Organisers of the North East’s longest running road race are encouraging participants to take on a new challenge this year while helping to support visually impaired runners.
Sport Aberdeen and BHGE have teamed up with Granite City Guide Running for 2018’s BHGE 10k Running Festival and are urging budding runners to step up to the challenge by entering the race this year by either guiding or being guided.
Guide running allows people with a sensory impairment to take part in the sport by ‘guiding’ someone throughout the duration of the race.
Registered charity, Sport Aberdeen, in partnership with Granite City Guide Running, will be hosting two taster sessions, giving people the opportunity to learn how to become a guide runner.
The sessions are free to attend and will give participants the opportunity to see what it is like to be a guide runner but also what it’s like to be guided.
The sessions will take place:
- Wednesday 11th April – 7-8pm – Get active @ Jesmond
- Saturday 14th April – 10.30-11.30am – Beach Leisure Centre
Jill Franks, Sport Aberdeen’s Director of Business Development, said:
“We are thrilled to be working with Granite City Guide Running, creating more opportunities for people of all abilities to take part in a sporting event at the heart of the community.
“On behalf of the race organisers I’d like to thank Ben from Granite City Guide Running for teaming up with us this year.
“I would urge anyone who has not already entered the BHGE 10k to sign up as a guide runner. Not only is this a great challenge but it raises awareness of a brilliant cause and is such a simple step towards helping people with a sensory impairment take part in the North East’s longest running road race”
Ben Mair, Granit City Guide Runnings, said:
“Granite City Guide Running is delighted to be working with the team at Sport Aberdeen to increase awareness of Sensory Impairment, as well as the need for running-guides in the North East of Scotland. I’m hoping anyone who comes along to the sessions will get a real insight into what it’s like to run either as a guide or being guided, and be encouraged to try it out for themselves as a fantastic challenge at the BHGE 10K!”
Register your interest for the taster sessions here.
An Aberdeen partnership has awarded a record number of grants in the last year helping to support and develop Aberdeen’s sporting community.
Over 70 grants have been awarded by the Active Aberdeen Partnership (AAP), a collective who support and encourage everyone in the city to be as active as they can, regardless of age and ability.
The AAP Sports Grants have supported the personal and professional development of the voluntary sporting workforce across the city alongside clubs and organisations and are committed to backing Aberdeen’s talented athletes, helping them reach their full potential.
The Community Sports Grant supports clubs and organisations who play a vital role in encouraging people to be active in sport throughout their lifetime.
Filippo Antoniazzi, Chairman of the Sports Grants Committee, said:
“It’s great that the sports grants allow us to support local clubs to develop new opportunities that provides sport and physical activity for groups within their communities.”
Tony Dawson, Active Aberdeen Partnership Chairman, said:
“The Active Aberdeen Partnership (AAP) Sport Grant scheme supports clubs, organisations and the individuals who play a vital role in encouraging people to be active in sport throughout their lifetime.
“The awards allow Aberdeen’s voluntary sporting workforce to continue to create opportunities for people of all abilities and ages to take part in physical activity. It is hugely important to support the personal and professional development of those who are championing a move to get more people in the city active more often.
“The AAP is a partnership of organisations existing to place the wider sporting and physical activity needs of the city ahead of each members’ specific interests, and we are committed to making Aberdeen the most active city in Scotland by 2020.”
Colin Dalgleish, a recipient of the talented athlete’s grant, said:
“Receiving this grant from the Aberdeen Active Partnership has been a huge boost before the Commonwealth Games. It has allowed me to travel to Düsseldorf, Germany and train in one of the top table tennis centres in Europe for two weeks in the lead up to the games. This is the ideal preparation and I can’t thank them enough for the grant and their support.”
The number of participations by school pupils across Aberdeen in extracurricular sport has doubled in just five years, new figures have reported.
The figures for term one (August to December 2017), reported by Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team, showed that participant sessions have risen by over 100 per cent when compared to the same term five years ago and an 11 per cent increase seen from 2016 to 2017.
Football, basketball and netball are shown in the report to be the most popular sports within the extensive extracurricular programmes run and supported by Active Schools Aberdeen.
The number of distinct participants taking part in activities also increased significantly with a 63 per cent rise over the last five years and the number of volunteers also rose, with an eight per cent year on year increase in those helping to deliver sessions.
Registered charity Sport Aberdeen which delivers the Active Schools programme in partnership with sportscotland across Aberdeen, has been delivering opportunities for school pupils to get involved in sport and physical activity for more than a decade.
Graeme Dale, Sport Aberdeen Senior Development Manager (Young People), said:
“These are brilliant results and it’s great to see we are continuing the trend of increasing participation levels year on year. To have an increase of over 100 per cent in five years is testament to a real team approach in the city and shows what can be achieved through partnership working. A huge thank you must go to schools and all the volunteers involved, such as Teachers, PE Teachers, parents, students and senior pupils.”
Stewart Harris, Chief Executive, sportscotland said:
“It is terrific to see the significant increases in participant sessions being reported by Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team. We know that working in partnership with local authorities and leisure trusts, schools, clubs, Active Schools Managers and Coordinators and sports development officers is having such a profoundly positive impact in the growth of Active Schools and Sport Aberdeen’s results are testament to that.
“Investment from the Scottish Government and National Lottery continues to allow us to develop a world-class sporting system and this collaboration is helping to ensure that young people in Scotland have the best sporting opportunities and experiences available and can continue to develop and progress throughout adulthood.”
For more information on Active Schools Aberdeen, click here.
Vicki Moir with Buddy, her Myeloma mascot, who will be joining her on every run
A first time 10k race goer, and self-confessed ‘non-runner’, is to take on Aberdeen’s oldest running event as part of a mega 175kilometre fundraising challenge this year.
Vicki Moir will this May travel back to her home city to take on her first 10k road race when she competes in the BHGE 10k Running Festival.
Vicki, who now lives in Glasgow, decided to sign up for a running event to fundraise last year after her dad was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in October 2014.
Vicki decided to take on a challenge in order to not only raise money for a charity that was now close to her heart, but also to raise much needed awareness. Vicki commented, “we had never heard of myeloma and very few people we knew had any idea what it was, so the resources and support that Myeloma UK have provided has been invaluable.”
“I wanted to do something that would, in a small way, help raise awareness and let others who need support know of the great work the charity does, and to let others who are diagnosed know that they are not alone.”
However, Vicki decided that “one 10k didn’t really seem enough” and set herself the challenge of completing 175kilometres, 14 organised runs in total, within the year.
Jill Franks, Sport Aberdeen’s Director for Business Development, said:
“On behalf of the BHGE 10k race organisers I would like to wish Vicki the best of luck not only taking on Aberdeen’s famous 10k but for the rest of her sprint around Scotland.
“Every year the BHGE 10k Running Festival raises tens of thousands of pounds for charities and brings people together from far and wide for an event at the heart of the community. It is this community spirit and continued support for deserving charities that makes Aberdeen’s longest running road race stand out from the crowd.”
Vicki Moir also commented:
“When Dad was diagnosed with Myeloma in October 2014 it was a massive shock. We knew that he wasn’t feeling well as he went to the doctor, something he never did, but we didn’t expect him to be diagnosed with cancer. What made it even more worrying was that we had never heard of Myeloma before.
“My dad has been so extremely brave and has faced everything with humour and determination. I’m unbelievably proud of him, and also massively thankful to Myeloma UK for the wonderful support and information they provide. I wanted to do something that would be personally challenging to raise funds and awareness for the charity.
“Running was ideal as I’m not at all athletic and the idea of running filled me with fear! Despite this, running one 10k didn’t seem to be enough of a challenge, so it escalated pretty rapidly and I’ll now be running 175k in events this year.
“Of all the events, the BHGE 10k is the one I’m looking forward to the most as it’ll be really special, and probably quite emotional, to run in my home city.”
For more information and to sign up to the BHGE 10k Running Festival 2018, click here. The race will take place on Sunday 20th May.
Active Girls Committee members at Transition Extreme.
An Aberdeen initiative, which was set up with the aim to level the playing field for young girls in sport, has been helping local pupils reach new heights.
Sport Aberdeen’s Active Girls Committee, in partnership with Transition Extreme, welcomed over 50 girls to a ‘Climbing Wall Taster Evening’ last Friday, 16th March.
The Active Girls Committee, which launched in early 2017, helped to host the free event, for S1-3 girls from across the city, with the aim of encouraging more girls to take part in sport.
The evening was also a brilliant opportunity for girls from across the city to meet the Active Girls Committee members and learn more about the initiative.
The Committee, put together by Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team, is run by girls from secondary schools across the city who are championing a move to get more young girls involved in sport and physical activity.
Graeme Dale, Sport Aberdeen Senior Development Officer (Young People), commented on the success of the evening:
“The taster evening was a huge success and it’s brilliant to see so many girls engaging with the Active Girls Committee.
“The committee has gone from strength to strength and it is our hope that in the Year of Young People they will act as powerful role models and inspire more girls to take part in sport and physical activity. We believe the Active Girls Committee can help to address the national trend of girl’s participation being lower than that of boys in the same age group.”
Aimee Work, Active Girls Committee chairperson, said:
“The evening at Transition Extreme was a great success for our first event of the year, we had a great number of girls attending, enjoying something new for many of them. It was so rewarding seeing the girls having fun, challenging themselves and having the confidence to give it a go and meet new people.
“With our new Instagram account, we were able to post some of the girls in action as our first event on Instagram. Once again me and all the girls most certainly enjoyed seeing a great turn out and hope that these small yet effective events are what will promote the committee and encourage more girls to take part in sport and physical activity.”
Granite City pupils will don their dancing shoes for an end of year showcase extravaganza which will take place at the end of March.
Aberdeen University Dance Society have organised an end of year event which will showcase local dancing talent from pupils across the city who have been taking part in dance classes thanks to the help of Active Schools Aberdeen.
Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools Coordinator for the St Machar area has been working with Kittybrewster School in preparation for the event, running a weekly after school dance class since last summer, encouraging more young people to participate in physical activity.
The end of year performance, named ‘Dancing through film’ will take place at Aberdeen Arts Centre on March 25th.
Graeme Dale, Sport Aberdeen Senior Development Manager (Young People), said:
“This is a fantastic chance for more young people to get involved in physical activity and highlights the importance of partnership working throughout the city.
“This is the second year that pupils from Kittybrewster have been involved in the end of year dance showcase and I have no doubt that this will be a great success once again. The event is a brilliant opportunity to inspire young people to get involved in different and fun activities whilst encouraging an active and healthy lifestyle and I would like to thank Aberdeen University Dance Society for inviting local children to be involved.”
Margaret Clark, Head Teacher at Kittybrewster School, said:
“I am delighted that the pupils at Kittybrewster have been given the chance to participate
in dance sessions organised by our Active Schools Co-ordinator, Kim McRobbie. The Dance Showcase is an exciting opportunity for the children to enjoy showing off their skills and I know they will perform very well.”
A local charity is giving every primary school pupil across Aberdeen the chance to take part in a brand-new sporting challenge this term.
Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools Coordinators have teamed up with badminton equipment provider Babolat with the aim to get more young people involved in the sport from an early age with a fun and competitive introduction to badminton.
The challenge comprises five different stations that work on various skills such as sending and receiving, hitting and accuracy, with pupils scoring points as they go. Each primary school is invited to put forward one P4 class to take part in the challenge, with points from each station added up at the end and entered on to an overall leader board. The class with the highest overall total will receive a selection of prizes from Babolat.
All challenges are delivered by Active Schools Coordinators alongside PE teachers, school staff and small groups of pupil volunteers from P7.
Graeme Dale, Sport Aberdeen Senior Development Manager (Young People), said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for children across the city to take part in a fun and competitive introduction to badminton whilst encouraging participation in sport as whole.
“We are thrilled to be running this challenge with Babolat, highlighting how through partnership working we can create more opportunities for young people in the North East to take part in sport and physical activity from an early age.”
Steven Chappell, Babolat UK’s Badminton Manager said:
“Babolat support a number of grass roots activities in both Scotland and England with the aim of getting children active at a young age and hopefully encourage them to take up badminton. We are therefore delighted to support Sport Aberdeen with this challenge and hope that it will provide local children with an introduction to badminton.”
All scores must be in by March 29th. For more information on Active Schools Aberdeen, click here.
BHGE 10k organisers are calling on local businesses to make Aberdeen’s longest running road race your latest team challenge.
The BHGE 10k Corporate Team Challenge is officially open for entries and race organisers are urging teams of three or more to sign up to be in with a chance of claiming 2018’s corporate team title.
The event now in its 31st year, organised by registered charity Sport Aberdeen in partnership with BHGE, will take place on Sunday 20th May at the Beach Boulevard.
Each year the BHGE 10k Running Festival attracts thousands of participants from all over the country whilst raising money for deserving causes, with 10 official race day charities on board.
The fastest times from each team will be added together to create a score. The company with the lowest score (fastest team) will win.
The triumphant team will receive a voucher for up to 12 people to take part in the Adrenaline Rush Experience at Transition Extreme, plus the prestigious Corporate Team trophy.
New spot prizes have also been added in for the 2018 Corporate Challenge including best team photo from the day, fastest female team and fastest veteran team.
Businesses can enter the Corporate Team Challenge by emailing BHGE10K@sportaberdeen.co.uk
Commenting, Sport Aberdeen’s Director of Business Development Jill Franks said:
“The annual Corporate Team Challenge is a great chance for some healthy competition whilst raising money for your favourite charities.
“It’s increasingly important to have fun and engaging events which rally the community together. We are always overwhelmed by the support North-East businesses show and this backing ensures that Sport Aberdeen can continue to create opportunities and inspire people to take part in sporting events”.
“The BHGE 10k Running Festival is another shining example of how our dedicated team of staff and volunteers work to bring events at the heart of our community to life and we are very much looking forward to another fantastic race day!”.
Lesley McMullan, Marketing Specialist for BHGE said:
“As long-standing sponsors of the 10K we enter a large team of employees each year. In the run up to the race you will always hear conversations on training plans and lunchtime running routes at the office coffee points alongside some light-hearted competitive discussions between departments!
“Race day itself is a great chance to catch up with colleagues and their families outside of the work environment and we all look forward to either running the race, volunteering to help or cheering on the BHGE team!”
Last year’s Corporate Team Challenge title went to Chevron, with a winning overall time of 1.59.07 (fastest three runners).
Sport Aberdeen is delighted to announce plans for the refurbishment and expansion of Northfield Swimming Pool.
Together with Aberdeen City Council, Sport Aberdeen is committing a very significant financial investment to deliver a state of the art health, fitness and sport hub. In addition to technical upgrades to the pool itself, the new facilities will provide an exciting wellness centre for the local community and for those from across the city. The introduction of a 40-station gym and exercise studio will complement the existing FIFA approved high class 3G artificial turf pitch on the site.
The investment will secure the centre’s long-term future, provide additional capacity to the venue, and will build on the centre’s role in the community and as a vital sports facility for the city.
Discussions regarding plans for the refurbishment have commenced and there is an extensive work plan to pull together. The site will be updated with news on this over the coming weeks.
Unfortunately, Northfield Swimming Pool had to close due to recurring interconnected technical problems. Despite the best efforts from Sport Aberdeen staff and specialist technicians over many months, these problems accumulated to such an extent that the swimming pool is simply unable to function.
Northfield Swimming Pool will remain closed until this project is completed.
Please be advised that the 3G pitch has not been affected by this closure and is operating as normal, as always subject to availability and weather conditions. The Northfield Swimming Pool reception will remain open to take bookings for the pitch and for further information.
We ask that people check the Sport Aberdeen website and social media channels for updates or call the pool helpline on 01224 214496 for further information.
Sport Aberdeen is doing all it can to set up alternative options for customers and this work is ongoing. To ensure that our customers can continue to get active with Sport Aberdeen throughout this closure, please find alternative options and arrangements during this period.
Please click here for more full information on alternative swimming options and arrangements.
Robbie Simpson with (left to right) Lewis Moir, Aimee Cumming, Connor Raitt, Aalyah Wilkinson, Karin Watt and Sophie Imlach.
A Deeside Runners club member who is representing Scotland in the 2018 Commonwealth Games has inspired local pupils to take on a running challenge this year.
Robbie Simpson, who the Inverness half-marathon at the weekend, last week visited Aberdeen’s Westpark School to speak to pupils about his running experiences, from his first race to his Commonwealth Games preparation.
The visit came ahead of the official ten-week countdown to the North East’s longest running road race.
Organisers of the BHGE 10k Running Festival today said, “This is a brilliant opportunity for pupils to be inspired by a local sporting star and take on the Active Schools 2k race, part of Aberdeen’s BHGE 10k Running Festival this May”.
The BHGE 10k Running Festival, now in its 31st year, is run by registered charity Sport Aberdeen and title sponsors BHGE. The Active Schools 2k Run is open to children from P6 – S4 and includes a wheelchair race category. The event will take place on Sunday 20th May.
Jill Franks, Sport Aberdeen’s Director for Business Development, said:
“The BHGE 10k Running Festival is a family event at the very heart of our community and highlights Sport Aberdeen’s commitment to creating opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to take part in sport and physical activity.
“The Active Schools 2k Run is a great chance for younger participants to join in, get active and ignite a passion for sport that can last a lifetime.”
Robbie Simpson commented:
“Events like these are a great way for kids from all backgrounds to get in to running, it’s really enjoyable to compete in a big race close to home alongside friends and family.
“For some it may be their first step in discovering natural talent or passion for competitive sport and for others it may be a way to make new friends and keep fit – the important thing is having the opportunity to get involved in a fun and healthy activity.”
For more information and to sign up for the race click here.