Festivals Consortium Shortlisted For National Award

 Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Featured  No Responses »
Dec 062016
 

With thanks to Julia Heys, Marketing Executive, VisitAberdeenshire.

In light of its continued collaborative work, a group of 10 major North-east festivals has again announced its shortlisting for a national art award.

Aberdeen Festivals, a group formed to bolster the festival product on offer in the region, has been shortlisted for an award at the upcoming Arts & Business Awards 2017.

The shortlist recognises the group’s collective work with local destination management organisation (DMO), VisitAberdeenshire, in positioning the region as an exciting, culturally diverse, place to visit.

The valuable relationship is in the shortlist to win the ‘Placemaking Award’.

Angela Michael, Festivals & Culture Director at VisitAberdeenshire commented;

“We are delighted to have our hard work recognised on such a high-profile scale. The shortlisting reinforces the work this group has undertaken to promote Aberdeen as a culturally distinctive place.”

She continued;

“The successes of this campaign have shown through each of our festivals significantly increased profile and many have reported considerable audience growth. Aberdeen Jazz Festival saw an audience increase of 40% whilst 35,000 people attended Spectra in 2016, compared to the 10,000 that visited in 2015. VisitAberdeenshire’s support, expertise as well as market entry has been pivotal to this.”

The partnership between Aberdeen Festivals and VisitAberdeenshire saw, for the first time, Aberdeen being promoted as a cultural destination. The group, with the DMO’s support, collectively undertook substantial marketing campaigns locally, nationally – across Scotland, as well as London and Newcastle, and internationally – predominantly in Norway.

Steve Harris (pictured), CEO of VisitAberdeenshire and Chair of Aberdeen Festivals added;

“Our collaborative work with Aberdeen Festivals is going a long way towards profiling this region for something other than industry. One of our core goals is to reposition Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire in the minds of our audiences as a creative place, whilst marketing it as a region of cultural prominence. We have already seen great success in profiling the region as a cultural destination and we look forward to continuing this wonderful partnership over the coming years.”

The Arts & Business Scotland award ceremony, which celebrate the most creative and innovative partnerships, will take place on Thursday 23 March 2017, in Glasgow.

Aberdeen Festivals is a cultural initiative representing 10 member festivals and is sponsored by Statoil, and supported by VisitAberdeenshire and Aberdeen City Council. For more information visit www.aberdeenfestivals.com. VisitAberdeenshire is the destination marketing organisation for the region of Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire, further information can be found at www.visitabdn.com.

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Charity To Pilot Drop-In Support Service In City Centre

 Aberdeen City, Charity  No Responses »
Dec 012016
 

With thanks to Jessica Murphy, Senior Account Executive, Citrus:Mix.

MHAthmMental Health Aberdeen (MHA) is piloting a support service within the city centre to gauge demand for a permanent drop-in presence.

The charity is providing the service, called The Club, every Friday afternoon from the Health Village in Frederick Street for an initial period of eight weeks, offering free support, information and services to anyone affected by challenges related to mental health and wellbeing.

The aim is to provide support in an accessible location for people and explore the possibility of gaining funding to make the drop-in club permanent.

Astrid Whyte, chief executive of MHA, said:

“As a charity we are always looking for the best ways to provide help and support and we have wanted to gauge demand for a drop-in style service for some time. We want to let people know that they do not have to suffer alone as help, advice and resources are available.

“Each person that reaches out to us has made a difficult first step and we want to ensure they are supported as quickly as possible. The drop-in offers us a different way of doing that and early sessions have indicated quite a high uptake which indicates the need to provide help in this way. We plan to run The Club until Christmas before moving forward and trying to gain longer term funding.

“MHA is hoping to expand our service to offer this facility on a permanent basis but that is dependent on securing enough funding. We are optimistic we can achieve this and introduce what we believe will become a hugely important means of support for people in need.”

The Club runs every Friday from 1.3-pm to 4pm at the Health Village in Frederick Street.

MHA was founded in 1950 and provides support services, counselling and advice to people affected by challenges related to mental health and wellbeing. Services are available for children from the age of 12 and adults.

The organisation was among the first to provide community care – with its first residential project, a group home for discharged psychiatric patients, opened more than 35 years ago. MHA has also been providing day services continuously for over 60 years.

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City Businesses Join Forces And Target Growth

 Aberdeen City, News  No Responses »
Dec 012016
 

With thanks to Ross Anderson, Senior Account Manager, Citrus:Mix

printagraph-3

L to R – Jasmine Holdings managing director Danny Cowie with the new company managing director Andrew Hall.

Four leading Aberdeen businesses have joined forces to create a dynamic communications company in the Granite City, the only one of its kind in Scotland, following a six-figure investment.
Aberdeen group Jasmine Holdings has invested around £300,000 in the newly merged business including the purchase and refurbishment of New Jasmine House on Greenbank Place to bring staff together.

It will offer a unique service covering every stage of corporate communications from concept creation to campaign implementation.

A total of 48 employees from print management company, Printagraph, integrated communications agency Citrus:Mix, document solutions provider Revolve Systems, and event management company 46 Degrees are now based in the newly refurbished headquarters in East Tullos.

Their combined experience and skills mean that customers can now benefit from a full range of complementary communications solutions ranging from: brand development, design, public relations, marketing, social media, emergency response, media training, web design, document solutions, print production, corporate gifts, health and safety material, display, exhibition and signage, and event management.

A new brand for the company will be launched early next year and the businesses will continue to trade under their own names until then.

The new company directors, who have all held senior management positions in the merged Jasmine Group businesses, are: Andrew Hall, Danny Cowie, Sean Hills, Keith Adams, Mairi Prior and Morven Mackenzie.

New Jasmine House boasts 7,000 square feet of office space and 3,000 square feet of warehouse capacity which adds to the existing neighbouring Printagraph building capacity of 20,000 square feet.

Jasmine Holdings managing director, Danny Cowie, said:

“The merger of a number of Jasmine Group businesses is an exciting development which means we can now offer our wide range of complementary communications services to customers from one company.

“It’s a unique offering which isn’t available anywhere else in Scotland and will mean an enhanced experience for clients who won’t need to shop around to find the services they are looking for.

“The businesses are all strong, local brands in Aberdeen and our significant investment in New Jasmine House shows our commitment to the area as we look to grow the business in the north-east while also looking to develop further afield as well.”

Andrew Hall, managing director of the new company, added:

“We’re very proud to have concluded the merger which is a very positive move for us and our customers.

“We have significant skills and experience across a range of communications fields which are now based under one roof. The ability to offer new products and services is essential and our new company will offer a comprehensive customer journey for our clients.

“New Jasmine House is a terrific new headquarters and will give us a fantastic platform to showcase the very best of what we can offer and also gives us room for growth as the company expands in the months and years to come.”

James Aitken Engineering Solutions is also part of Jasmine Group but will continue to trade as an independent company.

For more information about Jasmine Group, please visit: www.jasmineholdings.com

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ITCA Training Awarded Gold accreditation

 Aberdeen City, News  No Responses »
Dec 012016
 

With thanks to Gemma Setter, PR Account Executive, Frasermedia.

june-jones-and-rachel-elliot-1A leading North-east apprenticeship-training firm has been awarded a gold level accreditation for meeting the standards set by Developing the Young Workforce’s (DYW) Quality Accreditation.

ITCA Training, based at the Kirkhill Industrial Estate in Dyce, Aberdeen, received the accolade for its commitment to training and developing young talent.

Established in 1989, the firm provides a large number of learners with the opportunity to train in a wide range of disciplines, such as welding and fabrication, business administration, mechanical engineering, and logistics operations management.

Through its Skills for Engineers (S4E) course, ITCA provides training to young learners aged 16-18, who are no longer in full-time education. The programme is designed to prepare young people for the workplace, as it helps to boost confidence, improve their practical skill set, and provide them with health and safety awareness.

ITCA is currently working closely with three local schools to help pupils gain an industry standard qualification. By attending ITCA’s premises one day a week, pupils gain skills and experience in engineering disciplines and will achieve an SVQ Level 1 Performing Engineering Operations qualification. The eight-month initiative is now into its second year, with ITCA hoping to expand the initiative by developing links and working collaboratively with more schools in Aberdeen City and Shire.

As well as school pupils and school leavers, ITCA also works with young learners in full-time employment, as the firm offers bespoke training courses and framework to businesses with graduates or Modern Apprentices. These programmes give young people the opportunity to earn whilst they learn, gain new skills, and achieve a qualification that will help advance their career.

June Jones, managing director at ITCA Training, said:

“We are always happy to be recognised for the work we do with all our learners, as we cover all different types of participants and age groups and are dedicated to providing the highest quality training programmes. The accreditation is an acknowledgement of the hard work by all staff at ITCA to prove that we are indeed providing gold standard training.

“We work very hard to promote the benefits of apprenticeships to young people. University and college is not for everyone, so it is important that businesses are providing adequate training and development opportunities for their current and future employees. We need to all work together to ensure there is a future workforce.”

Rachel Elliot, manager at Developing the Young Workforce, said:

“We would like to congratulate ITCA on receiving DYW’s Quality Accreditation at gold level, so far they’re only the second business to be awarded gold in the North-east of Scotland.”

“We were extremely impressed with ITCA and the work that they do with young learners, as they were able to demonstrate that they provide training and development opportunities to a significant number of young people.

“With businesses often challenging young people to have better communication, numeracy and group work skills, it is encouraging to see that ITCA has all the right programmes in place to help young people develop these skills.”

 

ITCA Training, which is one of the largest engineering apprenticeship-training firms in Scotland, is situated at Howe Moss Drive in the Kirkhill Industrial Estate, Dyce. The base, which spans almost 22,000sq feet, includes offices, classrooms, a storage yard, and workshop space. The company has been in operation in the North-east since 1989, and provides training for young employees in various sectors including welding, fabrication, mechanical engineering, business administration and logistics.   

To find out more about ITCA visit www.itca-training.com

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ACSTA Nomination Is Music To Festival Co-ordinator’s Ears

 Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire  No Responses »
Nov 252016
 

With thanks to Eoin Smith, Senior Account Executive, Tricker PR.

kadriIt’s not often that someone lands their ideal job, but for Kadri Soerunurk her dream of being part of a major cultural festival has become a reality.

Rising through the ranks of the Sound Festival, which finished it’s 2016 programme in early November, Kadri began her journey as a volunteer and is now an integral part of the team that organises the festival every year.

And after enjoying the success of this year’s festival, Kadri has even more cause for celebration – her stellar efforts have been recognised with a nomination in the Regional Rising Star category of the 2016 Aberdeen City and Shire Tourism Awards.

Moving to Aberdeen from her home in Estonia in 2010, Kadri enrolled at Robert Gordon University to study Events Management. As part of her degree, she had to gain at least 100 hours of work experience in events each year – a challenge which she completed in part by working at the Belmont Filmhouse.

But it was a chance encounter with a Sound Festival brochure in a coffee shop that led her onto the path to her dream career.

Kadri (29) says,

“I saw a flyer for the Sound Festival in 2010 and instantly knew it was something I wanted to get involved in. Even if I hadn’t needed to gain experience for my course, I would still have applied to be a volunteer. I got in touch and was offered a front of house role for the 2011 festival, taking tickets and handing out programmes.

“I missed the 2012 festival as I was studying overseas in Limerick, but in 2013 I came back and became more involved with the running of some of the festival events. Every year from then on, my duties increased and I became more involved in the organisation of the festival until I was offered a full-time position on the team.”

The only full-time member of staff on the four-strong Sound Festival team, the position of festival co-ordinator was created when the organisation restructured and Kadri jumped at the chance to embrace this new opportunity.

Kadri explains,

“My work is very varied and no two days are the same, which is perfect for me. Sometimes I’m updating the website and social media, and then the next day I’ll be co-ordinating school workshops which run throughout the year outside of the festival weeks.

“Throughout the festival, I liaise with all the artists and ensure they have everything they need, co-ordinate the logistics of all the rehearsal space required, and make sure everything is where it needs to be in the venues. I also look after the volunteers – having started as one myself, I know how important it is to keep them up to speed.”

Throughout her time with the Sound Festival, Kadri has had many amazing experiences. Her highlight of 2016 was the Freedom o(r) Speech event at ACT Aberdeen which saw musicians from Scotland, Belgium and Norway come together – along with actor Simon Callow – to create a unique performance. Seeing it all come together, she says, was a proud moment.

But one of Kadri’s greatest adventures with the Sound Festival allowed her to travel across the globe. She explains,

“Sound commissioned an opera in 2012 – The Garden – which had toured a bit in London and Berlin. Last summer, it was performed as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Made in Scotland programme, and after seeing the show a promoter from Shanghai wanted to bring it to China in 2016.

“It was a fantastic experience, and a major operation to get everyone there. I had to organised travel, visas and rehearsals for all the performers. The production was presented as a kind of dinner-theatre in Shanghai, which also brought some additional challenges, but it was a great success and an amazing opportunity to visit a country I might not have had the chance to otherwise.”

Festival director Fiona Robertson, who nominated Kadri, says that she has quickly become an invaluable member of the team. She adds,

“As festival co-ordinator, Kadri is part of the external face of the Sound Festival, and she is already hugely respected and trusted by our partners and stakeholders.

“I have rarely worked with someone who is so young, so hardworking and so talented. She contributes more than her weight in gold both in her day-to-day job, and holds her weight against us more experienced staff members in ideas for the future strategic development of the organisation.”

Kadri will face competition from Gemma Cruickshank (VisitAberdeenshire) and Craig Rochester (Eat on the Green) in the Regional Rising Star category of the 2016 Aberdeen City and Shire Tourism Awards. The award celebrates individuals under the age of 30 who have shown initiative and excelled in their tourism organisations.

The winners of each category category will be announced at an awards ceremony and gala dinner on November 25, 2016 at Ardoe House Hotel and Spa, and many will then go on to represent the region at the national Thistle Awards.

For more information about the Aberdeen City and Shire Tourism Awards, visit www.acsta.co.uk  

Follow the awards on Twitter @ACSTourismAward or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/acstourismawards

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CLAN Marks 5th Anniversary Of Move To CLAN House

 Aberdeen City, News  No Responses »
Nov 252016
 

CLAN logo2With thanks to Jessica Murphy, Senior Account Executive, Citrus:Mix.

It began life in 1983, founded by a group of passionate individuals determined to improve cancer services across the region.

From its beginnings in Aberdeen’s Justice Mill Lane to the purchase of the former Rosemount Church at Caroline Place in 1994, CLAN Cancer Support has come a long way since it was first conceived.

The charity is now celebrating five years since it moved into its purpose designed premises at CLAN House on Westburn Road, and is reflecting on how its service provision both in Aberdeen and many other communities, has developed during this time.

Following the launch of a £3 million fundraising campaign in 2008 to fund its new headquarters in Aberdeen, CLAN has also invested in the provision of services within the heart of local communities, developing a presence in Ballater, Banchory, Elgin, Inverurie, Fraserburgh, Lossiemouth, Peterhead, Buckie, Stonehaven and Turriff on the mainland as well as on Shetland and Orkney.

In addition to the local bases, the charity’s bed and breakfast facility, which was first established when CLAN was based at Caroline Place, was able to expand with the opening of CLAN House.

CLAN Haven is a purpose built facility offering 27 en-suite bedrooms as well as a fully equipped kitchen and dining area and relaxing communal areas offering accommodation for people travelling from out with the city for treatment and appointments at Aberdeen hospitals. Family members are also welcome to stay, and the facility has become a crucial part of CLAN’s service offering.

Dr Colette Backwell, chief executive of CLAN, said:

“As we mark five years in CLAN House this is a poignant time to reflect on how far CLAN has come in that time. Since CLAN’s humble beginnings there has always been a great sense of community and this fifth anniversary is about celebrating that.

“We have a tremendous team spanning volunteers, supporters and staff which plays an incredibly important part in the CLAN network. Together everyone works tirelessly with the aim of bringing the highest quality support to where it is needed most and addressing local community needs as they change and develop.

“The fundraising campaign that allowed us to first open the doors of CLAN House was a fantastic achievement for us and the hard work has continued since then. We continue to build on our fundraising efforts each year in order to support work across the north-east as we do our upmost to assist anyone who has been affected by a cancer diagnosis.

“Our previous centre was a very special place and we were able to build aspects from the church into our new base – sections of stained glass windows and other features for example – to ensure such an important part of our history was taken with us as we started the next chapter of CLAN’s development.

“CLAN House has allowed us to expand to meet changing needs and continue to look towards the future. The extension of the Haven in particular was crucial, as it is a unique facility which benefits people from far and wide and provides a home from home in a relaxed but supportive atmosphere. This, alongside the growth of our outreach services, has brought our offering closer to people, with greater availability of crucial cancer support services in the heart of communities.”

CLAN’s children and family service has also grown in the five years since the charity moved into CLAN House, expanding its reach to include support in a number of CLAN’s community bases – all of which allow it to provide a crucial range of support to children, young people and their families.

Whether in the community or at one of CLAN’s centres, the team offers a dedicated and confidential service that allows children, young people and their families to share thoughts and fears they are experiencing as a result of a cancer diagnosis.

Dr Backwell added:

“The communities that CLAN works within really are at the heart of the charity. We are committed to ensuring that we are providing the services and support that people need to find comfort through a cancer diagnosis. We will continue to work towards meeting that aim and taking on board feedback from the areas we currently serve.

“It is incredible to think about how much has been achieved in the past five years and we are determined to build on this success. We are passionate about maintaining our relations with communities, and ensuring that CLAN continues to provide the support required in the heart of local communities for years to come.”

CLAN Cancer Support is an independent charity which provides comfort support and information, free of charge, for anyone, of any age, affected by any type of cancer. CLAN aims to support people to reduce anxiety, stress and to increase their ability to cope with the effects of a serious illness.

Based in Aberdeen, the charity covers the whole of north-east Scotland, Moray, Orkney and Shetland. CLAN has a presence in Ballater, Banchory, Buckie, Elgin, Inverurie, Fraserburgh, Lossiemouth, Peterhead, Stonehaven, Turriff, Kirkwall and Lerwick.

For further information about CLAN Cancer Support please call (01224) 647 000 or visit www.clanhouse.org

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City Failed To Call Police Re. Ransomware Attack

 Aberdeen City, Information  1 Response »
Nov 222016
 

Ransomware attacks are on the rise; corporations and individuals find their computers suddenly locked until a ransom is paid. The risks to data on such attacked computer systems are serious. Suzanne Kelly used a Freedom of Information request to uncover that the city council experienced a cyber attack.

computer-security-social-media-1679234_1280Despite the city holding data on all 225,000 Aberdeen citizens and area businesses, a malicious ransomware attacker managed to breach the city’s anti-virus and firewall protections.

Ransomware attacks happen when ‘phishing’ emails or spam links allow a programme into a computer system which then locks data away, until the owner of the system pays a ransom or manages to bypass the attack.

The City had been asked:

“Has your organisation ever been the victim of a ransomware attack which meant that an external hacker encrypted a PC or device or network within your organisation and demanded payment in order to decrypt the device?”

They answered that there was one such incident in the past 12 months.

The City had to remove all software from the relevant device; a spokesperson advised:

“We re-imaged the device. Re-imaging is the process of removing all software on a computer and reinstalling everything.”

A subsequent  FOI request will be made to determine if the responsible person or persons were identified, what the cost was to the city, and whether any data could have been accessed, if so what data, and what were the circumstances that allowed the ransomware in.

The City did not record how much money the attacker demanded as a ransom.

The City did not notify the authorities, although blackmail of any kind is a criminal offence, and citizens’ data could have been compromised. Computer World magazine warns that UK institutions are not taking ransomware threats seriously:

“Cyber criminals simply have to infect computer systems with malware designed to lock up critical data by encrypting it and demand ransom in return for the encryption keys.

“The occurrence of ransomware attacks nearly doubled, up by 172%, in the first half of 2016 compared with the whole of 2015, according to a recent report by security firm Trend Micro.

“Ransomware, the report said, is now a prevalent and pervasive threat, with variants designed to attack all levels of the network.

“Cyber criminals spearheading these attacks are creatively evolving on a continuous basis to keep enterprises guessing,” said Raimund Genes, chief technology officer at Trend Micro.

“Ransomware is typically distributed through phishing emails designed to trick recipients into downloading the malware, or through app downloads and compromised websites.”   

Police Scotland offers advice on this kind of crime:

“In order to prevent people becoming victims, Police Scotland is advising every computer user to ensure they are running the latest versions of security software; have their data backed up regularly to cloud services or devices not connected to their computer; be extremely vigilant about opening any unsolicited email; and visiting websites you are not familiar with, or do not have a business need to access.

“DCI Cravens added:

“There is a lot of help available online for both individuals and businesses and useful advice for everyone can be found at: https://www.getsafeonline.org/protecting-your-computer/ransomware/

“For businesses, Cyber Essentials is a new Government-backed and industry supported scheme to guide businesses in protecting themselves against cyber threats, and further information can be found by clicking on http://www.cyberstreetwise.com/cyberessentials/ “”

Picture courtesy of Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/en/social-media-internet-security-1679234/

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City Spends £200k pa On Ads – But Considers Giving Papers Free Rent

 Aberdeen City, Information  2 Responses »
Nov 222016
 

marischalpicBy Suzanne Kelly.

While pondering whether to offer Aberdeen Press & Journal and the Evening Express a free base for one year in the controversial Marischal College office building, Aberdeen City Council has certainly been helping the paper financially as it spends £200,000 per annum on advertisements in the papers. 

A recent Freedom of Information request shows that the city council has advertised in Aberdeen Journals Ltd’s local papers to the tune of £626,500 over the last three years. 

This is a mean of £205,500 per year. 

The breakdown is as follows:

2016 – £199,818.78 (up to 25 October 2016)

2015 – £219,123.87

2014 – £197,513.68

The City explained:

“Unfortunately, we are unable to provide a breakdown of each expense. The types of expense that ACC would use Aberdeen Journals for would be, for example, Public Notices and Job Advertisements.”

The city also claims it would be too expensive to get a breakdown of what these ads are.

Aberdeenshire Council on the other hand spend a grand total of £6,998 on advertising with the two newspapers over the same three year period. When asked to check the figures, the Shire spokesperson confirmed this figure was all-inclusive.

The city declined to give a breakdown, stating there were a staggering 3,000 invoices for the time period, and the cost to them of collating the information was over £3,000.

There IS such a thing as free rent.

The City Council declines to answer whether it is planning to give free rent to the P&J or other future Marischal Square residents.

The City does advise:

“The discussions in relation to the proposals for the AJL terms have involved the advice of external property agents, the Council’s development partner and a number of Council officers.  The Council officers involved  were Head of Finance, Head of Land and Property Assets, and Asset Management Manager.” 

The P&J editor Damian Bates seems unsurprisingly keen to move to the building his papers previously called ‘controversial’. 

He commented in a recent article:

“It’s in no-one’s interests for it to sit empty and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to head back home; back into the city centre where we belong and where The Press and Journal started its amazing journey more than 270 years ago.

“We are now a multi-media business and this prospective move will provide a bright future for the Evening Express, P&J, Energy Voice and all our other products and sites. The council has been our landlord since approximately 1970 so nothing is going to change.”  

Some Free Advice on Free Rent, Expensive Advertising and Ethics.

Some notices must be published in newspapers for legal requirements. Job advertisements appear on the City Council’s website, which is free to access by anyone with a computer, and anyone with a library card can access computers for free. There is no excuse for cutting services while spending this kind of money on advertising.

Considering that jobs can be easily, freely posted on the city council’s website, and citizens are told that services and that citizens were told budget cuts have to be made, cutting down on advertising should have been a priority. In January Finance Committee Convener, Cllr Willie Young told the council’s advertising vehicle the Evening Express:

“It’s possible third sector organisations could see funding cut…We have to look at everything.”

Perhaps before any other services are cut, Aberdeen City Council might want to think twice about its advertising spend and giving new office space away for free, with the taxpayer picking up the tab.

According to the P&J, office space in Aberdeen commands a high price – or at least should do:

“…Aberdeen continues to lead the way for prime office rents, with Ryden reporting a current price of £32 per sq ft – higher than Glasgow’s £30 figure, with sites in Edinburgh and Dundee generating £28 and £15 respectively.” 

If the city could and should be making money out of the massive eyesore which could have been that civic square everyone in a position of power once Jonesed for (oh Sir Ian, where art thou? Why didn’t you want the civic square there? And I note that ‘Opportunity North East Limited’ has extended its accounting period so it won’t have to report at the end of this month now and has until the end of March 2017 – your comment welcome Sir Ian), and if the city has to ‘look at everything’ to find money – why should Aberdeen Journals Ltd. enjoy this largess?

Then again there is a small moral issue. For most of the rest of the UK, a newspaper has a duty to investigate with impartiality, serving as a check on government and a check on the powerful. As it stands, the P&J’s alliance to the editor’s wife’s boss Donald Trump is a dark stain.

Can the P&J really morally afford to be indebted to the city council it should be investigating, or has any pretence of journalism now left the building. We should be told.

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Printland: Print Sale Extravaganza At Peacock

 Aberdeen City, Information  No Responses »
Nov 172016
 

With thanks to John Morrison, Marketing & Communications Manager, Peacock Visual Arts.

img_9047Peacock Visual Arts’ end of year exhibition and print sale ‘Printland’ opens Friday 25th November 2016, 6-8pm and then runs until the 14th January 2017, Tuesday to Saturday, 09.30-17.30.
The exhibition provides an opportunity to own a unique, limited edition artwork, or pick up an original Xmas gift at a bargain price.

Prints for sale are by local and national artists in a wide range of sizes and styles including abstracts, landscapes, portraits, illustrations, and urban art.

There will be something for everyone! All of the prints are made here in Aberdeen and prices start from just £1.

Peacock Visual Arts are a not-for-profit organisation, funded by Creative Scotland and Aberdeen City Council. All monies made are reinvested back into the artistic community.

We are based on 21 Castle Street, just off the Castle Gate, down the close next to the Barnardo’s shop. The entrance to the close is clearly signed. You can also get access from King Street on the lane to the right of St Andrew’s Cathedral and then by taking your second right.

All are welcome, entry is free, and drinks will be provided at the opening evening. We will be closed Thursday 22nd December 2016 until Tuesday 10th January 2017.

Opening: Friday, 25th November 2016, 6-8pm
Date: Saturday 26th November 2016 – Saturday 14th January 2017
Location: Peacock Visual Arts

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Generous Response To Children’s Book Appeal 

 Aberdeen City, Charity  No Responses »
Nov 172016
 

With thanks to Clare Scott, Communications Consultant, CJS Communication & Marketing.

28/10/16 Home start Chair- Roberta Eunson-

Home-Start Aberdeen’s chairperson, Roberta Eunson, with a book bundle ready for delivery.

An Aberdeen-based family support charity has been overwhelmed by the response to an appeal for donations of children’s books towards its 2016 book advent.

Home-Start Aberdeen launched the book advent appeal in September. The initiative encourages parents to read a book with their children each day in December prior to Christmas.

It is believed that reading together encourages families to bond, as well as helping with literacy, communication and imaginative skills.

The charity, which works with local families who are vulnerable or suffering from isolation, was inundated with interest. Sufficient donations of books were received well within the stipulated cut-off date of 4 November.

Home-Start Aberdeen representatives have now received and wrapped a total of 2225 books. These have been stacked into bundles of 25 books for each of the 89 Home-Start Aberdeen families who asked if they could be included in this year’s book advent.

Roberta Eunson, Home-Start Aberdeen’s chairperson, said:

“The support we have received in connection with this year’s book advent has been fantastic.

“Our thanks go out to all of the playgroups, schools, community organisations, businesses and individuals who have collected books on our behalf. We are also very grateful to Kirsty Blackman MP and Peter Vardy Aberdeen who offered their premises as additional book collection points.

“Our final thank you goes to the volunteers who worked tirelessly to sort all the donated books into age-appropriate bundles and beautifully gift wrap them. The book bundles will bring tremendous enjoyment to the families Home-Start Aberdeen supports and we are looking forward to distributing them prior to 1 December.”

2016 is the third year of the Home-Start Aberdeen book advent. Demand for books has grown alongside the charity’s own development. Now one of the largest Home-Start schemes in the UK, Home-Start Aberdeen supports around 180 families, including 297 children, per year. Its unique blend of emotional and practical support is delivered by over 100 trained volunteers, who visit their allocated family each week in their own home.

Further information about Home-Start Aberdeen is available at www.homestartaberdeen.org.uk, or by calling (01224) 693545.

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