In
partnership with Interfaith
Aberdeen – the regional interfaith organisation for North-east Scotland –
Sport Aberdeen’s community sport team hosted a series of sports sessions as
part of Refugee Week.
Refugee
Week is the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the
contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees.
Sport
Aberdeen’s sessions took place at its venues Get active @ Kincorth from 14:00
to 17:00 on June 17 and Get active @ Sheddocksley from 19:00 to 22:00 on June
18.
The
events were fun and social, attracting over 30 people from a wide variety of
nationalities who all came together to play and compete in squash, badminton,
pickleball and table tennis.
Sport
Aberdeen is involved in sportscotland’s
Kit for All project – collecting and providing preloved and recycled sports kit
and equipment, aiming to reduce barriers to participation in sport and physical
activity. Individuals attending both events were given sports kit through this
scheme.
As
a result of Sport Aberdeen’s community sport team having a positive reputation
of working with the New Scots community in general, the team was approached by
Nuart artist Addam Yekutieli who was keen to connect with New Scots and express
their voices through his work.
The
community sport team facilitated the connection and as a result, local New
Scots were featured
in Addam’s work which can now be viewed in central Aberdeen.
This
is a great example of how connections between the arts and sport can lead to
unique and powerful outcomes.
Mark
Pain, Community Sport Manager at Sport Aberdeen, said: “It was great
to work in partnership with Interfaith Aberdeen to deliver these events and
harness the power of sport and physical activity to create a positive impact on
those who have faced significant challenges in their lives.
“We
also work with New Scots through our Football for All project, providing a
weekly opportunity to play 5-a-side football, which has been hugely successful.
“We
will continue to look for ways to create innovative projects and ensure
everyone in our communities can access sport and physical activity
opportunities.”