Aug 252017
 

With thanks to Yvette Rayner, PR Account Manager, Frasermedia Ltd.

Aberdeen’s performance swimming team is celebrating after an impressive end of season medal haul, leading to 14 swimmers being called onto national squads.
The University of Aberdeen Performance Swimming (UOAPS), led by Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth Games coach Patrick Miley, is a partnership between Aberdeen Sports Village, Aberdeen City Council, Scottish Swimming and the University of Aberdeen and seven of the city’s swimming clubs.

The ambitious programme, which was established to build on the city’s previous success with David Carry, Robbie Renwick and Hannah Miley, has seen early results, with swimmers bringing home an unprecedented collection of 12 medals at this year’s British Summer Championships.

In previous years, only a few swimmers from Aberdeen have qualified to be invited to the important end of season event, which invites swimmers ranked in the top 24 in their event. However, in July, 30 athletes from UOAPS headed to Sheffield.  The successful squad included swimmers as young as 13, with an impressive podium display of three golds, three silvers, and six bronze medals.

Rosie Morgan, 14, of Aberdeen won her first gold medal at the UK-wide competition, while fellow Aberdonian, Gaia Alcaras, 15, took home one gold, one silver and one bronze medal. 

As a result of this season’s success, 14 swimmers from Aberdeen have been invited to join the Scottish national squads, which will result in additional training and support for the potential champions.

Joining the 2017/18 Scottish national squad, which was announced this week, will be UOAPS swimmers Orla Adams, Fraser Agnew, Gaia Alcaras, Andrew Arthur, Thomas Beeley, Caroline McIntosh, Hannah Miley, Rosie Morgan, Connor Morrison, Yasmin Perry, Rebecca Reid, Anya Slessor, Jessica Thomson and Cameron Travis.

Mr Miley said:

“After just a few months, we have seen a tremendous change in the swimmers, resulting in much deserved medal wins. Taking 30 swimmers along to the championships for the first time made a real difference, as we had a fantastic team spirit, which really adds to the confidence of each individual performer.

“The swimmers have been training really hard, and everyone could feel the confidence growing with each new Aberdeen medal in Sheffield. We have been working on detailed training programmes, with every swimmer dedicating themselves to improving their performance. We have focused on a culture of success, and it was wonderful to see the results of our hard work on the podium at one of the most important meets in the country.”

Duncan Sinclair, CEO for ASV, said:

“The UOAPS programme has high ambitions, and it is working. Aberdeen was very well represented in Sheffield, and the outstanding medal haul is something to be proud of. Having a group of people dedicated to developing the very best athletes is a real benefit to the city and we hope to see this success continue into the next season.

“The aim of UOAPS is to produce the best, and with 14 young people representing Aberdeen in the Scottish national squads, and look forward to competing at Commonwealth and Olympic level, the programme is more than meeting its objectives.”

Councillor Jenny Laing, leader of Aberdeen City Council, said:

“Aberdeen City Council has made a significant investment in high performance swimming to help ensure that elite talent stays and is nurtured within the city. It is hugely encouraging to see that investment paying off at such an early stage with the team’s successful performance at the British Summer Championships. I am sure that this is just the beginning  of what we and our partners hope will be an amazing success story in establishing Aberdeen as a major centre for elite swimming.”

University of Aberdeen Principal, Professor Sir Ian Diamond, said:

“The team’s performance at the British Summer Championships demonstrates the level of talent we are developing here in Aberdeen as part of this ambitious programme.

“Their impressive medal tally is not only a testament to the swimmers themselves, but to the dedicated coaching staff headed by Patrick Miley.  On this form I expect the team to enjoy continued success, and I wish them all the best for the season ahead.”

Medal winners:

Gaia Alcaras, 15, gold, women’s open 400m IM; silver, women’s open 200m IM; bronze, women’s open 100m butterfly
Orla Adams, 22, bronze, women’s open 400m IM; bronze, women’s open 200m breaststroke
Kirsty Simpson, 21, silver, women’s open 100m backstroke
Thomas Beeley, 18, gold, men’s open 200m butterfly; bronze, men’s open 100m butterfly
Yasmin Perry, 16, bronze, women’s open 50m butterfly (16 yrs)
Connor Morrison, 20, silver, men’s MC 100m breaststroke
Aberdeen Performance A team, bronze, women’s 17 years/over 4 x 200m free team
Rosie Morgan, 14, gold, women’s open 100m free

  • Comments enabled – see comments box below. Note, all comments will be moderated.
Jul 032017
 

With thanks to Yvette Rayner, PR Account Manager, Frasermedia.

One of Scotland’s top swimming coaches is to head up a new high performance swimming team in Aberdeen, aiming to produce medal-winning swimmers. Patrick Miley, father and coach of Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Hannah Miley, will train elite swimmers for the newly formed University of Aberdeen Performance Swimming programme.

UOAPS is a new partnership between the Aberdeen Sports Village, Aberdeen City Council, Scottish Swimming, the University of Aberdeen and seven of the city’s swimming clubs.

The programme has been established to grow on the rich crop of swimming talent to have emerged from the north-east in recent years, including Hannah Miley, David Carry and Robbie Renwick.

Swimmers across the city will try out to join Team Aberdeen, training with Mr Miley and his team at the Aberdeen Sports Village Aquatics Centre, in order to form the elite UOAPS competition squad.

Mr Miley said:

“With the financial investment and commitment from our partners we have an incredibly exciting opportunity to develop a strong performance pathway for swimming in the north-east.

“Our aim is to build a world-class performance swimming programme, and I am confident we have the backing, the will and the talent to succeed.”

University of Aberdeen Principal, Professor Sir Ian Diamond, said:

“As a University we are committed to helping our student athletes reach their full potential, both academically and in their chosen sport. 

“The University of Aberdeen Performance Swimming programme is yet another example of how we are working alongside our partners to bring through the next generation of world-class athletes, right here in Aberdeen.” 

Duncan Sinclair, chief executive of Aberdeen Sports Village, said:

“In the past, our home grown swimming talent had to move to the central belt or an English University to advance their swimming careers. 

“However, the city now has an Olympic standard Aquatics Centre at Aberdeen Sports Village, and with this new performance programme, Aberdeen offers a real alternative and opportunity to our local athletes. 

“ASV is now classed as a Performance Centre by Scottish Swimming, in recognition of the excellent level of facilities and training we provide.

“Our aim is for Aberdeen to be seen as a world class destination for performance swimming, which will retain our best swimmers in the north-east, and attract athletes to study, live and compete here.”

Aberdeen City Council’s education and children’s services committee convener, Councillor John Wheeler, said:

“By working in partnership, we created the state-of-the-art Aberdeen Sports Village including a world-class aquatics centre, with its 50m pool, to give local people the opportunity to participate in swimming and water sports, to maximise the social, educational and physical opportunities for everyone in the city. 

“The launch of the University of Aberdeen Performance Swimming programme and the recruitment of Commonwealth Games coach Patrick Miley, highlight that, by working together, we are creating opportunities for local elite swimmers. 

Instead of having to travel great distances, or move away entirely to get access to the best facilities and coaching, they will be able to try out for a place on Team Aberdeen. By providing these opportunities we will be able to nurture future swimming sensations who will represent Aberdeen, the north-east, Scotland and the UK.”

Ally Whike, performance director of Scottish Swimming, said:

“This programme has been established through the hard work of the University of Aberdeen, local clubs, Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeen Sport and Leisure, highlighting the importance that a strong partnership approach brings to delivering high performing environments.

“Scottish Swimming looks forward to the continued development of the programme, and its positive impact in taking swimmers through the pathway and onwards to international level.”

May 192017
 

Duncan Sinclair, ASV CEO

With thanks to Yvette Rayner, PR Account Manager, Frasermedia.

A leading sports facility is forecast to bring over £2million to Aberdeen this year, as it welcomes high-profile national and international events. Aberdeen Sports Village (ASV), which is based on the city’s Linksfield Road, is holding four national and international competitions in 2017, which are predicted to bring the significant economic boost

Each year, ASV holds over 200 events at the prestigious venue, from local festivals to international competitions, by working closely with community leaders and national sporting bodies.

The first of this year’s prominent events, the Scottish National Age Groups Swimming Championships (SNAGS), took place at ASV at the end of March.

The event, one of the largest under 18 swimming event in the UK, brought an estimated £1million of economic benefit to the city. 1000 of the best swimmers in their age group competed, from over 90 clubs across the Scotland. For many, the prestigious event offered the chance to gain consideration times for the Commonwealth Youth Games, taking place in the Bahamas in July.

Netball Europe, which came to Aberdeen between 11-14 May, saw eight national and international teams compete in a series of matches, with spectator seats sold out for most matches. The four-day international under 21 championship featured 100 competitors from England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, as well as an open challenge section, introducing teams from Bermuda, Gibraltar, Israel and The Republic of Ireland.

ASV won the right to host Netball Europe after a sustained campaign by Aberdeen Sports Village and Netball Scotland, supported by VisitAberdeenshire.

In June, the British Masters and Senior Age Group Championships  will be hosted at ASV’s Aquatics Centre, featuring swimmers from the across the UK. Over 800 competitors will take advantage of ASV’s impressive 50m pool, competing in a series of races, medleys and relays.

The busy swimming season culminates with the Scottish National Open Swimming Championship between 27 June and 2 July, showcasing the best of Scottish swimming, with over 300 current and future champions competing at ASV.

Duncan Sinclair, ASV CEO, said:

“ASV has been able to attract this year’s national and international competitions by working closely with VisitAberdeenshire, Scottish Swimming and Netball Scotland. VisitAberdeenshire has calculated the swimming and netball events alone will bring an estimated £2million in financial benefit to Aberdeen, proving that leisure and tourism activities are a vital  part of our local economy.

“The Aquatics Centre is now classed as an official Performance Centre by Scottish Swimming, as ASV can confidently deliver large, exciting swimming events.

“ASV is ideally placed to host high-profile competitions, and we are proud to welcome teams and their supporters from across the world to our outstanding facility.”

ASV boasts a state-of-the-art gym, sports hall, indoor and outdoor athletics facilities, indoor football pitch, and a range of exercise classes, as well as the Aquatics Centre, which includes an Olympic standard 50m pool and 25m diving pool.

For more information, contact a member of the team at ASV on 01224 438900.

  • Comments enabled – see comments box below. Note, all comments will be moderated.
May 052017
 

With thanks to Diane Smith.

The Moray Way Association has received £6000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to support the Moray Walking & Outdoor Festival and a project based along the Moray Way, Moray’s 96 mile long distance walking route.
Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the projects will focus on events that uncover the historical, archaeological, architectural, natural and the landscape heritage of Moray.

This year the festival, which runs from 16 June to 25 June 2017, will have a ‘heritage’ theme with more events than ever exploring Moray’s built and natural landscape.

Highlights of the programme will include two events by Moray based historian and writer of The Making of a Scottish Landscape, Dr John Barrett; Ghost Towns – deserted settlements in Strathavon, where you will be able to explore the remains of a lost culture and, A Royal Burgh: the making of Medieval Forres, a walk tracing the origins and development of the town. 

The events are proving to be popular as an extra date has been arrange for the Ghost Towns walk which was sold out in a week.

The programme has a wealth of other historical and natural heritage events organised by local community groups like Speyside Visitor Centre, Cullen, Deskford & Portknockie Heritage Group, Forres Footpaths Trust, the Dava Way, Belles on Bikes Moray and Findhorn Village Heritage, alongside organisations such as Wild Things!, Outfit Moray, Forestry Commission, Moray Council Ranger Service and Ace Adventures.

Over the 10 days there are 50 plus events right across Moray, from Tomintoul to Lossiemouth.

Back again this year is Moray Way Five Day Challenge in which participants walk the 95 miles of the Moray Way over 5 days.

The walk, which includes the Dava Way, Moray Coastal Trail and the Speyside Way, provides participants with a ‘park and ride’ service to make it easier to complete the long distance walk, with options to just walk sections of the route. Also, returning this year is the famous Dava Way Ghost Train Walk, the Secrets of Pluscarden and Secrets of Spynie which participants rated as excellent last year.

For those who are looking for adrenalin rush then Ace Adventures are running their water sports events every day of the festival at special reduced prices. You can see the River Findhorn from a different view with cliff jumping, canyoning and white water rafting. They are also running their growing activity, Disc Golf.

This year the programme has several firsts;

  • Moray Speyside Film Club are hosting a special “Outdoor” themed evening of films,
  • a Wild Swim event will be taking place in Lochindorb with Vivienne Rickman- Poole, artist, wild swimmer and listed in the top 19 San Miguel Rich List ‘alternative rich’ as well as Calum Maclean, of ‘Wild Swimming in Scotland’.
  • A unique and special opportunity with The British Biathlon Rifle Club to spend several hours learning to shoot small-bore rifles in the marvellously unique Olympic discipline of biathlon. 

As well as supporting events in the Moray Walking & Outdoor Festival the funding will also help the development of a long-term plan to increase awareness of the Moray Way. Funding will support a commission artist to work with communities along the Moray Way to gather stories which can then be used to promote the route. This project will expect to start in the summer.

Commenting on the award, Bea Jefferson, Chairperson of the Moray Way Association said:

“We are thrilled to have received support thanks to National Lottery players. Each year interest in the event flourishes and funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund ensures that we can keep growing. We look forward to celebrating Moray’s natural and built heritage through the Festival and our Moray Way project.”

About Moray Way Association

The Moray Way Association was founded in 2011 with the aim of creating Moray’s long distance walking route, The Moray Way, a 96 mile circular walking trail. Since 2012 the organisation has also organised the Moray Walking & Outdoor Festival with the purpose of encouraging walking and other outdoor pursuits in Moray. www.moraywalkingfestival.co.uk

For further information, images and interviews please contact Diane A Smith at Moray Walking & Outdoor Festival on 07764615517 or info@moraywalkingfestival.co.uk

  • Comments enabled – see comments box below. Note, all comments will be moderated.
Nov 102016
 

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

sports_hall1A leading Scottish sports facility is celebrating after being the first company to be awarded with Developing the Young Workforce’s Quality Accreditation at silver level. Aberdeen Sports Village received the accolade for its youth and volunteering programme, Village Volunteers, which provides young people with the opportunity to start a career in sport.

The world-class venue has been running its Village Volunteers programme since 2012.

The scheme allows young people, from the age of 14 and up, to volunteer at ASV events and activities, ranging from one-off sporting events to assisting with kids camps.

As well as this, the sports facility works closely with Aberdeen City Council and local schools to offer work placement opportunities to secondary school pupils. The placements give pupils the chance to gain and develop their skills whilst working in different areas of the business.

ASV also runs a number of youth development programmes, which aim to give young people, with little or no skills, the chance to gain qualifications that will improve their employability and prepare them for the workplace.

Swim Free at ASV is a free of charge initiative that is open to young people currently not in employment, education or training, as well senior school pupils. The course gives youngsters the chance to gain swim teaching and lifeguarding qualifications and, on completion, allows them to volunteer at ASV, to further boost their experience and development within a sporting environment.

Alison Shaw, sports development executive at Aberdeen Sports Village, said:

“ASV is dedicated to attracting and training young talent, so we’re honoured to have been recognised by DYW for our commitment to providing young people with the opportunity to gain additional skills through our Village Volunteers scheme.

“It’s not uncommon to see Village Volunteers, who start with ASV at a young age, eventually become paid members of the team. We’ve also had a few work placement pupils who have gained full-time employment with us.

“As part of our Swim Free at ASV programme, we also provide free swimming lessons to primary six and seven pupils who can’t swim yet. This is an extremely important initiative, as not only does it provide life-saving skills, but it also introduces young people to a new sport and helps improve their confidence in the swimming pool.”

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

“It’s very inspiring to see such a large business working hard to provide further opportunities for young people in the North-east. ASV has been recognised by DYW for its dedication to helping young people enter the workplace and the whole team should be very proud of its efforts.

“The Quality Accreditation has been introduced to increase the number of business engaging with schools. It gives employers, schools and pupils an assurance that a particular organisation, initiative or programme meets a minimum set of requirements.

“Young people are the workforce of tomorrow, so it’s incredibly important that employers do all they can to train and educate their volunteers, employees and apprentices. There are many benefits to utilising the talents of young people, as they often bring enthusiasm, dedication and unique thinking to any business.”

  • Comments enabled – see comments box below. Note, all comments will be moderated.
Oct 152016
 

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

judy-wardlaw

Judy Wardlaw is ASV’s first diving coordinator and coach .

A diving coach with experience in training junior Scottish athletes working towards elite status has her eyes set on talent in Aberdeen to become future stars in the sport.
Judy Wardlaw has joined Aberdeen Sports Village (ASV) as the organisation’s first diving coordinator and coach, and will lead the team to develop youngsters in the city and shire who are showing promise in the pool.

The 28-year-old has moved north from a similar role in Edinburgh where she worked with the coach who trained Rio Olympic athlete, Grace Reid, and Commonwealth athlete, James Heatly.

The new role at ASV, which has been partly funded by sportscotland as part of a four year initiative, will see Judy focus initially on increasing participation in diving across the North-east before concentrating on growing performance levels with a view to growing the potential elite talent in the area.

There are currently ten diving coaches based at the world class Aquatics Centre at ASV in the city’s Linksfield Road, which boasts an Olympic sized 50m swimming pool and 25m diving pool with diving boards up to 10m.

Judy, who dived competitively across the UK until she was 16 years old, will now manage and develop the skills of the coaches at ASV to ensure there is the coaching knowledge and experience in-house to support potential future Olympic athletes in the city.

She said:

“I’ve been involved in talent identification programmes throughout my coaching career and we will be rolling out a similar programme here at the Aquatics Centre so we can hand select the best talent there is and help them to develop their skills to potentially make a career in the future.

“My first focus will be to get more people involved in the sport and the learn to dive programme at ASV, while developing the elite and performance side.  As numbers increase in the pool, we’ll start to see the quality increase too and hopefully we will identify some future Olympic divers to represent Scotland in years to come.”

Chief executive of Aberdeen Sports Village, Duncan Sinclair, said:

“This is a new role for Aberdeen Sports Village and Judy’s appointment will be a superb addition to our team.  Focussing on our local diving talent is something we identified as a key initiative for the future and this gives us an excellent platform to offer real opportunities for our athletes.

“We have world class facilities at the Aquatics Centre and Judy is a superb addition to our excellent team which allows us to offer amazing development opportunities for those who excel in diving.  As we grow more talent here we will be able to attract bigger sporting events to the city, such as the 2020 European Junior Diving  Championships and the British Junior Elite Diving Championships.”

Aberdeen Sports Village host a junior Learn to Dive programme and an adult Learn to Dive programme to encourage people of all ages to try diving and develop their skills and currently has 117 divers.  The Diving Club is by invitation only for diving talent identified for potential progression in the sport and there are currently 23 divers competing at various local and national competitions.

  • Comments enabled – see comments box below. Note, all comments will be moderated.
Jun 302016
 

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

A leading north-east charity is appealing for volunteers to dive into the fast lane and be a part of a new swimming festival.

CLAN Cancer Support has two spaces available for Swim Serpentine, a new mass participation event organised by London Marathon Events which is held in and around the Serpentine in Hyde Park, London.

Swimmers will be recreating a bit of history as the beautiful venue hosted the open water swimming competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The swim on Saturday, September 24, is part of a two day festival, with the British Open Water Swimming Championships taking place the following day.

Participants must complete the one-mile challenge in a wetsuit or tow-float and will be released into the water in 18 groups throughout Saturday.

Susan Crighton, CLAN fundraising manager, said:

“Swim Serpentine is an exciting new event and we are thrilled to have secured places for it. Around 6,000 swimmers will be taking part and it will be so special to have CLAN supporters among that incredible number.

“The swim is taking place a week after the Paralympics finish in Rio so it will be special to be at a previous Olympic venue when Olympic spirits will still be high.

“We expect there to be a lot of interest as this is such a unique event so would encourage people to get in touch as soon as possible to secure a space. Swim Serpentine caters for swimmers of varying strength so this really is the perfect chance to take the plunge for CLAN and help us raise funds for our services across the north-east.”

For more information or to take part in Swim Serpentine please contact Darren Hill at CLAN to register on 01224 651034 or email darren.hill@clanhouse.org.

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, 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

  • Comments enabled – see comments box below. Note, all comments will be moderated.

 

Jun 192015
 

Eilidh Whiteford Banff Links 2015With thanks to Paul Robertson.

It was no ordinary day in the constituency last week as Banff & Buchan MP, Eilidh Whiteford, donned a wetsuit and braved the chilly waters of the Moray Firth.
Dr. Whiteford was meeting with Surf & Watersports Scotland when she took the opportunity to sample the increasingly popular sport.

The group runs surfing and other watersports activities at Banff Links, and was recently approved by Aberdeenshire & Moray Councils to teach the sport to youngsters.

Davie Johnson, who founded the club seven years ago, commented:

“Since starting in 2002, we have grown every year with people from across Aberdeenshire, Scotland and even further afield coming to enjoy Banff’s crystal clear waters and great waves.

“People nowadays are rightly sceptical about politicians, but it was great to see that our own MP has lots of get-up-and-go. We look forward to seeing Eilidh back riding the waves!”

Drying off after her dip in the sea, Dr Whiteford said:

“I was riding on the crest of a wave when I realised that I had been re-elected as MP for this area, but I never thought a couple of weeks later I would be doing so literally. It was a great experience.

“There’s real potential to develop the sport locally, and I will shortly be writing to Aberdeenshire Council to investigate whether additional support can be secured. Davie and the Surf & Watersports group have done a fantastic job thus far and there’s a real opportunity to develop the area further as part of the Banffshire coast’s tourism offering.”

  • Comments enabled – see comments box below. Note, all comments will be moderated.

[Aberdeen Voice accepts and welcomes contributions from all sides/angles pertaining to any issue. Views and opinions expressed in any article are entirely those of the writer/contributor, and inclusion in our publication does not constitute support or endorsement of these by Aberdeen Voice as an organisation or any of its team members.]

Mar 142014
 

Aberdeen City’s Bon Accord Baths are a beautiful, Listed B, historic bath house which the entire community enjoyed before their closure in 2009. After the Carpe Diem Trust abandoned their plans to run Bon Accord Baths, a group of citizens from all walks of life and political views are banding together. They want the baths to open, whether run by the city or a social enterprise. It is time to run the baths, Phoebe Copeland writes.

Bon Accord baths by Geoff Croll  (4)

Bon Accord baths photographed by Geoff Croll 2012

The campaign to save the Art Deco Bon Accord Baths is picking up steam. Barely one week old, and a Facebook Page ‘Save The Bon Accord Baths’ has reached 10,000 members.

The social benefits of re-opening the baths cannot be denied; this bath was used by children, older citizens, and people with special needs.

If we wish to encourage people to engage with swimming, witness the new Olympic pool, there must be a suitable place for fledgling swimmers and those who might be more inclined to exercise if they could also socialise with friends.

The baths could play a part in alleviating stress; the therapeutic benefits of baths, spas and swimming are undisputed.

A petition is under one week old to save the baths, started by Craig Adams, local businessman and owner of the Moorings Bar. The count is going up swiftly as signatures hit over 2000 in less than one week. The petition can be found here: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-bon-accord-baths.html

There is a draft statement on the fledgling Facebook page; this is the text:-

For Bon Accord Baths to be reinstated to working condition and reopened to the public. We’d prefer the baths to be run as a public amenity, but would consider partnership with a charitable trust. We’d like them properly maintained. We’d like the pool to be of a similar temperature to other leisure pools.

By Bon Accord Baths, we refer to all the facilities historically on offer, including but not limited to the:

Swimming pool

Spectator seating

Gymnasium

Turkish baths / saunas

Cafe

Shop

We believe that Bon Accord Baths can be operated as a viable public amenity. Operating costs would be adequately covered by the following revenue streams:

Pay per use admissions

Block admissions

Season tickets

Corporate sponsorship in exchange for employee access benefit

Cafe, potentially leasing the cafe to a third party operator

Shop for sale of apparel and equipment

Ancillary revenue from vending/gaming machine,s etc

Bon Accord baths by Geoff Croll  (2)

Bon Accord baths photographed by Geoff Croll 2012

So can these baths make enough profit to stay open? Other cities are doing it. London’s beautiful Porchester Baths are making a healthy business out of keeping people healthy.
http://www.better.org.uk/leisure/porchester-centre

The town of Bath spent a huge amount of money on a new, state-of-the-art public bath and spa, and it is attracting tourists from around the world as well as offering local people an excellent service.
http://www.thermaebathspa.com/the-spa/spa-sessions-new-royal-bath/

No one is proposing a grand redevelopment, just a concerted effort to stop the baths being sold, and to have them open again. Many residents are concerned that built heritage is being lost, witness the redevelopment of the Capital Theatre. Surely this is one issue that everyone can agree on?

Much has been made of ways to revivify the city centre: surely this is one of the best ways to re-establish an affordable, necessary amenity, create employment, and give people a reason to linger in the city centre. Let’s not allow Bon Accord to go down the plughole.

What to do:

Sign the petition.
Join the discussion on Facebook
Send any memories or photographs to the campaign via the Facebook page
Contact your local representatives –  find them here.

Aberdeen Voice is grateful to photographer Geoff Croll for kind permission to reproduce his work.

  • Comments enabled – see comments box below. Note, all comments will be moderated.
Sep 132012
 

With thanks to Dave Macdermid.

Since opening in August 2009, Aberdeen Sports Village (ASV), the North East of Scotland’s premier sports facility, has welcomed over 1.74 million users through its doors and has increased its visitor numbers by over 30% in three years.

The premier sports facility has played host to a number of exciting events this year including the Hydrasun Mini Olympics, Denis Law Soccer Tournament, Cameroon v Scotland Women’s football match and being chosen as the venue for the Cameroon Olympic Team training camp.

February of this year boasted the busiest month for ASV with membership peaking at over 7,000 and almost 71,000 people using the state of the art sporting facilities.

In order to accommodate the centre’s increase in users, a number of development plans are in place for the near future.

The £22 million Aquatics Centre development is progressing well. The new facility on King Street, which is on track for opening in early 2014, will offer world-class swimming and diving facilities to both members of the community and elite athletes.

David Beattie, chief executive at Aberdeen Sports Village said:

“The popularity ASV has experienced since opening has been phenomenal. A cutting edge sporting facility hosting activities for people of every fitness level was clearly exactly what the area needed. The feedback received has been incredibly positive with all the facilities including the gym, sports hall, indoor pitch, athletics area, studios and classes all being consistently busy.

“This level of use and interest in the centre has enabled us to put a number of exciting plans and developments in place that will allow us to provide even more activities and opportunities for our users.” 

 The facility, which opened in 2009, is the result of a joint venture by funding partners the Universityof Aberdeen, Aberdeen City Council and sportscotland.