Registered charity Sport Aberdeen is ecstatic to be named as a finalist in the Community Impact category of the 2022 Elevator Awards.
Sponsored by Maybe, the Community Impact Award recognises an organisation that gives back, makes a significant contribution to society and demonstrates that community involvement is at the core of everything it does.
Phil Anderson Financial Services and The Habitat People have also been shortlisted as finalists in the category.
For more than 20 years, the Elevator Awards have been celebrating business success, entrepreneurial excellence and impressive community-driven initiatives in the north-east.
The glittering awards ceremony will take place at Ardoe House Hotel, Aberdeen on Thursday 23 June.
Graeme Dale, Head of Sport and Active Communities, said: “It is an honour to be shortlisted for this award together with Phil Anderson Financial Services and The Habitat People.
“The ethos of Sport Aberdeen is all about giving back and we work hard to build new and existing partnerships, broaden our reach and change lives through the power of sport and physical activity in the local community.”
Sport Aberdeen was delighted to partner with Scottish Rugby to host the Saltire Energy Caledonia Cup Youth finals day on the playing fields at Get active @ Sheddocksley on Sunday 1 May.
An action-packed day showcasing youth rugby in Caledonian, 32 teams congregated to play in 15 finals across five rugby pitches between 10.30am and 5pm.
The event was hailed a great success, with a large turnout of spectators in attendance to cheer on the players, as well as visits from Councillor Jenny Laing and The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Councillor Barney Crockett.
Tony Dawson, chairman of Sport Aberdeen, said: “Sport Aberdeen was privileged to co-host this prestigious event.
“The buzz on the day was immense and I hope we have the opportunity to support a similar event in Aberdeen in the foreseeable future.”
Fraser Govan, Regional Manager – Caledonia North, commented: “Sunday’s finals day of the Saltire Energy Caledonia Cup was simply outstanding! All fixtures were played in great spirit, with lots of talent and skill on display. It was a fantastic showcase event for rugby in the Caledonia region.
“Scottish Rugby is proud to continue supporting our Caledonia clubs and communities access this long-standing and meaningful competition, but we could not have done it without the support of Sport Aberdeen for providing the Get active @ Sheddocksley playing fields as our host venue. On behalf of Scottish Rugby, I would like to extend my thanks to all at Sport Aberdeen for helping make our finals day such a success.”
Mike Loggie, Founder and Chief Executive of Saltire Energy, said: “It was a privilege to support and attend the largest Youth Rugby Finals Day in the country and to see the event take place in our local community, Aberdeen.
“A sporting event of this scale will hopefully inspire more young people in the local area to take up rugby and Saltire Energy very much looks forward to continuing to support the long-term growth of the game in the region.”
The full list of fixtures and results from the day can be seen below and on Scottish Rugby’s website here.
Girls U16 Shield, 10.30am | Highland RFC 0 – 50 Tayside Girls
Boys U15 Bowl, 10.30am | Ellon RFC 12 – 0 Mackie RFC
Boys U18 Shield , 11.00am | Howe of Fife / Bell Baxter High School 12 – 5 Aberdeen Wanderers RFC
Girls U16 Cup, 12.00pm | Caithness RFC 7 – 40 Stirling County RFC
Boys U18 Plate, 12.30pm | Moray / Huntly 22 – 17 The North
Boys U16 Shield, 12.45pm | Orkney RFC 14 – 57 Dundee Rugby Boys U15 Shield, 1.00pm | Highland RFC 14 – 12 Aberdeen Wanderers RFC
Boys U15 Plate, 1.45pm | Moray / Huntly 26 – 29 Dunfermline RFC
Boys U18 Bowl, 2.15pm | Ellon RFC 21 – 28 Livingston RFC
Boys U16 Bowl, 2.15pm | Kirkcaldy RFC 14 – 22 Dunfermline RFC
Boys U15 Cup, 2.30pm | Perthshire RFC 14 – 28 Howe of Fife / Bell Baxter High School
Boys U16 Cup, 4.00pm | Mackie RFC 24 – 57 Howe of Fife / Bell Baxter High School
Boys U18 Cup, 4.00pm | Stirling County RFC 33 – 38 Mackie RFC
Boys U16 Plate, 4.00pm | Glenrothes RFC 5 – 13 Montrose and District RFC
Girls U18 Cup, 4.00pm | Stirling County RFC 50 – 0 Dundee / Fife / Kelpies
Following a successful application, award-winning charity Sport Aberdeen is delighted to receive £200,000 of funding from Aberdeen City Council through the Education Recovery Fund.
The fund’s purpose is to help Scotland’s education system positively respond to the Covid-19 pandemic and will provide support to both staff and learners in the sector.
Sport Aberdeen will use the funding secured to employ 12 Active Schools Assistants who will work in every school, both primary and secondary, across Aberdeen.
The Active Schools Assistants will deliver targeted programmes on a one-to-one basis or in small groups of pupils as identified by the school, with a responsibility to encourage young people to participate in free physical activity sessions and join extracurricular sports clubs. Each will play a key role in improving the health and wellbeing of local young people.
Councillor M. Tauqeer Malik, Education Operational Delivery Convener at Aberdeen City Council, said: “We are delighted to work in partnership with Sport Aberdeen to focus on increasing opportunities for our children & young people to engage in physical activity, responding to individual wellbeing needs and the impact of the pandemic. This partnership working provides us with an opportunity to target support, increase engagement at focused times within the school day and build on the skills and experiences that Active Schools already provide within our settings.”
Graeme Dale, Head of Sport and Active Communities, said: “This is the first time we have been awarded funding through the Education Recovery Fund, so it is a real boost for us!
“By employing extra Active Schools Assistants throughout the city, we will be able to amplify our impact and help local children and young people in the community to realise and achieve their full potential. “We are confident that our ambitious programme of targeted support will make a tangible difference.”
Sport Aberdeen celebrates its latest triumph with a win at the Northern Star Business Awards (NSBA) 2022 ceremony, held at P&J Live on Friday 22 April.
Welcoming more than 700 people to the sparkling ceremony, the event shone a light on the exceptional accomplishments of businesses in Aberdeen city.
Sport Aberdeen scooped the ‘Making the Difference’ award – sponsored by Balmoral Group – which recognises the impact and progress it has made towards driving positive change within the local community.
Targeted initiatives including its SPACE programme (working with care experienced children and young people) and Active Lifestyles programme (supporting individuals with long term health conditions) were among those acknowledged for making a difference.
Graeme Dale, Head of Sport and Active Communities, said: “I am so pleased that Sport Aberdeen has secured this award, for helping to inspire people and change lives through the power of sport and physical activity.
“Every penny we make is reinvested back into the communities we serve, and this accolade is testament to the hard work and determination of everyone who works for the charity.”
A long-term partnership has recently been established between North East Scotland College (NESCol) and Active Schools in Aberdeen.
46 generous NESCol students from the HND Sports Coaching and Development course are supporting the delivery of extracurricular activities in 15 schools across the city who have agreed to participate.
The students involved go on placement in these schools, providing young pupils with more opportunities to get active.
The placements commenced on Tuesday 8 February and will run until Tuesday 14 June, offering a variety of activities for children of different ages.
Sarah Fraser, Lead Active Schools Coordinator, said: “We are so grateful to the NESCol students for volunteering their time to help inspire our young people across the city to get involved in sport and physical activity.
“As a result of the students’ time, we have been able to advance our extra-curricular programme.”
Zoe Lewis, Lecturer in Sport at NESCol, said: “This is a valuable placement for students as it gives them industry-related experience to put their coaching skills into practice and an opportunity to gain experience working with children with a range of ages and abilities. During their placement, our students will encourage more primary school children to get active and participate in sport.”
Active Schools is a sportscotland national initiative that aims to provide all children with high quality opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity. It is delivered in Aberdeen by Sport Aberdeen.
Find out more about the rewarding work carried out by Active Schools here.
The Saltire Energy Caledonia Cup, the largest Youth Rugby Finals Day in the country, will be hosted by Scottish Rugby and Sport Aberdeen on Sunday 1 May at Sheddocksley playing fields.
A total of 32 teams from across the Caledonia region will congregate in Aberdeen. The sides have competed in a series of regional leagues and then Cup, Shield, and Bowl knockout rounds, culminating in 24 boys’ and 6 girls’ teams reaching Sunday’s Finals Day event. The series of games will be played in three intervals, with the first kicking off at 10.30am.
Sport Aberdeen will also be investing additional resources to introduce two new rugby pitches to the facility at Sheddocksley with the vision of bringing regular rugby activity to the community following the Finals Day.
“We are thrilled to be co-hosting this prestigious rugby event with Scottish Rugby and sponsors Saltire Energy.
“We hope the event will act as a catalyst for rugby development in the Sheddocksley, Mastrick and Northfield areas, inspiring more young people to participate in a sport which is not only enjoyable, but helps to develop key life skills including teamwork and communication.
“We wish all participants the best of luck for the day and would be delighted to host an event of this scale again in the future.”
Tony Dawson, Sport Aberdeen chairman
Ahead of the event Vicky Cox, Scottish Rugby Competitions and Compliance Manager, said: “The Caledonia Youth Finals Day promises to be another exciting event in the Scottish Rugby calendar.
“We’re delighted to continue supporting our Caledonia clubs and communities to access a long-standing and meaningful competition that encourages participation and opportunities for players from across this unique and vibrant region.
“With teams from all over the Caledonia region competing, it will no doubt be an event to remember, particularly following a two-season hiatus due to Covid-19.”
In recognition of the event, Scottish Rugby will be displaying the Calcutta Cup in the main marquee, to allow those present on the day to see the trophy in person.
This year’s competition is sponsored and supported by Saltire Energy, which joined Scottish Rugby as a partner on a three-year deal in July 2021.
Chief Executive at Saltire Energy, Mike Loggie said: “We are delighted to support the Caledonia Cup, as it very much signifies the positive impact sport has within our communities. Saltire Energy takes huge pride in supporting Scottish Rugby, whose core values of respect, leadership, achievement, engagement and enjoyment are fundamental to all that we stand for. “I wish all involved the very best of luck, the day will no doubt hold many successes but most importantly it will be a fun, exciting and enjoyable event for all involved.”
Image: Stirling County, winners of the Caledonia U18 Youth Cup in 2019 when the Caledonia Cup was last contested in Perth (Scottish Rugby/SNS).
As part of our commitment to reinvest in our venues and deliver the best possible experience for our members, we are excited to be revamping the gym at Get active @ Jesmond.
The upgrades come as a result of invaluable customer feedback and staff input, and we hope that users will benefit from an enhanced exercise environment.
The gym floor will be reworked, and fitness equipment will be updated with the latest digital software to be compatible with TRAKK, the free Pulse Fitness app. Featured new equipment includes a half rack with platform, a stepmill machine, a classic airbike and a StairMaster HIITMill X.
Please note: the gym floor will be out of use from Saturday 9 April when the refurbishment works will take place. The newly refurbished gym will reopen on Wednesday 27 April.
There will be some access to fitness equipment in Studio Two during the renovation period, however we’d advise you to visit one of our other nearby venues in the interim – Get active @ Alex Collie or Get active @ Beach Leisure Centre – to really maximise your workout.
There will be minimal disruption to fitness classes and these can be viewed on our Timetable and booked on MySportAberdeen here.
We thank our customers and members for their patience as these upgrades take place, we’re sure everyone will love the result.
We’re excited to reveal that we have a new studio at Get active @ Beach Leisure Centre for fitness classes!
Starting from Monday 4 April, we’ll have the following additional classes taking place weekly in the new studio which overlooks the swimming pool:
Monday – 1120 to 1220 – Body Balance
A relaxing class that builds strength and improves flexibility.
Tuesday – 1730 to 1800 – Sprint
A short, intense style of training using an indoor bike to achieve fast results.
Wednesday – 1800 to 1830 – Circuits, followed by 1840 to 1910 – Kettlebells
If you fancy going the extra mile and challenging yourself to a double class!
Thursday – 0930 to 1000 – Spin
Using a stationary bike to burn maximum calories in a short space of time.
Thursday – 1855 to 1940 – Body Balance
A relaxing class that builds strength and improves flexibility.
You can view the full timetable on our website here and book your class spaces to attend via MySportAberdeen.
If you are unable to attend, please remember to cancel as we have limited spaces available.
Award-winning charity Sport Aberdeen strengthens its board with the recent appointment of Alan McLean as trustee director.
Alan is a Chartered Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD) and in his career to date, has held senior positions in human resource management in both private and public sectors.
He is the former President of The Gordonian Association and previously served on the Board of Governors at Robert Gordon’s College.
With a keen interest in sport and fitness since his youth, Alan has played various sports throughout his life including rugby and cricket and is a keen hillwalker.
“Alan is the perfect fit for Sport Aberdeen and makes a great addition to the board.
“With more than 30 years’ experience in human resources coupled with his passion for sports, we know his wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm will serve him well in this role.”
Tony Dawson, Sport Aberdeen chairman
He was awarded Scottish Rugby Union ‘Volunteer of the Month’ in April 2017 for establishing a Mini Rugby Section at his club and collaborating with the Scottish Rugby Union and local schools to bring rugby to children in the local community.
He is currently an assistant senior coach at Aberdeen-based rugby club Gordonian RFC and since June 2019, has lead coached the 2nd XV.
Commenting on his appointment, Alan said: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining Sport Aberdeen’s Board and giving what I can to further the drive to encourage more people to lead active and healthy lifestyles.
“I have a life-long passion for sport and fitness, so this role will help me give something back by offering my professional knowledge and experience to a charity similarly passionate about making sport accessible.”
Since June 2019, Alan has held voluntary roles within three local organisations – Community Food Initiatives North East (CFINE), Aberdeen Science Centre and Cairngorm Connect.
We are pleased to share that, from Saturday 2 April, we are updating the way our customers access weekend public swimming sessions at Get active @ Beach Leisure Centre.
Individuals or families can choose a suitable time to swim at the weekend between 13:00 to 17:00 – customers can arrive anytime during this period, with last admission at 16:00.
Upon arrival at Get active @ Beach Leisure Centre, customers will be issued with a coloured wristband to wear whilst in the pool. Each wristband allows the swimmer to enjoy a session lasting up to one hour and 20 minutes.
The allocated wristband colour, for example pink, will be called out once the swimming session has ended.
To ensure an efficient turnover of customers in the pool and changing areas, there will be a maximum of 40 people entering the pool every 20 minutes, with no more than 160 people in the pool at any one time.
We are implementing this change in line with changes to Covid-19 guidance and to align with best practice demonstrated across other swimming pools and leisure centres in Scotland. As a result, we hope this will make our sessions more convenient and accessible to customers, with increased capacity and reduced waiting times.
These changes will remain in place at the weekend during the Easter holidays.
During the Easter holidays from Monday to Friday, swimming sessions will take place between 10:30 to 15:30, with last entry at 14:30.
Should you have any further queries, please email GetActiveatBLC@sportaberdeen.co.uk