Council holiday programme back for the October break
As hundreds of children continue to enjoy Aberdeenshire Council’s holiday recovery programme for the October holidays, the Education and Children’s Services Committee has discussed the achievements from the Summer of Play.
The programme is aimed at improving wellbeing, mental and physical health amongst children and young people.
The committee heard that more than 69,000 children took advantage free sporting and cultural activities during the Summer of Play.
These included visits to the Macduff Marine Aquarium and Grampian Transport Museum and attraction tickets for families to sites including Peterhead Prison Museum and Fraserburgh Lighthouse.
Aberdeenshire Council’s Education and Children’s Services Committee chair Cllr Gillian Owen said: “I'm delighted that we continue to be able to provide summer holiday activities which have provided so many opportunities for young people across Aberdeenshire.
“It has allowed us to build on existing strong partnerships with a range of providers and clubs across Aberdeenshire, and I look forward to hearing how the October holidays goes.”
Aberdeenshire ClubSport worked alongside Live Life Aberdeenshire with 20 community sports clubs providing 141 sessions with 3,515 attendees.
The cultural engagement offer included 16 different programmes from clay workshops, Lego clubs, coding and creative writing to comic boo workshops by artist Tom Foster, known for his work on 2000 AD and Judge Dredd.
Free guided rock pool exploration sessions took place at Macduff Marine Aquarium where children and families took to the rocky beach at Macduff and were guided by staff on a seashore safari with over 160 attendees.
In addition, 33 young people gained their Royal Life Saving Society National Pool Lifeguard Qualification with volunteering arrangements underway via Active Schools, including Foundation Apprenticeship placement and recruitment opportunities with Live Life Aberdeenshire being progressed.
ECS Committee vice chair Cllr Anne Simpson added: “I am particularly pleased to see the efforts made to encourage children and young people who may not otherwise have opportunities to take part in a range of physical activities to do so.
“These friendly and accessible sessions will be targeted to meet local need and we look forward to seeing the full range of options shared.”
Tattie Holiday Fun runs until October 30 with free family fun including swimming and sports court sessions as well as tubing and ski activities.
There are also sporting activities available and visits to museum, libraries and visitor attractions as well as specialist activities and interactive sessions specifically for teenagers and children with Additional Support Needs.
Chair of the Communities Committee Cllr Anne Stirling said: “We have a huge range of brilliant sporting and cultural activities to help our residents make the most out of the two-week break.”
To find our more, visit www.livelifeaberdeenshire.org.uk/october-programme