Recognition of a company with a big heart which is committed to positive change within the community.
Sport Aberdeen is an award-winning charity and the largest sport and leisure provider in the North-east who is committed to creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives through sport and physical activity.
Established in 2010, it manages sport and physical activity services on behalf of Aberdeen City Council.
Every penny is reinvested back into the communities it serves and it has more than 500 employees, more than 30 venues and two million customers annually.
Strategically forged partnerships with public and private sector bodies help deliver focused programmes targeting typically inactive groups.
They have launched a host of targeted initiatives. These include
- · The Active Girls Committee, run by girls from secondary schools across the city and one of the first of its kind in Scotland. Its main aim is to reduce the inequality gap between the participation of girls and boys in sport and physical activity throughout Aberdeen city;
- · additional support needs (ASN) opportunities are key to helping everyone to get active and, alongside swimming and ice skating ASN programmes, 787 ASN participant visits were recorded by Adventure Aberdeen Snowsports between 2019-2021 on the pathway programme specifically developed in partnership with Special Olympics;
- · the Active Lifestyles programme provides opportunities for over 65s and anyone living with a health condition to take part in specialist classes and activities to suit all ability levels;
- · and SPACE (Supported Physical Activity for Care Experienced) is an innovative, award-winning project which uses the positive benefits of sport and physical activity to help care experienced children and young people reach their full potential through bespoke interventions.
During lockdown Get active @ Home was established - a free online resource with live and recorded exercise classes and wellbeing tips for all ages and abilities which were accessed thousands of times. Exercise equipment was also loaned to as many customers as possible, free of charge.
It has launched many more initiatives and hopes to increase its presence on the local and national stage, allowing for further partnership opportunities and funding and grant openings, to reach those most in need.