Award winning registered charity Sport Aberdeen is delighted to announce that its Get active @ Sheddocksley facility has taken the organisation to the finals of the prestigious 2019 ukactive Awards, in the Scottish Centre of the Year category.
The ukactive Awards are a flagship awards scheme that celebrates facilities that offer excellent customer service with the aim of getting more people, more active, more often.
The award process comprises of an extensive award submission, illustrating the transformation of Get active @ Sheddocksley and detailing feedback from regular users. The final stage of the process will involve independent auditing of the facility.
Winners will be announced at the annual ukactive Uprising Conference, held in Manchester on 6 June 2019.
Director of community leisure operations, David Selkirk, said:
“We’re delighted to have made it through to the finals. Last year, we won Scottish Centre of the Year for our Get active @ Jesmond facility and we are hoping to replicate this success at this year’s awards with Get active @ Sheddocksley”.
This recent recognition continues what has so far been a successful awards season for Sport Aberdeen, with its Get active @ Sheddocksley facility recently being shortlisted in the Community Leisure UK and Elevator Awards, respectively.
Get active @ Sheddocksley underwent an extensive refurbishment which culminated in its reopening in November 2018. The work involved renovations and extending the fitness gym, more than doubling its size, improving the reception space to incorporate a comfortable seating area and the transformation of the squash courts into a dedicated functional training room and a new group exercise studio.
Hailed as an example of what can be achieved through community collaboration, Sport Aberdeen’s Get active @ Sheddocksley facility has been firmly re-established within its local community and has helped to create a sense of local civic pride.
After the successful 32nd year of the BHGE 10K Running Festival, organiser Sport Aberdeen and main sponsor Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE) would like to give thanks to all who participated in and supported this year’s event.
Cameron Strachan from Metro Aberdeen was delighted to win the 2019 BHGE 10K, completing the course in a staggering 32 mins 20 secs and Fiona Bruce, also from Metro Aberdeen, won the women’s race for the fifth time with a time of 35 mins 50 secs.
Murran Mackay (Red Star Athletics Club) was victorious in the 10K wheelchair race in 52 mins and 55 secs and Catherine Lewis triumphed in the 10K handcycles race in 1 hour 10 secs.
The Specsavers 2K was won by Meldrum Academy’s Ross Chalmers with a time of 6 mins 50 secs, Jessica Beaton from Harlaw Academy was the fastest girl with a time of 7 mins 45 secs and Portlethen Academy’s Jack Laird won the Specsavers 2K wheelchair race in 14 mins 24 secs.
First place in both the Male and Female Team race was secured by Metro Aberdeen Running Cluband the title of Corporate Team Challenge Winners was taken home by Team Sport Aberdeen.
BHGE 10K WINNERS:
Men’s Overall Winner – Cameron Strachan (Metro Aberdeen RC)
Women’s Overall Winner – Fiona Bruce (Metro Aberdeen RC)
Senior Men – Cameron Strachan (Metro Aberdeen RC)
Senior Women – Fiona Bruce (Metro Aberdeen RC)
Veteran Men – Michael Carroll (Perth Road Runners)
Veteran Women – Rebecca Watt (Rebel PT)
Super Veteran Men – Paul Eggeling (Aberdeen AAC)
Super Veteran Women – Veronique Oldham (Aberdeen AAC)
Vintage Men – George Mcpherson (Metro Aberdeen RC)
Vintage Women – Carolyn Milne (Ambelside AC)
Junior Men – Aaron Odentz (Aberdeen AAC)
Junior Women – Vicki Elder (Fraserburgh RC)
Wheelchair – Murray Mackay (Red Star AC)
Handcycle – Catherine Lewis
Overall Team – Metro Aberdeen RC
Men’s Team – Metro Aberdeen RC
Women’s Team – Metro Aberdeen RC
Corporate Team – Sport Aberdeen
SPECSAVERS 2K WINNERS:
P6/7 Male – Jamie Ferries (Airyhall Primary)
P6/7 Female – Abby Farquhar (Airyhall Primary)
S1/2 Male – Findlay Murray (Hazlehead Academy)
S1/2 Female – Jessica Beaton (Harlaw Academy)
S3/4 Male – Ross Chalmers (Meldrum Academy)
S3/4 Female – Eloise Cruickshank (Cults Academy)
Wheelchair – Lucy Caird (Portlethen Academy)
With absenteeism costing UK organisations an estimated £29 billion annually, it is easy to see how promoting a healthy and active workforce can be advantageous to businesses.
Part of the BHGE 10K Running Festival, organised by registered charity Sport Aberdeen, the Corporate Team Challenge is open to all sectors of business and industry, from small local enterprises to large global businesses.
Each team participating in the BHGE 10K Corporate Team Challenge receives fitness and health checks for all team members, five free guest passes for use across Sport Aberdeen facilities, free training plans, monthly newsletters and free attendance at running support drop in sessions and seminars for runners of all levels and abilities.
Keith Gerrard, Sport Aberdeen’s Director for Healthy and Active Communities, said:
“The BHGE 10K Corporate Team Challenge aims to encourage employees to come together using sport as a vehicle. Not only promoting a healthy and active lifestyle, it is also a great way to engage employees from across an organisations in a fun and social way, as non runner can sponsor, support or volunteer alongside their colleagues
“Improved physical fitness and wellbeing of employees has been proven to reduce stress levels absenteeism, accidents and injuries around the workplace, while improving workplace morale, employee concentration and motivation levels.
“Many of the companies involved also see enormous CSR benefits from taking part, as they build sustainable connections with local community groups and charities through their participation and enjoy the reputational benefits through good news stories and visible association with a positive initiative.”
The Corporate Team Challenge can also aid companies working towards a Healthy Working Lives accreditation, while keeping employees engaged, health and happy.
Commenting on Seatronics involvement in the BHGE 10K Corporate Team Challenge, Group Marketing Lead, Lauren Forgie, said:
“Seatronics are thrilled to have 12 employees taking part in the BHGE 10K 2019! As a company we achieved our Gold Healthy Working Lives award last year and remain dedicated to offering our employees opportunities to achieve personal health and fitness goals with encouragement from the team.
“The BHGE 10K is a great local event and with the added benefit of health checks for all participants, we thought it would be great to get involved.”
Commenting on RGU’s involvement, Dr Bryan McCann, a lecturer in RGU’s School of Health Sciences, said:
“The university’s decision to take part in the BHGE 10K Corporate Team Challenge reflects our commitment as a Healthy University that promotes and enhances the health, wellbeing and resilience of our entire community of staff and students.
“We have a number of activities running across campus aimed at encouraging people to be more active – including a running, jogging and walking club my School launched in January – and felt like adding the goal of the BHGE 10K, with its associated benefits, would be a natural way of motivating staff.”
This year, there are eight teams competing against each other for the coveted title of BHGE 10K Running Festival Corporate Team Challenge Winners 2019.
One of the longest serving members of staff at an Aberdeen optician is set to celebrate her 70th birthday in a slightly different way on Sunday 5 May.
Maggie Matthews has worked at Specsavers on Union Street for 28 years and fellow staff announced that she would be in charge of the prize giving at the Specsavers sponsored 2K race at this year’s BHGE 10K Running festival, as part of a special 70th birthday surprise.
She said: “I’m really honoured to have been given this wonderful opportunity.
“It’s a chance for me and my and Specsavers colleagues to play a central role in celebrating local achievement in a community setting and at the same time encouraging the next generation of youngsters to get their running shoes on and pick up great habits.
“I never thought I’d be handing out medals at the BHGE 10K Running Festival in my eighth decade! Hopefully I’m a good example of the benefits of staying fit and active.”
The active septuagenarian is no stranger to running events and has undertaken the Kilt Walk event for the last three years, in the process, raising funds for various charities including The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.
Sport Aberdeen’s Director of Healthy and Active Communities, Keith Gerrard, commented:
“We are privileged and excited to have Maggie on board for the 2K prize giving and she is an active role model to us all. Furthermore, twenty eight years is an incredible amount of time to have dedicated to one employer.
“As always we are looking forward to watching a wide variety of people of all ages and abilities take part in this year’s Specsavers 2K race and we hope that Maggie enjoys her special part in the day.”
Starting at the Beach Leisure Centre, making a loop past Pittodrie Stadium and finishing at the 10K finish line, the Specsavers 2K is open to children from Primary 6 to S4 or as a shorter route for wheelchair participants of all ages.
Store Director at Specsavers Aberdeen, Dave McGinty, said:
“We’re delighted to be sponsoring this fantastic event that’s become a real staple in the local calendar, and I know how much Maggie is relishing her prize giving role on Sunday. She’s looking forward to meeting and congratulating all the youngsters. They should be proud of their efforts and the prize giving is a great way to underline that.”
Following a recent review of fees and charges, Sport Aberdeen feel there is merit in a modest increase in the fees and charges for our memberships and coached programme activities.
As of 1 May 2019 we are increasing our monthly membership fees by £2.00 per month. This is the first increase since 2012 and will allow us to continue to invest in facilities and provide the best possible service.
Swimming, tennis, gymnastics and ice skating lessons will also increase by around 5%.
As a charitable trust, we do not pay shareholders nor take profit. All income taken is reinvested into improving the services and facilities that we manage.
Active Starts, Active Futures and Active Lifestyles memberships are unaffected by this increase.
A North East woman is preparing to take part in Aberdeen’s longest running road race to rekindle memories of attending dances at the Beach Ballroom in her youth.
In 2018 at the age of seventy with no previous experience, seventy one year old Morag Ellery decided to take up running. She has completed four 10K’s to date and plans to make the BHGE 10K Running Festival her fifth on Sunday 5 May.
Managed by race organiser Sport Aberdeen and title sponsor Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE), the popular road race enters its thirty second year in 2019.
To prepare for the race Morag joined the St Cyrus Solos Running Club that meets twice a week, where she is the oldest member and also takes part in weekly parkruns to keep her in shape.
When asked what advice she would give to other older adults unsure about taking up running, she said:
“I would certainly encourage more people of any age to get out there and give running a go. The Couch to 5k app and local parkruns are a great way to start. Whether you run, jog or walk, as there is always someone behind you acting as the tail walker. You can take as much time as you need.
“My advice to anyone who thinks they are too old to take part in a 10K is to just do it and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow runners. The spectators certainly cheer you on and there is a fantastic atmosphere from beginning to end.”
Sport Aberdeen and BHGE are proud of the inclusive nature of the BHGE 10K Running Festival. Stories such as Morag’s are an excellent example of how an event in the heart of the community, can encourage people of all ages and walks of life to challenge themselves and get active.
Zoe Lewis, Sport Aberdeen’s Event Lead, commented:
“Morag is the personification of what the BHGE 10K is all about. The variety and range of runners we see take part year on year is inspiring.
“It’s fantastic to see someone like Morag proving that not only is it never too late to try something new, but you can also excel at it as well.”
Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team alongside students from the University of Aberdeen, have gone above and beyond as they engage school aged children across Aberdeen in a huge variety of sports and activities, including boxing, dance and running.
Eddy Eadie and Findlay Rae from the University of Aberdeen, run a lunchtime boxing session at St Machar Academy, which has helped pupils from S1 – S6 try their hand at a sport that is not usually offered as part of the Physical Education (PE) curriculum.
Eddy and Findlay have run the session at St Machar Academy for the whole of the last academic year and have been recognised as role models, who fully embrace and include the school as part of their boxing club and wider boxing community.
Sport Aberdeen’s Active Communities Manager, Graeme Dale, said:
“Students such as Eddy and Findlay, who dedicate so much of their spare time into initiatives such as this to get children active and engaged in sport, are a huge asset to our Active Schools programme.
“The work being done is greatly appreciated by Sport Aberdeen and more importantly, by the children themselves.”
The students have also donated equipment for the school – including skipping ropes and six pairs of gloves and pads – through their own University Boxing Club, to allow the children to continue their training over the holidays and to ensure their experience of the sport is as good as possible.
Commenting on his involvement, Findlay Rae said:
“Watching the kids develop throughout the year has been great. Those coming every week have shown a massive improvement in their boxing skills and they also just seem more confident and chattier, which is amazing to see.
We had one guy who was asking us about boxing clubs here in Aberdeen and is hoping to join up outside of school and continue the sport. To have given him that opportunity and open the door to do something that could become a massive part of his life is really awesome.”
Furthermore and not content on making an impact through just one sport, Riverbank School’s morning Triathlon Club for P5 – P7’s is run by student volunteers Charlotte Benkowitz and Olivia Burridge, who have jointly run the club since last September.
The club aims to get children running in a way that encourages them to better their times and increase the number of laps they can run, through encouragement and friendly competition.
Commenting on her motivation for volunteering, Olivia said:
“We want as many people to get involved and enjoy the sport as much as we can. Volunteering allows us to share our passion for the sport with even more people and hopefully inspire them to love the sport and keep going with it even as they get older.”
Despite being in the midst of their exams, Olivia and Charlotte are planning on attending as many of the upcoming Active Schools Fun Run Series as they can to encourage and support the children.
Registered charity Sport Aberdeen has been announced as a finalist at this year’s Elevator Awards in the Enterprising Communities category.
Organised by Elevator – working to facilitate the start-up, acceleration and growth of new and existing businesses – these annual awards honour business excellence and commends outstanding employers, entrepreneurs, inspirational mentors, businesses at every stage of their journey along with innovations and community impact businesses.
Sport Aberdeen’s Director of Healthy and Active Communities, Keith Gerrard, said:
“Being named a finalist at this year’s Elevator Awards is a great achievement in itself for Sport Aberdeen. We work tirelessly to build and maintain relationships with the local communities we operate within and offer customers the best possible experience at our facilities across the city.
“Our community based initiatives are testament to this shortlisting are a sentiment to what we stand for as a business.”
Sport Aberdeen has been shortlisted in the Enterprising Communities Award category alongside local charities Charlie House and the Gathimba Edwards Foundation.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 27 June at Ardoe House.
Sport Aberdeen has been deeply saddened by the recent death of our colleague Murray Cran, aged 52.
Murray had worked for Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools Team as a Lead Sports Coach for a number of years. Over this period, Murray coached at many primary schools in the city and inspired thousands of children to participate in sport. Murray was always popular with the children he coached due to his enthusiasm, sense of humour and passion for sport. Murray was also a popular member of staff at Sport Aberdeen and having made many friends across the company he will be sorely missed.
Our thoughts at this time are with Murray’s wife Evelyn, who also works for Sport Aberdeen, his family and friends.
Every deliberate fire has victims, costs and consequences. Fire setting is an offence. Don’t accept it, report it.
Every week, over 300 fires are deliberately started in Scotland.
These fires blight our neighbourhoods, damage the environment and can sometimes cause injury or even death.
Don’t accept it, report it
All we want you to do, is tell the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) anything you know about fires that have been started in your area. Call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 if you have information about who is responsible. You won’t have to give your name or go to court.
If you have any concerns about a child or young person playing with or showing an unhealthy interest in fire, please contact your local community fire station.
For more information on deliberate fire setting, please visit the SFRS website or download the deliberate fire setting information pack.