Issued by the University of Aberdeen on behalf of: Aberdeen City Council; Aberdeen College; Aberdeen Football Club; Aberdeenshire Council; The University of Aberdeen; Grampian Institute of Sport; Moray Council and The Robert Gordon University.
Details of ambitious plans that would see Aberdeen become a centre of sporting excellence were outlined at an international sporting conference in the City earlier today (Tuesday).
Delegates at the AECC's International Sports Management Conference - who included Frank McAveety MSP, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport - heard that the Grampian Sport Development Infrastructure project would see existing and new regional facilities for athletics, hockey and football being combined at the City's Beach/Linksfield area.
The new facilities would encourage people of all ages and abilities to become involved in sport, recreation and physical activity and would help develop the potential of young people, students, coaches, sports managers and administrators.
The opportunity to develop high-quality facilities has been welcomed across the North East. A partnership comprising key organisations* has been established and members are currently preparing a bid to the Scottish Executive and Sportscotland for submission by the end of December.
Dr Graeme Roberts, Vice-Principal (Teaching & Learning), The University of Aberdeen, said: "The partners' vision is to have an integrated network of high-quality and versatile facilities that meet the needs of the people of the North East.
"Students form a significant proportion of the community of Aberdeen and of the area around the beach in particular The University is therefore supportive of schemes that provide high-quality sporting facilities for their students close to where they live and study."
Alan Fulton, Head of Service (Culture and Leisure), Aberdeen City Council said: " We have taken our Community Planning partnership one step further and successfully created exciting proposals that will create major opportunities for sports and recreation.
"We want to make it easier for people to be physically active and simpler for those with talent to achieve to the best of their ability. We are working together to shape our sporting future."
The aim of the sports facilities will be to: Widen opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to become involved in sport, recreation and physical activity; Widen opportunities for participation through courses of study in universities and colleges across the North East; Develop the potential of young people, students, coaches, sports managers and administrators; Achieve excellence with athletes in key sports, with an integrated programme of medial and other athlete-centred services; Engage the sporting and non-sporting public in a fully inclusive network of facilities; Contribute to the health and well-being of the community by increasing awareness and increasing opportunities to become involved in physical activity; Stimulate sporting tourism by enabling bids to be made for high-level competitions and festivals, and encouraging competitors and spectators to travel and to stay in the North-east; and Contribute to the national target that, by 2020, 60% of adults will take part in sport at least once a week (sportscotland sport21, 2003)
* At present, the partners involved in the project are: Aberdeen City Council; Aberdeen College; Aberdeen Football Club; Aberdeenshire Council; The University of Aberdeen; Grampian Institute of Sport; Moray Council and The Robert Gordon University.
For more details on the Grampian Sports Infrastructure Development Project, please telephone:
Alan Fulton Head of Service (Culture and Leisure), Aberdeen City Council, on (01224) 652533.
Dr Graeme Roberts, Vice-Principal (Teaching and Learning), The University of Aberdeen, on (01224) 272017.
Issued by Public Relations Office, External Relations, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen. Tel: (01224) 272012 Fax: (01224) 272086. Contact: Jill Moir.