’, ‘don’t have my card’, ‘can’t speak just now’, ‘I’m on the way to doctors with my daughter who’s got diarrhoea’ – Stella kindly reminded the customer that this had been ongoing for weeks, only to be met with the customer’s response: ‘don’t you have a heart?’.
“That struck a chord as Stella was going through treatment for heart problems. Phil, another member of the team, was leaving Sport Aberdeen at the time and as he left, he told Stella that she was the kindest heartless person he’d ever known.
“It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for Stella; she had her fair share of health challenges over the years, but in true Stella fashion, she just takes a moment, resets herself and gets back to it. She’s the same with work challenges, whether it’s a restructure (there’s been a few!) or pool closures, she faces them all with resilience.
“She’s been the glue that’s held us together, even when it felt like we had never ending paperwork, emails, phone messages dealing with covid and primary payers and direct debits… the list goes on.”
Everyone from Sport Aberdeen wishes Stella all the best for her retirement and will miss her loads!
Sport Aberdeen Fitness member Mick Peel shares his remarkable and inspirational weight loss journey and how he lives with vasculitis.
In his younger years, Mick followed in the footsteps of his Mum and Dad who were both in the Armed Forces and decided to join at 16 years old, serving his time with the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards.
Sadly, Mick’s vasculitis started around six years ago; he was faced with frequent trips in and out of hospital for eight months before he was diagnosed.
Vasculitis is the name given to a group of conditions that cause inflammation of the blood vessels. With the disease, it is common to have one attack in 15 years, but Mick suffered 22 attacks in the space of seven months and couldn’t swim because of inflammation to his skin.
Mick described his situation: “I put on 10 stone since everything happened. My mobility was getting worse and worse.
“I’ve always been a big guy but not as big as I got and I had a lot of joint pain. It feels like I’m walking on glass all the time.
“I had bad days; I couldn’t even get out of my bed due to being in so much pain.”
After four years of living with the condition, Mick asked if he could go swimming again as it was his favourite activity and how he built his fitness back up with Sport Aberdeen.
He said: “I started with Steady Steps to get me going – I recognised the instructor Brian Harrison as he was ex-Scots Guards and so am I. Everything is on the chair, focused on getting your strength up again.
“I also found out there were other things so I started playing table tennis at Get active @ Jesmond but that was too aerobic for me, even though everyone there was older than me.
“I went to aqua aerobics classes on a Monday and Friday then started going to Good Boost classes at Tullos Swimming Pool as a man in Bucksburn told me about them.
“I was enjoying the water so much as there’s no impact at all – I’ve always been a really good swimmer and I love it.
“Every Friday morning, I get my bloods done at the hospital, so I was no longer able to go to a circuits class at Get active @ Sheddocksley that I once tried. So, I thought, what else can I do? I want to go to the gym and feel what I can do so I went to Live Well Gym at Get active @ Sheddocksley.
“The instructor Lee Hood is great. He knows what he is speaking about and takes care – he looks at what you can do and gave me a refresher and he is now going to make me a programme.”
Counterweight Programme participation
Mick took part in Sport Aberdeen’s Counterweight Programme from September to December in 2024 – a partnership with NHS Grampian to support those at risk of type 2 diabetes or looking for support with weight management to be active and live well.
When Mick took part in the programme at Get active @ Alex Collie, his target weight loss was 9kg and he lost 12kg. He was 35 stone and is now 26 stone. For the last two months, he has been on a no sugar diet.
Speaking so highly of his experience with Sport Aberdeen, Mick said: “I hope this doesn’t ever end for me because this has been such an amazing journey so far. I don’t know what I’d do without Sport Aberdeen.
“Without the pools, I wouldn’t be here. I would still be sitting in my house getting bigger.
“Sport Aberdeen really have been amazing. All the staff as well have been amazing.
“Every gym you go to, it’s lovely now. I wish I could do more, maybe at some point I will be able to.
“I’m doing stuff with my family which I couldn’t do before thanks to Sport Aberdeen again, it’s been insane.
“It’s not just the exercise – it’s the social side as well. They’re all older than me, people have coffee afterwards. Even during Good Boost sessions, you’re working and talking – that’s the fun part about it.
“If I remember rightly, when I used to go to the gym years and years ago, you know, you’d walk into the gym and everyone was buff and it could be a bit daunting, but not now. Especially not with your classes.
“Spot on for Sport Aberdeen doing that as well. There’s a guy I see at the gym on the bike with one leg and there’s nobody looking at him.
“I don’t know what else to say, the journey has been amazing and it’s only been a year so far.
“I can’t say it anymore can I, Sport Aberdeen has been absolutely amazing and even my family see a huge difference.
“The dark days were bad; I don’t even get there anymore. Yes I have bad days and I have to live with vasculitis, it’s always gonna be there, but I know if I’ve got swimming then I’ve got to get up.
“I know getting there will be so sore but once I’m in the pool, it’s fantastic! Even if I’m not actually swimming, just moving my body in the water really helps.
“Sport Aberdeen has been a god send.”
Mick’s typical weekly routine with Sport Aberdeen now looks like:
Monday: two morning swimming sessions at Get active @ Northfield, with an afternoon gym session at Get active @ Sheddocksley depending on how he feels
Tuesday: rest day
Wednesday: two Good Boost swimming sessions at Tullos Swimming Pool, followed by a public swimming session in the big pool to attempt a couple of lengths
Thursday: rest day
Friday: Live Well Gym at 12:00 at Get active @ Sheddocksley followed by a Good Boost session in Get active @ Northfield swimming pool
“I do eight sessions a week and it’s totally worth the money, it really is. Even if I had to pay £100 to do it, if I could do it, I would be doing it.
“I don’t work, so that was another issue for me. Then somebody told me about Get active for Less so I put my name forward and now I have that so I get a reduced rate.
“If I didn’t have Sport Aberdeen, I’d be lost. It does take up a lot of my week, even at weekends I’m waiting for Monday to come, you know what I mean? “The endorphins help; it makes you happy.”
Funded by Scottish Cycling and its Rock Up & Ride Programme, Sport Aberdeen’s community sport cycling project activator (working in partnership with Sustrans and Aberdeen City Council’s Family Learning Department) delivered a family cycling session at Bramble Brae Primary School in Northfield during the 2024 Easter holidays.
The initial aim of the session focused on educating parents on how to cycle safely as a family, whilst engaging both the children and their parents in a cycling activity. Secondary aims were to teach children to ride and encourage their parents back onto bicycles too.
Young non-pedallers had stabilisers removed and were encouraged to practice balance biking and braking before having a go at pedalling. Whilst these younger children were occupied learning to pedal, parents were persuaded onto bikes to have a go too (instead of watching their children) and a combined session was delivered with both parents and older children. The focus was on basic cycling skills, including braking and using gears, as well as tips on how to cycle safely as a family, the importance wearing a helmet and M-checking a bike before setting off.
Above: Laura Benson, Cycling Project Activator from Sport Aberdeen
Suzy was one of the parents who turned up with her child hoping for them to learn to ride but not expecting to ride herself. Having not been on a bike since she was a child, she was understandably nervous but with her son engaged in a learn to ride session, Suzy had the opportunity to have a go at cycling for herself. She clearly enjoyed being back on a bike and remarked at her surprise and delight at being able to remember how to ride! Turns out it really is “just like riding a bike”.
Suzy was invited to join Rock Up & Ride Thursday morning sessions riding from the Aberdeen Cycle Hub @ Seaton, near the beach. Initially, Suzy was extremely nervous and lacked confidence on her bike, but slowly over the months she attended, she grew in confidence.
The weekly rides are short and social, designed to build up participants’ cycling confidence and are usually based away from main roads. Suzy – along with her peers – has transformed from an initially nervous, unconfident rider, to one who encourages others along to the weekly rides.
Rock Up & Ride provides bikes and helmets to participants who don’t have their own and led rides are a welcome break from the stresses of parenthood. They combine gentle exercise with the experience of being outdoors in a friendly group environment. Over weeks of pedalling together, the group has chatted and enjoyed each other’s company cycling in a variety of weather conditions. Dolphins, skylarks, cold water swimmers and a traditional Shetland herring fishing boat have been spotted – to name a few and the riders have toured the local community hydropower scheme situated on the nearby River Don.
“The rides are relaxed and a good way to switch off for that hour and just enjoy the scenery, chat and building confidence each week“.
– Suzy, Rock Up & Ride participant
Leading into winter, Suzy expressed a concern that cycling in the cold might negatively affect her health, expressing that as a single parent, she couldn’t afford to get ill. The project decided to trial using basic turbo trainers located at the Aberdeen Cycle Hub @ Seaton whenever the weather was particularly cold or unpleasant. Initial comments were that cycling on a turbo was harder work than going outside for rides, but the ladies got stuck in and it is the intention to continue with these sessions whenever the weather isn’t conducive to outdoor cycling, although the preference is always to be outdoors where possible.
Looking forward, Suzy is still cautious cycling anywhere near a road but now rides short, shepherded sections on quiet roads and has voiced an interest in being able to cycle a little further in the future. Her overall aim is to teach her youngest to pedal and take her kids cycling in the future, whilst feeling confident doing so.
“To begin with I was unsure, however Laura makes you feel at ease and the group cycling has increased my confidence at using a bike safely and each week this is growing as my main goal is to take my son for a cycle and if it wasn’t for Laura and her team this wouldn’t be possible“.
– Suzy, Rock Up & Ride participant
Award-winning charity Sport Aberdeen was ecstatic to recently receive a generous donation of £26,000 from Saltire Energy to boost sporting opportunities available for children across local schools.
Along with match funding of £19,000 from Sport Aberdeen, the total contribution was used to purchase 18 pallets of sports equipment including 1,107 footballs, 1,084 beanbags, 391 basketballs, 311 dodgeballs, 129 netballs, 132 badminton rackets and 930 shuttlecocks, and 129 netballs.
As a result of the kind and substantial donation from Saltire Energy, every primary and secondary school in Aberdeen received new sports equipment.
Each school was given the opportunity to request their chosen sports equipment and Sport Aberdeen placed the order.
Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team worked determinedly last week to organise and arrange the 18 pallets of equipment delivered to the charity’s Linx Ice Arena venue.
All equipment was delivered to each individual school by the team on Friday 2 May.
Mike Loggie, CEO of Saltire Energy, said: “Initiatives like this are at the core of our values at Saltire Energy, and we are proud to support Sport Aberdeen in delivering such a meaningful project.
“Providing every school in the city with new sports equipment is a great way to give back to our local community and invest in the next generation. Encouraging young people to be active and participate in sport not only promotes a healthy lifestyle but also builds confidence, teamwork, and resilience, skills that will benefit them well into the future.”
Graeme Dale, Director of Sport and Active Communities at Sport Aberdeen, said: “A big thanks to Mike and the team at Saltire Energy for the incredible donation, enabling us to purchase a significant amount of sports equipment for local schools.
“When the order arrived and pallet after pallet came off the delivery lorry, it became apparent just how much had been ordered and the difference it would make.
“Sport and physical activity plays a vital role in the lives of children and young people, providing physical and mental health benefits as well as the opportunity to socialise and make new friends.
“I extend my thanks also to our Active Schools team for all their hard work and enthusiasm to sort, arrange and deliver the equipment, it was a huge logistical exercise to get all the sports kit sorted and out to all the schools.”
Get ready to hit the pedals at Sport Aberdeen’s free Cycling Festival, taking place on Saturday 26th April from 13:00 to 15:30 at the Aberdeen Cycle Hub @ Seaton.
The festival will have various partners in attendance including Love to Ride, Tyred and Cranky, Stella’s Voice, Grampian Inclusive Cycling Bothies, Nestrans, Get About and beCyCle.
With multiple different bikes to try, activities going on and even an ice cream van Greig’s Ices, there is something for everyone to get involved in!
All equipment at the event – including helmets – will be provided.
Bookable sessions
There are two sessions which should be booked in advance.
- Learn to Ride
Laura and Ailsa from Sport Aberdeen’s community sport team will deliver Learn to Ride sessions with children who haven’t yet learned to ride a bike or are beginners. Children can be any age to attend these sessions.
The slots will be allocated in 30-minute increments, please email bdouglas@sportaberdeen.co.uk to book.
- Dr. Bike
This session will be delivered by Tim and Darren from Tyred and Cranky. Tim and Darren will carry out basic bike maintenance checks on adult or children’s bikes, ensuring they are safe for the road.
To book a Dr. Bike session, please email bdouglas@sportaberdeen.co.uk
Other activities with no booking required
Everything else going on throughout the festival does not need to be booked in advance.
- Adapted Cycling with Grampian Inclusive Cycling Bothies – Have a go on an adapted bike including an upright trike, handcycle or a recumbent bike.
- Bike skills and agility – Laura and Ailsafrom Sport Aberdeen’s community sport team will lead agility sessions such as cycling through slalom poles, working on overall skills and control whilst on a bike.
- beCyCle Aberdeen – Local charity beCyCle will be on hand to show attendees how to deconstruct a bike, help them learn about the components making up a bike and more.
- Multiactivity games and cornhole – Joe and Rishabh from Sport Aberdeen’s community sport team will lead these fun activities.
- Stella’s Voice Bike Amnesty – bring along an old bike (regardless of its condition) and Stella’s Voice will do it up and either sell it on or donate it. Similarly, anyone looking for a bike could potentially get one.
Don’t miss out, make sure you come along to this wheelie good event!
Please note: parking is limited at Aberdeen Cycle Hub @ Seaton as the area will be used to deliver cycling activity.
It is therefore recommended to park at the overflow car park opposite Mrs Murray’s Cat & Dog Home.
Sports clubs and community facilities across Scotland will benefit from £450k of investment from sportscotland’s Sport Facilities Fund to local partners, including Sport Aberdeen.
Eight projects are sharing £451,038, meaning much-needed investment in rural communities, areas of deprivation and for projects designed to make sport more accessible and inclusive. The investment has been made possible thanks to National Lottery players who raise £30 million each week for good causes across the UK.
Sport Aberdeen is receiving £26,474 for new floodlights at Northfield Outdoor Sports Centre. The total cost of the project will be £52,949, with the new floodlights covering three courts.
The floodlights will allow for play during the winter months at the recently refurbished courts. Sport Aberdeen is aiming to create a high-quality sport and physical activity hub for the community at Northfield. The refurbished courts have seen a high number of bookings since reopening and floodlights will allow for increased access and give more people the opportunity to play.
The LTA estimates that floodlights add 35% more playing time and can increase activity by up to 50%. The facility will be free to use for all school groups and youth coaching programmes will be developed.
Chief Executive of sportscotland, Forbes Dunlop, said:
“The physical and mental health benefits of sport are well documented, but equally important is the ability to create a space where everyone is welcome to participate at their own level.
“We are facing challenging times with significant financial pressures at all levels. But thanks to the continued commitment of our local partners, projects like this one in Aberdeen means more people will have an opportunity to become physically active and feel part of their local community.”
Mark Pain, Community Sport Manager, Sport Aberdeen:
“Being able to access funding from sportscotland and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to install floodlighting has been transformational for the park’s tennis site in Northfield.
“What was a crumbling, unused set of courts a couple of years ago has been regenerated into a high-quality community sports facility in a priority neighbourhood within the city.
“The addition of floodlighting will provide greater opportunities for year round access to local tennis opportunities, inspiring new players to take up the sport, regardless of age or previous experience.”
The aim behind the sportscotland Sport Facilities Fund is to support capital projects which are designed to create or improve the places where people take part in sport and physical activity in their local community.
Priority is given to projects that widen access to participation or allow people to progress further within their chosen sport locally by removing barriers, particularly in rural areas or areas of deprivation and for under-represented groups.
In addition to the investment, projects can benefit from the expertise within sportscotland’s facilities team to maximise the impact that their plans will have, ensuring they meet the needs of their local communities now and in the future.
More information on the Sports Facilities Fund can be found on the sportscotland website here.