As a result of the overwhelming popularity of Sport Aberdeen’s Pre-school gymnastics and Kindergym classes in the city, the programme is being expanded to meet the growing demand.
Pre-school Gymnastics is a fantastic way to keep little ones active and to help develop their motor skills. There are lots of options available from adult and child classes for children 18 months to three years and independent classes for those over the age of three.
With more than 250 new participants since August last year, it has prompted the move to offer more choice to communities across the city.
The new programme of more than 40 classes a week will be introduced in August at the start of the new school term and sees additional classes at the Alex Collie Gymnastics Performance Centre and the Beacon Centre, as well as the introduction of classes for the first time at the Kincorth Sports Centre to create opportunities in the South side of the city.
Additionally, pre-schoolers at Beacon will benefit from a recent upgrade to the venue by Robertson’s Facility Management, which sees the addition of a sunken trampoline, with landing areas into a new foam pit, guaranteed to be a huge hit with the three to five year olds!
Kindergym classes are 45 minutes long and provide a safe, fun environment where children can be active and explore the fundamentals of movement. The child works directly with their parent/guardian, alongside qualified coaches who will guide the floor and apparatus activities through the use of music and songs.
Pre-school classes are also 45 minutes long and children attend independently to learn fundamental skills of movement and basic gymnastics techniques working with qualified coaches.
Keith Gerrard, Director of Healthy and Active Communities said:
“Pre-school Gymnastics is a hugely important activity which teaches young children from 18 months to five years old fundamental skills that can be used in many other sports and activities at later stages of their lives. These types of activities also help to develop skills in critical thinking, stimulate interaction as well as boosting their general health.
“We are delighted to have been able to respond to the growing demand for classes and create more opportunities for communities across the city.”
To find out more about the range of exciting classes near you and how to book please go to the Sport Aberdeen website: https://www.sportaberdeen.co.uk/gymnastics-trampolining
Award-winning charity Sport Aberdeen is pleased to announce it has sealed a renewed partnership agreement with sportscotland, the national agency for sport, as it continues to strengthen its work with children and young people across the city.
The agreement, which will bring over £1.6 million of funding into the city over four years, will enable Sport Aberdeen to continue to support the delivery of local sport and physical activity provision through the hugely successful Active Schools and Community Sports Hubs programmes.
Both initiatives help Sport Aberdeen to deliver against key outcomes in Aberdeen’s Local Output Improvement Plan for children and young people and support the whole community to be more active.
Over the last four years, Active Schools Coordinators have supported significant positive change in engagement from school children. Participant sessions have risen by 54 per cent to over 278,000 a year, while the number of secondary pupils now holding sports coaching and sports leadership qualifications has gone up by 40 per cent.
The number of schools which now have active links to sports clubs has risen by a staggering 154 per cent, which highlights the significance of partnership working, and the positive impact it is having on school and community sport interaction.
Sport Aberdeen currently supports five Community Sports Hubs across the city which work with 24 sports clubs. The aim is to increase the number of people participating in sport within local communities by improving access to sport and supporting local sports clubs to work together as part of a hub.
Over the last year Community Sports Hubs facilitated by Sport Aberdeen have seen an astounding rise in participation, from 1,500 to 5,500 (267%), and a 110 per cent increase in the number of active coaches.
Alistair Robertson, Sport Aberdeen Managing Director, said:
“We are delighted to announce this new four-year agreement with sportscotland, which builds further on our strategic partnership spanning over a decade.
“This further investment by sportscotland is testament to Sport Aberdeen’s commitment to creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives through sport and physical activity. The Active Schools programme has had a hugely positive impact on participation rates of children and young people in extracurricular sport in schools over a number of years, whilst Community Sports Hubs have been instrumental in supporting local sports clubs to develop and positively impact on their communities.
“We look forward to continuing our work with sportscotland in Aberdeen and further strengthening our relationship through this latest agreement.”
sportscotland Chief Executive, Stewart Harris said:
“We are delighted to continue our partnership with Sport Aberdeen and Aberdeen City Council to support the delivery of sport and physical activity across the city.
“We want to help the people of Scotland to get the most from the sporting system and by working with our partners we can maximise our resources, creating a greater impact and ultimately making sport more accessible.
“Sport has a key part to play in a thriving Scotland and through initiatives like Active Schools, Community Sport Hubs, and wider investment directly into clubs and facilities, we can play our part in creating strong communities with sport at their heart.”
Sport Aberdeen has announced today that it is entering into a strategic partnership with the ARCHIE Foundation.
The ARCHIE Foundation, is a children’s charity which aims to make the difference for more than 200,000 local sick children every year, providing much-needed extras not already catered for by the NHS.
Following several months of discussions, the two organisations have identified a number of areas, where they feel working collaboratively will help them achieve shared goals.
With the ARCHIE Foundation’s fundraising campaign, the Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail, adopting a Charities theme this week (15-21 July), Sport Aberdeen Chairman, Colin Taylor and ARCHIE Foundation Chairman, Joe Mackie met to launch the partnership at the vintage clown sculpture, close to the Beach Leisure Centre, which is operated by Sport Aberdeen.
The two organisations are exploring a range of projects to benefit both parties, including developing programmes and access to Sport Aberdeen facilities for ARCHIE’s patients and their families, both during and after treatment to support and improve the health and wellbeing of not only the child receiving treatment, but wider family members.
Sport Aberdeen will also support staff volunteering opportunities at the ARCHIE Foundation merchandise store for the Oor Wullie BIG Bucket Trail and events, as well as the loan of equipment to support fund raising activities – including the Big Bounce Weekend.
Announcing the partnership, Sport Aberdeen Chairman, Colin Taylor said: “The ARCHIE Foundation is an important local charity, working tirelessly to enhance the lives of children and their families during one of the most difficult times of their lives.
“With Sport Aberdeen’s commitment to creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives through sport and physical activity, we believe there is a great opportunity to work together for the benefit of those children and their families in the local community dealing with significant health and wellbeing challenges.
“We are extremely excited to form this new strategic partnership with the ARCHIE Foundation and look forward to working closely together on a number of initiatives over the coming months.”
Joe Mackie OBE, Chairman of The ARCHIE Foundation, said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Sport Aberdeen. They, like us, are committed to making a difference to the lives of local families and everyone at ARCHIE is looking forward to working together.”
Sport Aberdeen and Kings Links Golf Centre launch youth golfing initiative
A new youth initiative has been launched in Aberdeen, providing youngsters with unrivalled access to golf coaching in the area. The Kings Links Junior Fund has partnered up with the two largest providers of golf in the city, the Kings Links Golf Centre and Sport Aberdeen to provide organised school groups with fully funded golf coaching.
The Kings Links Junior Fund has been offering schools in the Aberdeen area a six-week programme of instruction to encourage the next generation of golfers to take up the sport, which has seen 450 children from nine different schools benefit from the initiative so far this year.
In addition, the charity has provided interested youngsters from the North East funded lessons and coaching at the Kings Links Golf Centre.
The initiative was founded to inspire school-age children to try the sport, at no cost, to learn and develop some of the techniques and rules of the game.
In the final week of the programme, children participating have the chance to put into practice what they have learned on the city’s public golf courses, operated by award-winning charity Sport Aberdeen.
The charity has already provided free coaching to pupils around the area and now, working closely with Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools and the public clubs, it is aiming to widen the reach to offer the initiative to hundreds more school children across the city.
Commenting on the programme, Alistair Robertson, Sport Aberdeen Managing Director, said:
“Encouraging the next generation of golfers into the sport is vital for the longevity of the game and for the future of our beloved local golf courses.
“Through our partnership with the Kings Links Golf Centre, local golf clubs and the addition of golf instruction into our Active Schools programme, we have helped remove the cost barrier associated with taking up the sport.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for children across the city to learn golf and it would be great to see some of the new young golfers go on to join our junior membership base and continue on their golfing journey.”
Chris Law, the chairman of the Kings Links Junior Fund, said: “By working alongside Sport Aberdeen, local schools and golf clubs, we can provide youngsters with a unique opportunity to learn and play golf free of charge. This, ‘fairway to golf’, places the emphasis of playing not paying thereby reducing the barrier of cost to play the game.
“I have always been a firm believer that if we make the sport more accessible we’ll be able to nurture more young golfers. The North East has been home to a number of golfing greats over the years and it is now time we create a programme for the next generation. The charity has plans to expand its programme to include funding green fees and even group club memberships.
“The Kings Links Junior Fund has developed an all-compassing approach to the way we support youngsters, focusing on accessibility and enjoyment. There are a number of ways to get involved, including sponsorship of and donations to the initiative from companies and individuals.
“The charity is also interested to hear from individuals who would be interested in mentoring the young people in the programme, helping them beyond the game of golf with employability skills and mentor support.
“If you are a teacher or a company and would like to participate or you would like to get your children or school on the programme, please get in touch.”
To find out more about the initiative and for information regarding sponsorship opportunities please email Chris Law, Kings Links Junior Fund Chairman chris@kingslinksjuniorfund.com
Sport Aberdeen is set to celebrate tennis season with a series of free taster days later this month as part of the Lawn Tennis Association’s (LTA) ‘Nature Valley Big Tennis Weekends 2019’ initiative.
The annual initiative, which last year saw over 50 people take to the courts to try something new, is delivered by Sport Aberdeen.
The first of the sessions, which are free of charge and open to people of all ages and abilities will take place at Ruthrieston Outdoor Sports Centre on Saturday 20 July 2019 from 11.30am – 1.00pm. This will be followed by a second free tennis open day on 17 August at Aberdeen Tennis Centre from 2.30pm – 4.00pm.
The family friendly open day will give participants the chance to learn new skills, play the game and have fun through coach led sessions.
David Selkirk, Sport Aberdeen’s Director of Community Leisure Operations said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to come and try out tennis for free within a fun and friendly community setting. Occasions like this are made possible by partnership working and we are thrilled to be running this taster session as part of the LTA’s Nature Valley Big Tennis Weekends.
“Sport Aberdeen is committed to creating opportunities for everyone to take part in sport and physical activity and it is my hope that this will encourage more people to get outdoors and active across the city.”
To secure your free place and sign up to one of the taster days please visit the ClubSpark website:
For more information contact Aberdeen Tennis Centre on 01224 507748.
Alternatively, you can turn up on the day, however places may be limited so booking is advised.
In addition, as part of a move to encourage people of all ages and abilities to try tennis, Sport Aberdeen, in partnership with ‘Tennis for Free’, also runs free weekly family-orientated sessions. These run from March to October on Saturday mornings at Ruthrieston Outdoor Sports Centre (11.30am -1.00pm).
‘Tennis for Free’ is a charity that supports tennis provision around the UK targeting all members of the community.
With schools now finished for the summer, we have updated our timetables for the holiday period. So, don’t forget to check the new timetables on the website before you visit one of our 34 venues across the city.
View the live timetable View individual venue timetables
Looking for activities for your children to enjoy over the holiday period? Get them active this summer with our Get Active Kids Camps, Aberdeen Tennis Academy Camps, Aquatics Intensive Swim Classes, Gymnastics and Trampolining Camps, Adventure Aberdeen Camps or Aberdeen Snowsports Monster Camps.
Find out more about Summer Holiday Camps
Award-winning charity Sport Aberdeen has unveiled a partnership with social enterprise, Scarf, helping to promote an innovative new support service for local homeowners, landlords and businesses, focusing on joint values around energy efficiency.
Image left to right: Keith Gerrard, Sport Aberdeen Director of Healthy and Active Communities and Martin Hall, Operations Manager at Scarf
Scarf has sponsored the 1st hole at Sport Aberdeen’s recently reopened MacKenzie Championship Course at Hazlehead, for a period of three years, as part of the awareness-raising campaign for the Scottish Government-funded Energy Efficient Aberdeen programme.
Energy Efficient Aberdeen aims to bridge the knowledge gap stopping owner occupiers and private landlords across the city from making improvements to the efficiency of their property.
By offering a bespoke advice service and access to government loan funding and a trusted trader database, home owners can be supported to make changes recommended on an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) to bring their home in line with the Scottish Government’s target of all Scottish residential properties having an EPC rating of ‘C’ or better by 2040.
Keith Gerrard, Sport Aberdeen Director of Healthy and Active Communities, said:
“We are proud to be working with Scarf to actively promote ways that people can improve the energy efficiency of their properties. This is a great example of how we can work in partnership and encourage more people to consider how they play a part in creating a more sustainable environment.
“Sport Aberdeen is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and energy consumption which is part of our wider carbon management plan.”
Martin Hall, Operations Manager at Scarf, said:
“We are committed to being an active part of the local community and we are delighted to be able to work with Sport Aberdeen on this sponsorship. We also look forward to holding events at the course, including our first ever Networking Golf Day in August.
“People who sign up to Energy Efficient Aberdeen will benefit, for free, from advice from industry experts, referrals into other programmes such as Home Energy Scotland, monitoring of the temperature in the property before and after measures are installed and also a free-of-charge EPC inspection after the works have been carried out.”
Sport Aberdeen struck gold at the 2019 Elevator Awards scooping the top spot in the Enterprising Communities category, despite strong local competition.
Left to right: Gordon Edwards Sub Committee Chairman, Nickie Scorgie Head of HR & Organisational Development, Keith Gerrard Director of Healthy and Active Communities and Colin G. Taylor Sport Aberdeen Chairman.
Finalists were invited to an award ceremony, which took place last night (Thursday 27 June), at Aberdeen’s Ardoe House Hotel, where winners were announced.
The Enterprising Communities Award highlights a community-based organisation or business that demonstrates a strong commitment to its local community by the way it engages and interacts with its operating environment.
The award recognises Sport Aberdeen’s commitment to making positive changes within the communities in which it operates and its dedication to creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives through sport and physical activity regardless of age or ability.
A focus was placed on the recent transformation of Sport Aberdeen’s Get active @ Sheddocksley. The facility, previously a failing and unused 1970s sports centre in one of Aberdeen’s most deprived areas, prone to vandalism and antisocial behaviour, has been transformed into one of the most contemporary wellbeing and fitness facilities in the city, reducing its risk of closure and ensuring its sustainability for the foreseeable future. The centre is now a dynamic community hub which creates a deep sense of belonging and pride for the local community.
Amongst the programmes noted were Sport Aberdeen’s Looked After Project, which utilises the power of sport and physical activity to positively affect the lives of looked after children and young people; and Move More Aberdeen, a pioneering physical activity programme specifically designed for people living with long term conditions.
The Elevator Awards, now in its 20th year, celebrates business excellence and achievement in the North East.
Sport Aberdeen’s Chairman, Colin G. Taylor, commented:
“It is fantastic to know that our efforts are not only acknowledged and celebrated but are truly making a difference within the communities that Sport Aberdeen serves.
“As we continue to be recognised both locally and nationally, this strengthens our platform and allows us to continue to build upon new and existing partnerships, broadening our reach and allowing us to continue to change lives through sport and physical activity in local communities.”
Responding to this latest success, Sport Aberdeen Managing Director, Alistair Robertson, said:
“I am delighted that Sport Aberdeen has been named as the winner of the Enterprising Communities category, recognising our place at the heart of the local community and highlighting the ongoing work that is carried out year after year by all of our dedicated staff, volunteers and board members.
“This recognition within the North East is testament to what we stand for as a business. We work tirelessly to build and maintain relationships with the local communities we operate within, which enables us to offer customers the best possible experience at our facilities across the city.”
Aquatics Aberdeen, facilitated by registered charity Sport Aberdeen, delivered lessons to over 4,000 children last week in line with a national campaign which aims to reduce the number of drowning and non-drowning incidents which occur in the UK every year.
Lessons under the National Learn to Swim Framework were specially adapted to include key water safety guidance as part of the Royal Life Saving Society UK’s Drowning Prevention Week which ran from 14th-24th June and saw thousands of young swimmers across Aberdeen learn self-rescue and life-saving skills in the largest coordinated water safety lesson ever seen in Scotland.
The campaign, created by the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) aims to reduce the number of drowning and non-fatal drowning incidences that occur in the UK every year, by showing people how to be safe and have fun near water.
The campaign encourages schools, clubs, leisure centres and communities, to promote water safety education through events, lessons, games and activities, in a bid to make people more aware of the dangers of water.
Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water – who are partners in Learn to Swim – joined with the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Leisure Trusts and Aquatic providers to deliver the exclusive lessons just before the summer holidays.
Dianne Breen, Sport Aberdeen Aquatics Manager, said:
“Aquatics Aberdeen have delivered bespoke Drowning Prevention Week swimming lessons for the past five years in conjunction with RLSS and are we were delighted to be involved in this nationwide campaign alongside Scottish Swimming and partners.”
Sharon MacDonald, Director of Development at Scottish Swimming, said:
“Swimming is an essential life skill which helps children to be safer in and around water. Ahead of the summer holidays we want children to have fun and enjoy swimming but to also have the knowledge on how to look after themselves and others.”
The Learn to Swim Framework aims to teach over 100,000 kids to be confident, safe and competent swimmers by 2020.
For more information or to apply to our Learn to Swim Programme, please click here.
A month-long series of fun runs, bringing together children from across Aberdeen, has seen a record number of participants taking to the track this year.
The 2019 Fun Run Series, run by Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools Team, saw over 800 pupils from a staggering 47 schools take part in the programme which took place over a four-week period from May to June this year.
The programme, which is free to all children, is designed to allow pupils from schools across Aberdeen to take part in a fun event which encourages them to participate in sport and physical activity with the added excitement of a little healthy competition amongst peers.
Over 700 children completed three or more races, receiving a participation medal for their commitment and hard work.
Yesterday (Wednesday 19 June) the series culminated in a Champion of Champions event which took place at Harlaw Playing Fields where pupils from P4-P7 with the fastest running times from the series were invited to compete against each other.
The total distance covered by all pupils who took part in the events from this year’s series is a whopping 2,470 km, which is the equivalent of travelling from Aberdeen to Moscow.
Sport Aberdeen’s Senior Development Manager (Young People) Graeme Dale, said:
“This year we have had fantastic representation of schools from across the whole city, with record numbers of pupils participating in the programme. To have 47 schools involved, including some Academy and Orchard Brae pupils, is an incredible achievement.
“It’s great to see so many pupils showing a passion for running and the series would not be possible without the constant support of the Active Schools Coordinators and all the volunteers who help bring the annual event to life.
“The Champion of Champions event was a brilliant end to the very successful 2019 programme and has everyone excited for another active year ahead. The series really highlights the local talent here in Aberdeen and through encouraging and supporting each and every one of our young runners, we can look to foster the next generation of local sporting stars and encourage increasingly more children to get active through fun events like this.”
