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Alhikmah Foundation Event Supports Aberdeen Project

Jun 302016

With thanks to Paul Smith, Citrus:Mix.

Plans for the next stage in an ambitious Aberdeen community project have taken another major step forward after a fundraiser in the city added £75,000 to the running total. The Alhikmah Foundation is the driving force behind the creation of the Masjid Alhikmah, which will feature community and youth facilities as well as prayer halls for north-east Muslims.

Made possible entirely through donations and the fundraising activities of supporters, already £1.2million has been donated and an Iftar dinner at the Hilton Treetops Hotel in Aberdeen on Friday, June 17, brought in £75,000 during an evening attended by more than 500 people.

The generous backing to date has enabled the Nelson Street project to make significant progress, with the main part of the construction programme concluded in January (2016).

The first phase incorporated all structural and external aspects and the foundation is pushing forward for plans for the second stage, which will involve the internal fit and finish of the three-storey building.

A spokesman for the Alhikmah Foundation said:

“The completion of the external elements of the building was a significant milestone and a very proud moment for all who have been involved in the project. To see the site transformed and regenerated is very rewarding, with the feedback we have had from local residents extremely positive.

“None of this would have been possible without the support the foundation has received from donors and from fundraisers who have taken on an incredible array of challenges. To reach £1.2m is a wonderful achievement and we cannot thank those who have contributed enough.

“Without them the vision for Masjid Alhikmah could not have become a reality and the latest event is another demonstration of the strength of support there is – the £75,000 total from the Iftar dinner exceeded our expectations and we thank all who attended and made the evening such a success.”

Iftar is part of the month of Ramadan and marks the breaking of the daily fast between dawn and sunset. The foundation dinner was an opportunity for the north-east Muslim community to join together for Iftar whilst supporting a fundraising cause close to their heart.

The campaign will continue as the project progresses, with the target of raising an additional £425,000 to pay for the internal aspects of the new facility. The full annual report for 2015 has been published and is available to download online, outlining the financial performance of the foundation for the year and also detailing key aspects of the project.

The spokesman added:

“The annual report is an opportunity to look back over a very productive year but also look forward to what is ahead. We know there are a number of community fundraising events in the pipeline and it is very important that the momentum that we have built is carried forward.

“It has been a wonderful effort to get to this stage, particularly given the challenging economic climate facing the north-east at present, and we are grateful to everyone who has contributed so far or who plans to in the weeks and months ahead. Every penny spent on the project will continue to come from fundraising by our supporters.”

Masjid Alhikmah will feature space for worship, funeral preparations, dedicated women’s facilities and a family community centre. There is an active Muslim community living in and around the city of Aberdeen and the facility is designed to help create unity and foster a sense of harmony between Muslims and fellow north-east residents.

The name chosen for the new centre stems from Arabic. Masjid translates as “a place of congregational worship” and Alhikmah as “wisdom”.

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Investors In Young People Accreditation For Langstane

Aberdeen City, Information No Responses »

Apr 082016

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

Aberdeen-based Langstane, Scotland’s largest independent office supplies company, has achieved the Investors in Young People Accreditation, the only people management standard that focuses on an employer’s recruitment and retention of young people.

This represents a true commitment to the training and development of young people and demonstrates Langstane as an employer of choice for young people.

Launched in July 2014, Investors in Young People originated through a key recommendation from the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce, led by Sir Ian Wood.

The accreditation is offered to all businesses across Scotland and exists to recognise and support organisations across Scotland in the employment of young people.

Having now achieved the accreditation, Langstane is now eligible to use and display the Investors in Young People logo and plaque, and enjoy its benefits.

Commenting on the award, Colin Campbell (pictured), managing director of Langstane, said:

“Langstane is extremely committed to attracting and retaining young talent in all areas of the business. Young people play a huge part in the future of our company, so it is vital that we provide them with all the training, support and advice they need to truly excel in the workplace.

“We are honoured to be awarded the Investors in Young People Accreditation, as it reflects our dedication towards helping those just out of school, college or university into a worthwhile career with Langstane.”

Peter Russian, chief executive of Investors in People Scotland, said:

“This is a fantastic achievement for Langstane, and I and the whole IIYP team would like to wholeheartedly congratulate them. The Investors in Young People framework not only recognises and supports organisations in the employment of young people, but marks them out as an employer of choice.

“I envisage that many more organisations will wish to follow in the footsteps of Langstane and demonstrate their commitment to young people by working with the Investors in Young People framework.”

He continued:

“The benefits of recruiting and developing young people are countless. These include the creation of a talent pool for the future, new and increased skills in areas such as IT and social media, fresh eyes and mind-sets into business operations along with enthusiasm and unique talents.”

James Bream, research and policy director at Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce added on behalf of Developing the Young Workforce North East Scotland, added:

“It is exciting to see another North-east business taking real action to help create a bright future for the young people in the area. We work closely with business and schools to help promote the benefits of supporting young talent, so it’s superb to hear that Langstane have received an Investors in Young People Accreditation to reward their efforts.”

Established in 1947 as a family business, Langstane is now Scotland’s largest independent office products company and one of the largest in the UK. It employs 158 staff from its head office in Aberdeen, as well as offices in Dundee, Livingston, and Inverurie.

Specialising in a wide variety of office products, Langstane also supplies print services, furniture, catering, business gifts, and janitorial supplies to locations throughout Scotland.

For more information about Langstane, its products and career opportunities visit www.langstane.co.uk. Like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LangstanePress and follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LangstanePress.

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Youth Council To Hold Refugee Crisis Debate

Aberdeen City, News No Responses »

Oct 152015

With thanks to Martin Carle, Public Relations Officer, Aberdeen City Youth Council.

The Aberdeen City Youth Council is to hold a debate next week regarding the refugee crisis.

Chaired by ACYC chairperson Piotr Teodorowski, the event will have input from elected representatives Christian Allard MSP, Lewis MacDonald MSP and Alex Johnstone MSP, and Aberdeen University’s Dr Luisa Gandolfo.

The event information follows:
Thursday 22nd October,
6-8pm
Aberdeen City Townhouse.

Light refreshment will be available at the event.

TFL Creates Conservation Opportunities For Young People

Environment, News No Responses »

Sep 282015

Phil Duffield from Scottish Power Foundation (centre) meets Trees for Life volunteers (left-right) Sam Manning, Grace Burger, Emily Warner and Rebecca Schmidt at Dundreggan Conservation Estate

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

Award-winning conservation charity Trees for Life is running a new project to develop high-quality conservation volunteering opportunities for young people, thanks to a grant of £20,000 from the ScottishPower Foundation.

Those benefitting from the initiative include students from Aberdeen University, Peterborough Open Awards Centre, Glasgow University and Leicestershire’s Brooksby Melton College.

“This generous grant from ScottishPower Foundation is excellent news for the Caledonian Forest and its rare species, and for dozens of young people who will be able to study and carry out practical hands-on conservation work – including the establishment of native woodlands and managing land for wildlife,” said Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s Executive Director.

“The funding will enable us to make our project accessible to the widest range of young people – particularly those facing disadvantages and financial barriers to participation.”

Ann Loughrey, Trustee and Executive Officer at the ScottishPower Foundation, said:

“The ScottishPower Foundation is committed to supporting community programmes that inspire young people to get more out of life, whilst giving something back to their local community.

“Through the Trees for Life initiative, the young people involved will gain practical skills that will support their career ambitions, as well as valuable life skills. We are delighted to support Trees for Life and wish all the young people involved every success for the future.”

The project will benefit 70 young people aged 18-25 years old during 2015. Through both week-long courses and long-term volunteering placements, the young people will be able to develop new skills and strengthen their employability.

Activities will include the planting of native trees and plants to expand woodland habitat, collecting and propagating seeds in a specialised tree nursery at Trees for Life’s acclaimed Dundreggan Conservation Estate near Loch Ness, and carrying out biodiversity surveys.

Although only a fraction of the former Caledonian Forest now survives, Trees for Life volunteers have helped to plant more than one million trees at dozens of locations across the Highlands, and to create 10,000 acres of new forest. The charity has pledged to establish one million more trees by planting and natural regeneration by 2018.

For more information about Trees for Life, see www.treesforlife.org.uk or call 01309 691292.

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ACYC Commemorates Role Of Polish Pilots In Battle Of Britain.

Aberdeen City, News No Responses »

Sep 102015

With thanks to Martin Carle.

The Aberdeen City Youth Council, alongside the Polish Association in Aberdeen have organised an event to be taking place in the city that commemorates the role of Polish pilots in the Battle of Britain, 75 years on.
“For Your Freedom and Ours” is an event that will run from 5pm on Wednesday 16th September in the city’s Town House.

Lord Provost George Adam is to open the exhibition and there will be a lecture from Mateusz Biskup, a polish writer and author.

Refreshment will be available on the evening.

The Event is open to the public, and much of the exhibition consists of informative displays that can be viewed at your leisure. Speaking about the event, ACYC chairperson, Piotr Teodorowski says

“The Youth Council runs multiculturalism consultations in Aberdeen. Many young people want to learn about different cultures. Thus, we organise a joint event with the Polish Association to show our common history and present these courageous men and women who fought for our freedom 75 years ago in the Battle of Britain.”

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Aberdeen Skateboarders Land New Kincorth Skatepark

Aberdeen City, Sport No Responses »

Aug 072015

With thanks to Ian McLaren, PR account manager, Innes Associates.

Kincorth’s new state-of-the-art skatepark.

Kick flips, nose slides and half pipes will be all be on display at the opening of Aberdeen’s newest community skateboard park on Saturday, 08 August 2015.
The free to access, state-of-the-art facility on Kincorth Circle has been constructed following years of discussion between local residents and Kincorth and Leggart Community Council, who launched an appeal for funding.

The park cost around £55,000 and north-east children’s charity Cash for Kids assisted the community council in securing the funding, with £50,000 coming from charity Aberdeen Forward and the Aberdeen Harbour Board.

The remaining £5,000 was raised by the community council.

The all wheeled park, which has been built by leading specialist company Concrete Skateparks, will cater for skateboarding, BMX biking and in-line skating, and features full disabled access. A range of brand new equipment, including BMX bikes, boards and safety clothing, has also been donated by Cash for Kids for use by local youngsters.

Kincorth and Leggart Community Council secretary Catherine Cowie, who also led the project, said:

“We have been working on this project for many years and it has been driven by the needs of the local young people. Cash for Kids has given us great support which has enabled us to secure the required funding and also have some equipment available for local youngsters to use.

“The community council’s role is to support people of all ages living in the area and it will be wonderful to see local youngsters and their families enjoying this well designed new facility. The skatepark will provide a positive diversionary activity for children in Kincorth and surrounding area. In additions, we plan to run free coaching sessions for local young people so they can learn a new sport that they might not otherwise have tried.”

The skateboards, BMX bikes and safety equipment will be available to young people free of charge with a parental signature required under the terms of the rental agreement. It is hoped the items will also be used by schools during PE sessions.

Emma Kemp, Cash for Kids’ charity manager, said:

“Facilities such as this are important assets to encourage youngsters in local communities to get outdoors and be active. Cash for Kids worked closely with the community council to secure the substantial funding required for this project to become a reality and it is fantastic to see everyone’s hard work now come to fruition.

“Our donation of kit and safety equipment ensures that young skaters and BMX enthusiasts who don’t have their own equipment are able to enjoy this facility. We hope the skatepark proves to be a mechanism to get children involved in sport on all levels for many years to come.”

An opening ceremony will be held at noon on Saturday, 08 August 2015 and will include demonstrations and training sessions from Transition Extreme and Granite Reef staff. Young people are being encouraged to take along their bikes, skateboards and scooters to the event.

Cash for Kids is Northsound Radio’s listeners’ charity. It makes grants to individuals, families, children’s groups, organisations and projects throughout the Northsound transmission area. All money is raised locally and spent locally to benefit local disabled and disadvantaged children and young people under 18. More information on Cash for Kids can be found at www.northsound1.com/charity, or telephone 01224 337010.

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City Youth Council Builds International Relationships.

Aberdeen City, Community No Responses »

Jul 302015

With thanks to Martin Carle, Public Relations Officer, Aberdeen City Youth Council

The Aberdeen City Youth Council has been making excellent progress in its efforts to build strong and long lasting relationships with other youth councils and youth groups across the world.

The biggest progress ACYC has made is the recent exchanges it has had with the University of the Basque Country.

Youth Councillors travelled over to the university where they met with the speaker of the Basque Parliament, the Basque Youth Council and the representatives from the Ministry of Education.

The ministry was kind enough to have prepared a 2 hour presentation on teaching Basque languages at schools. On their visit to Aberdeen, the representatives of the Basque Country met with local politicians, council officers and ACVO.

More recently, ACYC chairperson Piotr Teodorowski had a conversation with the Secretary General of the Tunis Youth Council. As a further step, the two bodies plan to organise and hold a video conference on terrorism, which shall be organised later in August.

Youth Council representatives have also met with representatives of our twin city Gomel to celebrate 25 years of the relationship.

On future plans for the youth council, chairperson Piotr Teodorowski says

“International exchanges and cooperation is a great opportunity for young people to learn much more about the world. Aberdeen City Youth Council tries to stay in touch not only with our twin cities but also with any similar regions to ours. “

It really is a small world!

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[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.]

ACYC Elects New Office Bearing Team

Aberdeen City, Information No Responses »

Jul 162015

With thanks to Piotr Teodorowski.

Members of the Aberdeen City Youth Council (ACYC) have elected a new Office Bearing team at their recent Annual General Meeting.

The new team of Office Bearers includes a new Chairperson and a new Vice-Chair Person as well as a new Secretary, Public Relations Officer and Treasurer.

The elected members are as follows:

Chairperson- Piotr Teodorowski
Piotr is the first non-British Chairperson of Aberdeen City Youth Council to have been elected.

Vice-Chairperson- Rebecca Lindsay
Rebecca has recently taken part in a sponsored hike up Mount Toubkal, Morocco for charity.

Treasurer- Scott Bremner
Scott is a member of the peer-education group GRADE-A, which provides drugs education.

Public Relations Officer- Martin Carle
Martin is the youngest of the newly elected Office Bearing team.

Secretary- Euan Davidson
Euan is a member of Hot Topics, a peer-education group that delivers sex education lessons to schools.

The new Office Bearing Team looks forward to working in their respective roles for the next two years.

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Scottish Bed Making Championship Launches In Aberdeen

Aberdeen City, Charity, Featured No Responses »

Jul 162015

With thanks to Ian McLaren, PR account manager, Innes Associates.

Michele Binnie and Courage the Cat launch the Scottish Bed Making Championship

Cash for Kids’ Michele Binnie and charity mascot Courage the Cat launch the Scottish Bed Making Championship at Village Urban Resort

Hospital corners will be the order of the day when a new competition is held in Aberdeen next month. The city is to play host to the inaugural Scottish Bed Making Championship on Thursday, 06 August.

The brainchild of local children’s charity Cash for Kids, the event forms part of its fundraising efforts for this year’s Bed Appeal.

The appeal, which officially launched earlier this month, aims to provide underprivileged children in north-east Scotland with a bed of their own and local disabled youngsters with specialist beds.

The charity hopes this year’s Bed Appeal will raise around £25,000 to purchase beds for more than 100 local underprivileged and disabled children.

The Scottish Bed Making Championship will be staged at Kingswells’ Village Urban Resort and is expected to attract entries from hotels, guest houses, care providers and hospitals in north-east Scotland.

Teams of four will be challenged to make a double bed – fitting sheets, pillow slips and duvet covers – as quickly as possible, before then making a bed which will be judged on its presentation. Points will be awarded for each task, with the two highest scoring teams then taking part in a bed race to be crowned Scottish Bed Making Champions. The winners will also win a corporate bowling night courtesy of Codona’s.

Cash for Kids charity manager Michele Binnie said:

“We are very excited to be launching the Scottish Bed Making Championship, which will be an important part of the 2015 Bed Appeal. The appeal highlights the issues of poverty and disability that families here in the north-east are facing.

“The championship is open to any team that wants to show off its bed making prowess, whether they’re from the hospitality and care industries or another sector entirely. Cash for Kids is grateful to Village Urban Resort Aberdeen for getting behind the event and we look forward to a great evening on Thursday, 06 August.”

Tracy Harrison, general manager of Village Urban Resort Aberdeen, said:

“The Scottish Bed Making Championship is a fantastic initiative to raise funds for this important appeal. It gives housekeeping teams in hotels and guest houses, and nursing and care staff a chance to shine at something they have to do proficiently and speedily each day.

“The championship is not just about making a bed quickly, but also presenting it well. The judges will be looking for crisp hospital corners and well plumped pillows. It will no doubt be a fun and competitive event, and one that we hope our hospitality colleagues across the north-east, and further afield, will get behind.”

Entry to the Scottish Bed Making Championship costs £100 for a team of four people, all of which goes directly to the Bed Appeal. Anyone interested in entering a team should contact Michele Binnie on 01224 337010 or michele.binnie@northsound.co.uk, or register online at www.northsound1.com/bed.

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Macduff Youngsters Welcomed To Westminster

Aberdeenshire, News 1 Response »

May 292015

Eilidh Whiteford MP with Macduff Primary pupils prior to their visit to Westminster

With thanks to Paul Robertson.

Pupils from Macduff Primary School have enjoyed a first-hand experience of what goes on in the UK Parliament, following last week’s visit to the House of Commons.

Banff & Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford welcomed the pupils for a look at what happens behind the scenes in the UK Parliament.

The youngsters visited Westminster Hall, Central Lobby, and the House of Lords debating chamber.

Speaking after the visit, Eilidh said:

“It was a pleasure to welcome the pupils to Parliament. I’ve given talks to Macduff’s P6 and 7 classes frequently in recent years, and it’s a great experience for them to come down and see the Westminster Parliament and learn about its quirky traditions. They ask questions worthy of any politician in the Commons debating chamber and there is no doubt a few budding politicians in their ranks.”

A little part of Macduff Primary remained in London following their visit. A flag, designed by pupils at the school, will fly in Parliament square for one week alongside flags designed by schools across the UK to commemorate Westminster’s 750th anniversary. The Macduff Primary design will represent the historic country of Banffshire

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