Aberdeen Inspired Secures Three Year Christmas Village Deal

 Aberdeen City, News  No Responses »
Nov 172016
 

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

Aberdeen-Inspired1Aberdeen Inspired has secured three year deals with both Aberdeen City Council and Codona’s to manage the Aberdeen Christmas Village up to 2018.

The leading business organisation introduced the festive wonderland last year in partnership with the council and the family amusement firm, and has now committed to further delivery of the Yuletide event.

The Aberdeen Christmas Village will open to the public from November 25 to January 08.

The hugely popular ice-rink will make a return to the pocket park as part of the Christmas offering and has been doubled in size. Other attractions will include funfair rides, food vendors and an entertainment marquee as well as double the amount of market stalls offering a wide selection of goods.

Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said:

“We are thrilled to be bringing back the Aberdeen Christmas Village this month, which will be even bigger and better than last year.

“Codona’s did a fantastic job in managing the event last year and we are pleased to have now secured a three year commitment up to 2018. Now this has been finalised we are looking forward to working with them and Aberdeen City Council to deliver a fantastic Christmas experience for Aberdeen.

“Work has now begun on the build and we can’t wait to see the festive heart of the city centre start to take shape. We have worked hard to offer something fun for the people of Aberdeen and create something they will really enjoy. As well as building on the offering of last year, we will be introducing some new aspects to the village in association with local groups and look forward to sharing details on that in the near future.

“Part of Aberdeen Inspired’s remit is to increase footfall within the city centre and the Aberdeen Christmas Village will help towards that, with the hopeful knock-on effect of bringing in benefits to local shops, restaurants and businesses. To achieve this aim, we need to support of the public and visitors to Aberdeen, so I would urge everyone to enjoy what is being offered on their doorstep and support their city centre.”

Union Terrace will be closed from November 18 in the evening to January 15 to accommodate the village, while the slip road between His Majesty’s Theatre and Union Terrace was closed from November 12 to allow construction of the open air ice rink to begin in the pocket park.

Deputy council leader Councillor Marie Boulton said:

“The Christmas Village was a major attraction last year and will be a popular part of the Winter Festival again. With work beginning on construction, we look forward to the opening of the village and are pleased to be working with our partners to deliver what is a fantastic addition to Aberdeen’s festive offering. For Aberdeen City Council the Christmas Village is part of a clear focus on ensuring a wide and varied programme of high quality events and attractions, both for the people of the city and with the aim of attracting visitors from at home and abroad.”

Alfred Codona, director of Aberdeen-based family amusement firm Codona’s, said: “We are delighted to have secured a deal with Aberdeen Inspired to deliver the Aberdeen Christmas Village, which was popular with locals and visitors alike to the city centre last year.

“At Codona’s we take great pride in ensuring fun and excitement for visitors to our attractions and we are looking forward to revealing more about our plans for the Village. This three-year deal will allow us to keep building on the event each year and we are looking forward to working with Aberdeen Inspired and other partners to bring together a festive experience on Union Terrace.”

Aberdeen Inspired is the banner under which the Aberdeen BID (Business Improvement District) operates. It is a business-led initiative within the city centre in which levy payers within the BID zone contribute. Proceeds are used to fund projects designed to improve the business district and driving footfall to the zone.

For further information on the work of Aberdeen Inspired visit www.aberdeeninspired.com

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ASV Accredited For Commitment To Youth Development

 Aberdeen City, Sport  No Responses »
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.”

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Aberdeen Christmas Village Build Underway

 Aberdeen City, News  No Responses »
Nov 192015
 

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

Preparations are now underway to create a festive winter wonderland in the heart of the Granite City.

Led by Aberdeen Inspired in partnership with Aberdeen City Council and Codona’s, the Aberdeen Christmas Village will open to the public from November 26 to January 03.

Union Terrace will be closed from November 21 to January 8 to accommodate the village, while the slip road between His Majesty’s Theatre and Union Terrace was closed from November 16 to allow construction of the open air ice rink to begin in the pocket park.

The spectacular rink will provide the focal point among a variety of fantastic attractions, ranging from festive fairground rides and a German style market to an entertainment marquee and festive food and drink stands.

Gary Craig, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said:

“The Aberdeen Christmas Village will be something unique and fantastic for Aberdeen and excitement is mounting as its opening draws nearer. Work will begin on Union Terrace on Saturday (November 21) and it will be great to see the village start to take shape. We believe that it will offer something different for residents and visitors to enjoy and create a wonderfully festive atmosphere in the heart of the city centre, enhancing Aberdeen’s Yuletide offering.

“Part of Aberdeen Inspired’s remit is to increase footfall within the city centre and we are sure that the Aberdeen Christmas Village will certainly help towards that. As well as building on the attractions we have put on in previous years, we wanted to create something that people would enjoy while also bringing in benefits to local businesses, restaurants and shops. It will be bigger and better than ever before.

“As with any major city centre event some traffic disruption will take place throughout the duration of its stay and plans are in place to minimise inconvenience to the public. We are looking forward to welcoming people to the village from November 26 and hope they enjoy the great variety of attractions and entertainment that will be on offer.”

Aberdeen City Council Deputy Leader Councillor Marie Boulton said:

“Excitement is really building now for the start of the Christmas Village with people from all over the city and further away having told us they’re thrilled about coming to see this unique event.

“The build for the ice rink is already taking shape and people will see a lot of work happening on the Union Terrace site to turn it into a winter wonderland. We look forward to welcoming people to our beautiful city with all the winter activities on offer.”

The line-up for the entertainment marquee has been organised by Breakneck Comedy and includes a host of talented comedians, bands, singers and choirs who have been booked to entertain the crowds. These include Best Girl Athlete, The Rock Choir, The Lorelei, Iron Broo and Dirty Shoes as well as Gary Meikle, Jordon Young and Jamie Dalgleigh among others.

The Aberdeen Christmas Village is part of the Winter Festival, which is being organised by Aberdeen City Council. A number of traffic measures will be in place for the duration of the village. Please ensure you plan ahead and for more information visit http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/

Aberdeen Inspired is the banner under which the Aberdeen BID (Business Improvement District) operates. It is a business-led initiative within the city centre in which levy payers within the BID zone contribute. Proceeds are used to fund projects designed to improve the business district and driving footfall to the zone.

For further information on the work of Aberdeen Inspired visit www.aberdeeninspired.com

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Sports Village Welcomes 1.7million Users In Three Years

 Aberdeen City, Featured, Sport  No Responses »
Sep 132012
 

david-beattie-chief-executive-at-aberdeen-sports-village
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.

Women’s Football: Aberdeen Hosts Scotland V Cameroon

 Aberdeen City, Sport  No Responses »
Jul 122012
 

With thanks to Dave Macdermid. 

scotcamerball
As the Olympic flame makes its way back to London, Aberdeen Sports Village (ASV), is gearing up to host its very first international football match.
On Sunday 15th July at 3pm, Cameroon women’s football team will play the Scotland women’s national team in an international challenge match in preparation for their Olympic campaign.

Tickets for the international challenge match at ASV are now on sale for £5 (£2 for concessions) and can be purchased at ASV reception, or by calling 01224 438900.

Aberdeen Sports Village is situated at Linksfield Road, Aberdeen

Website: www.aberdeensportsvillage.com
Email:    info@aberdeensportsvillage.com
Twitter:  @asvabdn

Users Vote Disability Sports Hub A Success

 Aberdeen City, Sport  No Responses »
Jul 062012
 

Scotland’s first ever Disability Sports Hub, launched in the spring at Aberdeen Sports Village, is proving to be a great success with extremely positive feedback from organisers and users. With thanks to Dave Macdermid.

Gym
The community initiative, run and organised by Scottish Disability Sport (SDS), Sport Aberdeen and Aberdeen Sports Village, supports sportscotland’s contribution to the Scottish Government’s 2014 legacy plan, in creating exciting and innovative approaches to the development of local sporting clubs across Scotland.

The SDS vision is to lead the development of sport and physical recreation for disabled people in Scotland and contribute to UK and international initiatives.

SDS annually organises national events in bowls, athletics, football, swimming, boccia, wheelchair curling and cross country and association branches organise complementary qualifying events.

Andrinne Craig, Scottish Disability Sport’s Regional Manager in Grampian, commented,

“Although it’s still early days, we have been extremely heartened by the feedback from everyone involved, including participants, parents and coaches. Inclusive athletics sessions have been up and running for several weeks, on Wednesday afternoons, and the numbers attending are encouraging.”

These programmes are geared towards developing new and existing sports and helping athlete members to realise their full potential through sport. SDS has a particular commitment to children and young people and to ensuring that it demonstrates best practice in relation to equality.

The Disability Sports Hub offers people with disabilities, and their families and friends, opportunities to participate in a range of recreational activities, tailored to suit all ages and abilities. It will provide a home for a number of inclusive sports clubs and will be a place where participants can attend, try out and get involved in these activities.

Villages Are Deein

 Creative Writing, Satire and Humour  No Responses »
May 112012
 

By Bob Smith.

Midlem Village Hall

Some sma villages are deein
Aa ower the kwintraside
Young local fowk are cryin oot
Fer a wee hoosie fer ti bide
.
There are hoosies in the villages
The young canna afford ti buy
Fair forced oot  o the mairket
Prices are ower damn’t high
.
Snappit up bi fowk nae local
Some hoosies noo a holiday hame
So the young hiv ti move awa
Iss is maist criminal an a sham
>
Hoosies noo jist lyin empty
Jist used a fyow wikks a eer
Or lit oot bi rich owners
At a sky high rent a fear		 Local pubs an shops are shuttin
Cos there’s nae bugger left ti spend
Except fin the absent owners
Turn up at an odd wikkend
.
Local skweels are slowly closin
Cos young couples move awa
Aa fer the wint o a local hoosie
Far they can becum a ma an da
>
A law it shud be passed
Village hooses maun be offered
Ti fowk faa bide roon aboot
Afore incomers bids are proffered
.
The young are a village’s future
Wark an hooses we maun provide
An keep up the community spirit
Fit holiday hame gadgies canna provide

© Bob Smith “The Poetry Mannie”2012

Image credits:
Midlem Village Hall © Copyright Iain Lees and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
Thumbnail © David Napier under the Creative Commons

Sports Facilities World Class According To Users

 Aberdeen City, Sport  No Responses »
Apr 262012
 

With thanks to Dave Macdermid.

Gym
The world class facilities and services at Aberdeen Sports Village (ASV) have been given a big thumbs up by users.
Results from a recent survey of over 1,300 users have now been analysed, and the results are extremely positive for ASV, which since opening  in August 2009 has attracted over 1.5 million users.

The survey asked customers to rate their own individual experiences of ASV’s facilities and services, and the results are used to help develop products and services that will enhance the user experience.

ASV aims to provide all users with the highest quality of customer service, and 88% of respondents rated this as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. The exercise class and fitness services offered were also rated as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ by 82% of users, a massive 18 percentage point improvement since the last survey.

On the facilities front, the indoor pitch received a 100% rating and every ASV facility was rated as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ by at least 8 out of 10 respondents.

Chief Executive David Beattie said:

 “To receive such excellent feedback from our users is testament to the passion and commitment of every member of staff, and further underlines the quality of facilities we have on offer to everyone in the local community. We will now use this valuable feedback to help shape our services going forward and identify any areas for improvement.”

ASV Chairman George Yule added that:

“The quality of facilities and services at ASV is not only being recognised locally, but we are now able to attract international sports stars with the  arrival of the Cameroon Olympic Team in July and the  Celtic Games International Athletics in August. The commencement of work on the aquatics centre, due to open in 2014, will give us the impetus to keep on improving on the high standards we have set ourselves.”

Aberdeen Sports Village (ASV) is a partnership between the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen City Council and sportscotland and opened to the public in August 2009.

Football Legend On Lookout For Exclusive Friends

 Aberdeen City, Articles, Community, Information, News, Sport  No Responses »
Mar 092012
 

denislawp-ic
With thanks to Dave Macdermid. 

Organisers of the Denis Law Soccer Tournament, which replaced the longstanding Aberdeen International Football Festival last year, are looking to cement the financial future of the event with the formation of a ‘Friends’ group comprising 200 members.

Scotland legend Denis, the Patron of the DLST, is passionate about the tournament.

“Sport and in this case, football, forms an important part of a child’s upbringing and I firmly believe the experience and enjoyment that kids get from this event in my home town will stay with them forever. The organisers need your support to be able to sustain this worthy cause and I would urge you to become a Friend to ensure it can continue as an annual event. I look forward to seeing you at some point during the year to thank you personally.”

And everyone who signs up at £200 per annum to become a ‘Friend’ will get the opportunity to do just that as there will be ‘Friends of DLST’ reception at Aberdeen Sports Village, hosted by Denis himself.

In addition, Friends will receive recognition of support within the tournament programme, venue and website, a quarterly e-newsletter and entry into a prize draw for a complimentary team to be included in the DLST corporate football event.

This year’s tournament will take place at ASV between July 16th and 21st with action at 16 and Under and 14 and Under age groups.

Anyone wishing to become a Friend can pay via BACS, cheque or debit card via the ‘Friends of DLST’ link on www.aberdeensportsvillage.com or by contacting ASV Events Manager Fiona Cardwell on 01224 438926 or fiona@aberdeensportvillage.com

Available Spaces On ASV World Sports Tour

 Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Articles, Community, Information, Sport  No Responses »
Mar 092012
 

Aberdeen Sports Village (ASV) is the premier sporting facility in the North East.  ASV is running a project from 26th April as part of the London 2012 Inspire Programe.   The Inspire programme provides an opportunity for everyone to be a part of the London 2012 Games – a broad participation programme. New opportunities are being created to inspire young people and encourage the whole of the UK to join in. With thanks to Dave Macdermid.

sports_hall1
ASV’s World Sports Tour, a series of sports taster sessions for children, recently celebrated success, receiving the award of the London 2012 Inspire Mark by former Olympic, Commonwealth, European and World champion triple jumper Jonathan Edwards. Bookings are now being taken for the programme of sports activities.

ASV’s World Sports Tour offers children the chance to take part in 12 taster sessions of 12 different Paralympic and Olympic sports in the 12 weeks leading up to the arrival of the Cameroon Olympic Team in Aberdeen for their Pre-Games Training Camp (PGTC).

During the programme, the children will also discover fun facts about the events at the London Games and about athletes from different countries. At the end of each session, parents will be issued with contact details for local clubs where the children can continue to take part in the sports they enjoyed the most. The programme concludes with the Hydrasun Mini-Olympics on the 12th July, where the children will have the opportunity to meet some of the Cameroon athletes.

The programme aims to raise awareness of the Olympic Games, get the city excited about the arrival of the Cameroon team, increase the number of children participating in sport, and raise subscription numbers in established sports clubs across the city.

Additionally, the project forms the first phase of Aberdeen Sports Village & RGU: SPORT’s PGTC Community Programme through the use of local coaches and volunteers to deliver the activities. The Community Programme is set to raise the profile of the London Olympics and the Cameroon Team’s visit, and inspire the people of the North East.

Jan Griffiths, Sports Development Manager at Aberdeen Sports Village said:

 “We are delighted to have been awarded the Inspire Mark for ASV’s World Sports Tour. We’re confident that the programme of activities will be inspirational to local children and, through the signposting element of the project, will provide existing children’s sports clubs across the city with a wealth of new talented and ambitious athletes.”

ASV’s World Sports Tour is open to children from P4 to S2 of all abilities, and takes place at Aberdeen Sports Village on Thursdays from 4pm to 5pm, starting on 26th April. Each session only costs £2 and spaces are limited, so advanced booking is essential. Spaces can be booked by calling 01224 438 900 or visiting Aberdeen Sports Village.

More details about ASV’s World Sports Tour can be found on www.aberdeensportsvillage.com.

Contact Details:

Kenny Gunnyeon,
Business Development Manager
Email: Kenny@aberdeensportsvillage.com
Tel: 01224 438 918

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