Open Archives - Aberdeen Voice

Dons Fans’ Open Letter To Club

Dec 162016

Stephen McCormick recently quit his role as AFC display organiser describing the club as “impossible to deal with.”

By Red Fin Hall.

Recently I wrote about the situation regarding the lack of respect and communication between Aberdeen Football Club, The Supporter’s Liaison Officer within the club, and fans/supporters trying to create a better atmosphere at games via displays etc.

It appears that in some cases they, or more factually correct, people within the club, have, at some point, been actively trying to discourage said displays.

To this end a group of supporters have written an open letter to the board of the club emphasising the need for better communication and co-operation with the supporters. The fans keep getting told, “You are the 13th man.”

Feelings within the supporters at large, is that there is not much confidence that this is true. Even with the prospect of a new stadium coming, Mr Milne only said that there: ‘may be a standing area built within Kingsford’ – not that there would definitely be one. Also there was still no mention of the possibility of there being a bar within, and not just one for the corporate guests, but a public one.

There seems, at this moment in time, a lesser dialogue between the club and the fans than perhaps is perceived.

Below is the open letter.

Dear Duncan George & Stewart

We are writing this to you regarding matters this season and seasons past involving, failure on part of AFC to adequately engage with Aberdeen supporters, treatment of Aberdeen Supporters and in more detail treatment of those in the Merkland Singing Section.

Issues such as, but are not limited to the following areas:

– A reply to questions put to AFC as to why AFC were contacting other clubs in Scotland attempting to discourage match day supporter displays.

– Why the club lied at recent AGM telling the floor they had been in contact with those responsible for the stunning League Cup Final display at Hampden and thanking them when this simply isn’t the case .

– Appointinment of Community Trust chief executive as SLO just to appease UEFA competition guidelines.

– Appointment of a Supporters Liaison Officer (SLO) into the Club without consultation with Supporters groups / Supporters Trust or wider fan base etc

– Failure of said SLO to engage with supporters groups on a day-to-day basis in order to facilitate a more enjoyable and effective match day experience

– Failure of said SLO to engage with supporters groups for major games and to facilitate smooth access to Pittodrie and other stadia to be visited

– Failure of SLO to engage positively with Supporters groups and other clubs in order to facilitate a coordinated and organized approach to maximizing noise generation and fan displays at away games

– Actively and physically segregating, pressurizing and marginalizing of fans in the Merkland Singing section from other fans through use of hostile stewarding, “dead zone” seating strips and general poor attitude shown towards supporters wishing to support their team in a positive manner.

– Misleading information regarding occupancy of Merkland block seating in order to undermine the success of the initiative and prevention of other fans joining the section throughout the game.

– Failure to plan effectively for League Cup Final to ensure effective noise generation in order to back the team effectively by refusing to allocate area for vocal fans .

– Failure of AFC across internal departments (General management, Stadium Access, Ticketing, security etc in order to facilitate an organized and structured and most importantly a respectful approach to AFC supporting individuals working on an unpaid volunteer basis in order to encourage the team positively and to enhance the matchday experience for many people.

The recent League Cup Final showed that AFC has little regard to its fans wider match day experience and even less for creating a spectacle and that the Cup final atmosphere would “look after itself” as one AFC official was quoted as saying.

Anyone who witnessed the Cup final was that those that made the effort and expense of travelling to Glasgow to set up the pre match display done a fantastic effort given that there was no input nor even the respect of reply from AFC from requests from fans made to make the day a spectacle and an positive atmosphere for the duration of the match.

The lack of Aberdeen supporter positive atmosphere generation, particularly after going a goal down (and then more) was very evident.Had there been an area for vocal fans this could have helped create a louder backing for the team.

No doubt AFC will be using footage and photography from the matches with flags, card displays etc for future marketing material, all the while actively discouraging it and disregarding the fact that positive fan interaction does make a difference to the team on the park is wholly unacceptable.

We request the following:

–    AFC immediately engage with their staff & AFC fans representatives in order to stop these negative aspects reoccurring
–    Appoint a fan elected SLO – one that has a wide understanding or proven background in match day supporter participation, supporter liaison, match day display management.
–    Empower the SLO to form a positive working relationship with the Aberdeen support and other clubs respective SLO’s to ensure that the team, the supporters (the customers) are all given the correct priority support to ensure forward progress is made on all levels.
–    Ensure that the SLO is meeting the reasonable expectations of the Club, AFC support and wider regulatory bodies such as the Police and other Football Clubs etc.
–    The SLO is active in meeting with AFC fans to gather detailed information on future stadia requirements from the “in game” perspective.

We have a supporter in mind, someone who has engaged with the support and more importantly is respected by the support .The same fan has put on many a spectacle at Aberdeen FC games at home and away for the best part of 20 years .He has organised some of the best displays in the UK, helped add colour to AFC centenary events.Always paid tribute to fans who have sadly passed. He is great with the kids and young fans and always gets them involved .

The fans trust him and he’s known throughout the support as he’s always present .

We have a petition that hundreds of fans have signed asking that the club appoint Stephen McCormick as our Supporters Liaison Officer. With the amount of work he has done over the years, dealing with clubs up and down the country, having to deal with the SFA and SPFL he has already proven he has a vast knowledge of modern day football and its supporters.

We look forward to hearing from you in due course.

Signed

Dons fans voice collective.

Also, in my last article regarding this, I mentioned that Stephen contributed out of his own pocket. It has since been pointed out to me that the displays have been fully funded by fan contribution. He is the organiser, and has only contributed as a fan. He wished this to be clear.

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NEOS At Scottish Sculpture Workshop 16 – 23 Sept 2012

Aberdeenshire, Featured, Information No Responses »

Sep 172012

With thanks to Emily Wyndham Gray.

ssws-open-studio-exhibition-for-neos-2012

Beginning on the 16th of September, Scottish Sculpture Workshop will be opening its doors to the public for NEOS 2012. This year, SSW will be hosting an open studio exhibition, showcasing the work of artists in residence and programme participants, as well as a variety of events and activities.

Cheesecake Making and Afternoon Tea, and will continue throughout NEOS with Still Life Drawing classes, woodcarving demonstrations, artist talks, a participatory paper-kiln workshop and will close with a performance by local group Dudendance on Sunday 23rd.

The Open Studio Exhibition, Sunday 16th September to 22nd September will feature work from artists who have been in residence, and from projects led by SSW over the summer. The exhibition will bridge areas of sculpture, ceramics, illustration, installation, photography and text-based work. Alongside the exhibition will be resident artists working in their studios, giving visitors an insight into the day-to-day of Scottish Sculpture Workshop.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to engage with the ongoing Sculpture in the Landscape Symposium; information revolving around the renovation of the Lumsden Sculpture Walk will be made widely available and any input on the development is welcome.

The results from SSW’s Makers’ Meal, which has been running since the beginning of July, will also be on display. Makers’ Meal is a project between local artists and artisans which has seen the setting for a meal crafted from the ground up, combining areas of woodwork, ceramics, and forging, with heavy emphasis on collaboration.

The work will be on show in the SSW studio over NEOS for anyone who would like to view the final collection before being exhibited on tour around the North East.

Contemporary dance collective Dudendance will be performing at SSW on Sunday the 23rd of September, 6.30pm, to conclude the Open Studios event. The group will be creating a site-specific performance piece, as a durational work in the open studio space.

Date(s) and Times:

Open Studio Exhibition
10am to 5pm, 16 – 22 September

Paper-Kiln Workshop and Woodcarving demonstration
10am to 5pm, Saturday 22 September

Dudendance
6.30pm, Sunday 23 September

Location: SSW, 1 Main Street, Lumsden, Aberdeenshire, AB54 4JN.
Cost: Entrance Free
Afternoon Tea, £2.50/person

For more information or to book a place on any of the workshops and classes listed above, visit our website www.ssw.org.uk, call 01464 861372 or email office@ssw.org.uk.

Image Credits: All pics ©SSW

Art And Sculpture At Easter Anguston Farm

Aberdeenshire, Featured, News 1 Response »

Sep 132012

On Wednesday 12 September VSA’s Easter Anguston Farm in Peterculter opened its annual one-week outdoor art gallery and sculpture trail. This is in conjunction with North East Open Studios 2012 (NEOS), which runs a yearly event during which regional artists open their studios to the public over a one-week period. Suzanne Kelly reports.

Over 70 guests attended the preview evening, and were treated to guided tours of the artwork placed around the farm’s grounds.

Guests were also able to meet some of the artists – some of which are service users – and view the farm, farm shop, animals and education areas of the facility.

John Booth, Deputy Chief Executive at VSA, was one of several speakers welcoming the guests. Thanks and floral presentations were made to several volunteers.

Alex Kay, a well-known name on the Aberdeen art scene, has a deep connection with Easter Anguston Farm’s NEOS gallery; she commented

“Every year it gets bigger and more interesting. It brings a different dynamic to the farm and the work that’s done there. For the service users heavily involved in farming, it means developing a new skill set. There are some real stars there.”

Alex and her partner Simon led a tour around the site.

I was introduced to William Moir, who had made a wonderful sculpture of a Koala bear, which was situated in the perfect setting – a tree. This beautiful sculpture and all of the other exhibits were extraordinary; the artwork on show radiates enthusiasm, optimism and colour; it is some of the happiest artwork I have seen in a very long time.

There is an Alice in Wonderland-themed area featuring a Mad Hatter’s Tea party section, a very winsome snail soft sculpture, and an endearing painting of a rabbit.

These works are displayed in two tiny summerhouses; nearby festive umbrellas hang upside down from trees, decorated with artwork and streamers.

Elsewhere there are colourful papier mache figures copying ancient Egyptian cat mummy styles, fabric wall hangings in the form of stylised deer heads, large and small knitted panda bears by Knit Wits adorn the garden centre area.

Participating artists include children, service users and artists from a variety of backgrounds. The sculpture trail includes remarkable works in situ including a beautifully crafted miniature pond with fish and lily pads by Heather Ivers. A pottery dragon sculpture called ‘The Watcher’ by Bibo Weber adds a fantasy element.

Nearby in a small glade of conifers were realistic handcrafted miniature mushrooms, while overhead a few giant dragonflies hung from the trees. (Unfortunately by then it was too dark for photos of ‘The Watcher’ to come out well, yet too light to get the glow-in-the-dark effect from the dragonflies.

The appearance of a giant rainbow over the farmlands added a magical, happy touch to the event (and was a welcome distraction from the short-lived rain which punctuated the sunshine).

The artwork is in the farm’s grounds which is a most impressive wildlife haven. The Royal Society for the Protection of Bird’s Claire Marsden was on hand and is the Red Kite officer. Red Kites were severely reduced in number throughout the UK, but are being successfully reintroduced.

A sign explains the importance of hedgerows, what plants the hedges are grown from, and the kinds of wildlife which depends on these plants. Like the hedgerows, Easter Anguston Farm’s wildlife pond also supports biodiversity and is important to the area’s wildlife.

Graduate students from Total E&P UK, the Altens-based oil company, volunteered to make improvements to the pond such as building a small jetty. These graduate students recently raised over £600 for the VSA at Total’s offices during a coffee morning fundraiser, and Total is matching this sum.

The graduates’ coffee morning also highlighted to Total personnel the many services the VSA provides. The graduates have other fundraising and community volunteer projects in the near future, including ‘Le Tour de Deeside’ bicycle race based loosely on the Tour de France, with additional challenges added.

The organisers send their thanks to the attendees, and said:

“It was a brilliant event and we were delighted with the turnout… and even more delighted with the fact that most of the rain managed to hold off until the walk around was finished! ”

The VSA’s Easter Anguston Farm’ NEOS 2012 gallery is open between Saturday 15 September and Sunday 23 September, from 10am until 4pm daily with free entry, a café and free parking.

North-east social care charity VSA’s Easter Anguston Farm trains adults with additional support needs, and is also a tourist attraction. The Farm has more than doubled its artists and exhibits from 2011 and boasts a new relationship with Scottish Sculpture Workshop (SSW).

Links:
VSA: http://www.vsa.org.uk/
NEOS: http://www.northeastopenstudios.co.uk/home.asp
More E. Anguston Art here: http://oldsusannahsjournal.yolasite.com/

Stop press:

For those inspired by what they see, SSW will host a workshop for visitors to make their own sculpture, keepsake or piece of jewellery. Participants will be guided through the ancient technique of cuttlefish casting, a form of metal casting, at the drop-in sessions on Saturday 22 September between 10am and 4pm.

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Willows Family Fun Day: 28th July, Inchgarth CC

Aberdeen City, Information No Responses »

Jul 262012

Willows Animal Sanctuary are holding a fundraising event at Aberdeen’s Inchgarth Community Centre on Saturday July 28th.

All are welcome at a family fun day to help raise funds for Willows.

There will be stalls with –

Cupcakes
Home bakes
Scentsy candles
All sorts (bags, purses etc)
Face painting + Glitter Tattoos
Hand-made cards

PLUS LOTS MORE STILL TO BE CONFIRMED

There will also be –

Raffles (with some fabulous prizes which have been donated in aid of this event)
Lucky dips
Guess the birthday
Bouncy castles
Food and drinks

We have also been allowed the outdoor space to hold a car boot sale.

Willows Family Fun Day.
28^th July, from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Inchgarth Community Centre
Aboyne Place,
AB10 7DRAberdeen

Willows – Sandi Thom Charms Man & Beast

Aberdeenshire, News No Responses »

Jul 192012

Aberdeen Voice’s Suzanne Kelly reports back from Willows on last Saturday’s Sandi Thom concert and with an update on Willow’s inhabitants.

The weather changed every hour last Saturday, mostly from heavy rain to light rain – but that didn’t deter crowds of animal lovers from heading to Willows Animal Sanctuary to hear Sandi Thom.

Morgan, age 11, visited her favourites including Snowy the goat, and cats Fluffball, Fred and Frankie.

Fred likes to climb on people, and so too does Fluffball (as I later found out: having bent down to tie a shoelace, I became a perch).

The cats were in their finest form, all wanting lots of attention:Arthur, the cat who had been found in waste ground living in a paint can; Ella, the three legged cat (Paul Rodger’s wife Cynthia is particularly fond of this sweet-tempered feline); Bailey (a fluffy Bailey’s Irish Cream coloured cat) and the rest.

Two new arrival cats were in cages awaiting trips to the vet. Their owner had been caught in the act of dumping them at Willow’s entrance recently. Willows staff and I discussed the alarming rate in people abandoning their animals and in particular the kittens left near Mrs Murray’s Home – in a box sealed with cling film.

It was only a miracle they were found before they died from dehydration and suffocation.

What some people are thinking these days defies description.

We need places like Willows, New Arc and Mrs Murray’s to be sure – but we also need to make people aware that when they abandon animals, they are not only causing a great deal of suffering (emotionally physically) to a formerly-loved pet – they are breaking the law.

Thankfully there are also the kind of people who support Willows and other animal shelters, and today’s crowds were an amazing bunch of generous, animal-loving, caring people.

Sarah Norris told me she’d first come when she heard of Paul Rodger’s visit, and has been five times since. Although she and her family live nearby, they were not aware that Willows welcomes visitors until then.

Mr Norris said:

“the benefits of Animal Assisted Therapy should be publicised and much better funded.”

Many people of all ages have benefited from interacting with animals at Willows. He continued:

“Paul Rodgers, Cynthia Rodgers and Sandi Thom have done very well to raise awareness – if not for them, we might not have visited.”

I knew Sandi Thom would be doing an acoustic set in a barn; I had not expected it to be literally packed to the rafters.

People were seated and standing, and a group of peacocks were on the barn’s beams.

The animals seemed to be listening in – a black cat was seated quietly in one of the paying seats, watching and listening to Sandi intently. Being there in this atmosphere was quite an experience.

Sandi later told me that she hadn’t done anything acoustic of this nature before, which surprised me as it had come off perfectly. There were familiar hits of hers, covers, and material from a forthcoming album.

“I enjoyed myself; it was my first acoustic public performance, and it was a nice break for me. Playing up close and personal like that reminded me of the meanings of the songs.”

She brought up the new patrons,

“I was glad I could invite Paul and Cynthia to be patrons; their kinship with animals is amazing and genuine.”

Sandi was soon off to tour all the other resident animals, and spent a good deal of time with the 18 hand gelding McGill which she’s adopted. We were guided by Willows staff as well as several cats which followed us for more petting; they were greatly enjoying the attention.

Many of the cats here are unsuitable for family adoption for a variety of reasons; Willows was their last chance. In fact many of the animals here were abandoned or confiscated, and they would have been put to sleep by local authorities if not for finding a home here.

This is true of the newest arrival – a beautiful, tiny Shetland pony foal. Its mare and two other Shetlands were abandoned and were due to be put down but Willows said they would take them. So the pregnant mare has a new-born foal and a new life.

Clearly all of this takes a great deal of money – there are over 300 animals (‘all creatures great and small’ as Paul Rodgers put it on his last visit). There is no government funding for any of our regional shelters – and they rely on our support.

Willows has several raffles on the go, animal adoption schemes, and a programme of upcoming events (details http://www.willowsanimals.com/ and on facebook via the ‘Help Save Willows Animal Sanctuary’ page.

I finally braved the reptile house – and was pleasantly surprised by a selection of beautiful reptiles and amphibians. Many people had bought such pets thinking they would be easy to care for – most are not, and so they wind up at places like Willows (if they are lucky). The Giubarelli family were enjoying these creatures and their visit.

Before it’s time to leave there is just time for another tour around the animals, then it’s time to say goodbye to Kate, Jenny and all the volunteers. It’s been a brilliant day despite the weather, and everyone heads home happily, as the cats settle down for a rest, and the staff finally get a rest as well. Until next time.

Second Friends Of Duthie Park Open Day Planned

Aberdeen City, News No Responses »

Jul 122012

With thanks to Dave Macdermid.

Major restoration work that will see the return of many original Victorian elements to the North East’s most popular visitor attraction is progressing on schedule. And the ‘Friends of Duthie Park’ group is hosting its second open day next month.

Sunday 19th August will see festivities running between noon and 4 p.m.

As Friends Chairman Tony Dawson explains, there will be something for all of the family.

“Last year’s inaugural event attracted more than two thousand people and we will be looking to go one better this time around! I think most people are aware that there are major works going on at the park, without necessarily knowing the details. This will be an opportunity to see at first hand the progress that is being made as we’ll be organising tours during the afternoon.

“In addition, we’ll have plenty of entertainment, including live music throughout the afternoon, horse and cart rides, football coaching with AFC, fitness demonstrations, children’s entertainment, gardening workshops and many other stalls and attractions.

“And of course ‘Spike’ the talking cactus, the park’s most popular resident will be there too, after making his reappearance after a decade at last year’s open day.”

A full timetable for the day will be available on www.friendsofduthiepark.co.uk from the beginning of August.

For information contact Dave Macdermid on 07805 436988. dave.macdermid@bigpartnership.co.uk

Willows Announces Open Day And A New Arrival

Aberdeenshire, Events, Featured, News No Responses »

Jul 062012

Willows Animal Sanctuary is pleased to announce that Sandi Thom will perform an unplugged show at the sanctuary’s open day on 15 July. There will be a raffle, tombola and refreshments. Signed photos of Sandi will be available to supporters making a £15 donation.

Willows is also delighted to announce the birth of Free Spirit, the first foal to be born at the charity in twelve years.
Free Spirit was born to Carly, a rescued native Shetland mare who was part of a welfare case on the islands. She was one of three animals found abandoned, starving, covered in lice and other parasites.

Once they were seized by the authorities, Willows was asked to help to save the ponies. Free Spirit is our symbol of hope for the future. We have named him after Free, Paul Rodgers’ band.

We want to thank everyone who has helped Willows in its recent difficult time. The support has been wonderful. We are not out of the woods but we have various funding potentials on the horizon. Our patrons Paul Rodgers and his wife Cynthia are supporting a raffle to help raise money with twelve unique prizes including a guitar and tambourine signed by Paul.

Our other patron Sandi Thom’s fundraising gig at Willows on 15 July will be an opportunity to meet her and get her autograph. Tickets are available from Willows.

We are looking forward to a more positive future with the help of the fantastic public. On behalf of everyone at Willows, thank you!

Willows is open as a Visit Scotland attraction each Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 11.30am-5pm with last admission at 4.15pm.

Sandi Thom
Live and unplugged at Willows Animal Sanctuary
Sunday 15 July
Doors open 1pm
Tickets £12 in advance, £15 on the door and £18 seated.

Available from Willows Animal Sanctuary
01771 653112
email kate@willowsanimals.com

Willows Open Day – A Photo-essay

Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Articles, Charity, Community, Events, Featured, Information, News No Responses »

Mar 012012

Aberdeen Voice photographer Rob and I attended Willow’s Animal Sanctuary Open Day on 25 February and had an absolutely wonderful time. Were it not for the snow which started when we were there, Rob would have had a hard time getting me to leave. Suzanne Kelly reviews a splendid day out.

It was a nice drive to Willows from Aberdeen; the countryside is beautiful.

Willows was well signposted, and a helper was on the main road to ensure people found their way.

It is a spacious and friendly haven for animals and people. Getting to know some of each was a pleasure.

I met Sue during the event, and she told me that when she and her husband moved to Scotland six years ago, they soon discovered Willows, had visited and supported them during that time and wanted to do more.

It was then that Kate found that there were like-minded people who really wanted to help, so they were introduced. Now they have a fundraising team who have thrown themselves into their task with a will.
Although they have only been together for about fifteen months, they have already raised over £9,000 through, to name but a few events, stalls at open days, coffee mornings and bingo evenings. The team now numbers eight, Sandy, Sue, Ann, David, Ashleigh, Leigh, Lorna and George.

There are many people who help with donations of prizes etc, and who help support the team in various ways. They have lots of new ideas for future events, so have confidence that the visitors will really enjoy themselves whilst supporting Willows

“Willows not only helps animals, but we’re definitely helping people as well,” Sue tells me, “We’ve seen people blossom.”

The office has a noticeboard divided into several sections. There are general news stories and items about animal sentience.

Yes, they do think, and feel, and know both pain and fear as well as love and happiness.

One section was about the fantastic work Willows does in bringing people with special abilities together with the animals. Both sides benefit from this interaction.

We now know that people with conditions such as autism improve hugely through interaction with animals. Horses and ponies can provide unique, valuable therapeutic benefits.

Sue and I talk a bit more, and she tells me of a fairly new arrival, McGill, a gigantic horse at 18.2 hands.

“His owners had rented him out, and then of course, you never know whether there were any problems, and consequently, when he came to Willows he was very nervous. And he had some behavioural issues”, was how Sue described McGill.

Having worked with horses in my distant past, I was ready for a highly-strung encounter with a giant. Well, McGill was indeed a giant, but he had an unbelievably sweet temperament.

Rob and I stayed and stroked him for quite some time; many others did too. If this horse had had any emotional issues, they were a thing of the past. Sandi Thom has since adopted him. She originally had adopted another animal, but it had sadly passed away.

Well, we and families patted goats, sheep, pigs, llamas, ponies, horses and the most amazingly friendly selection of cats you could ever find.

The majority of them sat on a large hay bale, which the sun was hitting. They were all soaking up the sun and loved being patted.

I particularly fell for a little feline called Gingersnap, and another gentleman called Arthur.

Arthur had been living in a tin can in a bit of scrub ground when they found him.
Sadly, he lost both his ears to skin cancer, not uncommon in white cats. I was completely won over.

We finally had a chance to talk to Sandi Thom. Her family are from the general area, and they seem to have a love of horses going back generations. Sandi seemed genuinely glad to be there, and signed several autographs as we spoke.

She’d also donated a very gorgeous autographed acoustic guitar as a raffle prize. We mentioned the generosity of Paul Rodgers and his wife, who adopted some thirteen animals.

Paul has donated several signed copies of his new DVD for Willows to sell (yes, I’d bought one). Ms Thom commented that people she’d met in the music industry often seemed to have a soft spot for animals. She clearly did.

Before we left, we spoke to Mr and Mrs Reid, who seemed to enjoy visiting the horses and have been coming for quite some time.

If the snows hadn’t started and if we didn’t have a fairly long drive back to Aberdeen, I might have stayed until they threw me out.
If I didn’t already have two rescue cats which are just a touch on the needy side, I just might have adopted another.

Please visit the Willows website to learn more. Willows helps wild, domestic and farm animals – and people of all ages.

If you can help, please get in touch. http://www.willowsanimals.com/

Tennis News

Aberdeen City, Articles, Community, Information, Sport No Responses »

Feb 222012

With thanks to Dave Macdermid.

Westburn Tennis Centre was the venue for the first in a series of eleven invitational ‘Orange Matchplay’ events for sixteen young North East tennis players, with those involved being divided into two groups and competing each month.
Jamie Connell (Rubislaw) won the Tier 1 event, with Harrsha Pradeep Kumar (DL Aberdeen) being a very close runner up.

Euan McCleod(Cults) was unbeaten in the Tier 2 event , finishing just ahead of Cameron Sharpe (Westhill).

NESLTA district coach Vikki Paterson, who organised the series of events said:

“The standard of tennis was very good and hopefully over the next 11 months the tennis will continue to improve and we will witness lots of good competitive matches.”

36 year old Aberdonian Jason Barnett reached the semi-finals of both singles and doubles at the ITF World Seniors Individual Championships played in La Jolla, California.

Seeded 5 in the Men’s 35 age group singles, the Scot, now based in Kent, won through four rounds of matches, before finally losing to Benjamin Budziak of Poland at the semi-final stage. Omitted from the GB team which competed in San Diego at the previous week’s World Team Championships, Barnett proved a point by progressing further than any of the other GB players in the individual event.

In the Men’s 35 doubles, Barnett was disappointed to go out at the semi-final stage. Seeded 2 with England’s Neil Goldsby as partner, the duo lost at the semi-final stage to the Finnish pair of Tapio Nerminen & Ilkke Raikonen 6-4 6-4 in a closely contested match.

Barnett returns to Scotland this week to compete at the Scottish Senior’s Open Championships, an ITF Grade 3 event. Top seed in the Men’s 35 singles event, he is seeded to meet England’s Mike Ingham in next Sunday’s final, and hopes to retain the title which he won in 2011.

Over 200 players from all over the world will contest 18 events at venues throughout Glasgow this week. Play starts on Thursday 23rd February, with all finals scheduled for the Scotstoun Leisure Centre, Glasgow on Sunday 26th February.

Scottish players will be hoping to perform well, ahead of this year’s Home Nations’ Seniors Championships, which will be hosted by England at Bolton Arena from 5th – 7th May.

Willows Open Day 18.02.12 – Top Musicians Support Charity

Aberdeenshire, Articles, Charity, Community, Events, Information, News No Responses »

Feb 032012

With thanks to Jenny and Kate at Willows

Willows Animal Sanctuary invite you to come along to an open day on 18 February from 12 noon to 4.00 pm.

Willows Patron Sandi Thom will arrive around 1pm, and autographed photos will be for sale with all profits going to Willows. Lush Aberdeen have generously donated a collection of treats to be raffled off.
There will be baked goods, ferrets and many more of the great variety of creatures that live at Willows will be on show – farm, domestic and wild animals are all given a shelter, and no healthy animal is ever put down.

In addition, legendary singer Paul Rodgers, founding member and songwriter from Free and Bad Company and member of The Firm; and his wife Cynthia sponsored 13 of Willows Animals for Christmas.

Paul said:-

“We heard the unusual story about the piglet Babe and her great escape and dug a little deeper to find that all of the animals were in need of sponsoring.”

Paul has also donated 100 copies of his latest DVD “Live in Montreux Paul Rodgers and Friends” featuring appearances from Queen’s Brian May, Journey’s Neal Schon, Jason Bonham and others.

Signed copies of Paul’s DVD are available at £25 from Willows online shop. Details of Willows at http://www.willowsanimals.com/ and DVD details/order form at http://shopatwillows.com/shop/catalog/search?shop_param , so even if you can’t make it to Willows on the 18th, you can still get a signed DVD.

Willows Animal Sanctuary is the largest sanctuary in Aberdeenshire and will try to help any animal in distress. We operate a strict no kill policy and only euthanise an animal on veterinary advice.

We look after over 300 animals including around 60 horses, ponies and donkeys, approximately 60 cats and dogs and many reptiles as well as over 100 farm animals and birds.

We are totally dependent on donations, legacies and grants from benevolent organizations to keep the sanctuary running.

We are entirely funded by public support and receive no government funding. Unlike larger charities we have no reserves of money and are desperately short of funds. We specialise in helping elderly or more vulnerable animals that have already been refused help by well known large national charities, but we can only continue to help needy animals with your support!

The Animal Assisted Therapy Unit at Willows

Willows helps many vulnerable people with its animal assisted therapy programme. The concept of allowing rescued animals to help vulnerable people on the road back to health is very innovative and has been independently evaluated and shown to be highly beneficial.The therapeutic placements and corporate team building days include equine management, animal husbandry, therapeutic music sessions, drama, bushcraft and mediaeval re-enactment Please contact us if you would like more details.

Willows Animal Sanctuary is situated on the road between New Pitsligo and Strichen (B9093)

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