We have been based in the Kincorth Community for over 30 years as an integral part of the community, previously we met in the church prior to its closure.  We then moved to KCC, initially we were not charged for meeting here as we were for the youth of the community.  However we have now been notified that we will be charged £30 a week due to their financial issues.  Due to the short notice of this change we have had to put up our fees from next term slightly.  As the group provides a safe girls only space for the members to be themselves, learn and develop.  Powered by volunteers the organisation aims to provide the girls, opportunities to laugh, learn and have fun within a creative space creating a wonderful world of adventure working together as individual as well as within groups.  As we meet in an area of deprivation we do not want to increase fees too much as this may cause girls to be unable to come due to parents not being able to afford as we would no longer be a low cost activity in relation to their income.  This would mean girls missing out on magic moments with their peers and creating a social gap.  We would also appreciate funding to buy some uniform to lend out so that girls whose parents struggle to afford the uniform, could borrow and have the same as the other girls in the group.

Young people have reported that they don’t feel safe skateboarding/ BMXing/football when it is dark in the park. Parents are also not keen on their children being at the park when it is dark.

The use of portable battery powered flood lights would alleviate the worries and would mean the skate park and other areas could be used by young people in the winter months. The lights, being portable could be used where and when the young people require them. They can use them themselves, unsupervised and have fun in the dark evenings, bringing young people together doing a positive activity.

Family Learning and Sport Aberdeen, using Cummings Park Centre plan to deliver wellbeing physical activities and arts/crafts wellbeing sessions and offer wellbeing sessions aimed directly at those who currently experience mental health symptoms, or are felt from time to time, or from those in the process of recovery.

For this, EFT Natural Healing Therapy sessions would be purchased from a local community business which would not only provide the skills necessary to reduce stress, low mood and anxiety but help assist develop a local small business

The families targeted and expected to attended have many wellbeing needs and the activities provided are designed to combat many of these by ensuring all abilities can participate, sessions/activities are good fun, everything is easy for beginners, there is a role for everyone, provides the ability to improve confidence and improves social skills for families, adults and children alike.

The unification of Ukrainians into a musical U-Band.  The goal of our community is to organise and conduct performances for Ukrainians and all residents of Aberdeen.  We want to introduce the local population to Ukrainian clulture through song.  We want to share our culture and bring people together.

This project aims to organise gaming nights that will bring gamers together from different backgrounds to enjoy various video games in a friendly environment. There will be a mix of competitive tournaments, casual play and opportunities for participants to connect and share their gaming experiences. Friendly competitions with prizes for winners to encourage participants to compete and showcase their skills

Outcomes/Impact – Strengthened relationships, positive lasting connections, new friendships and enriching community. Creating opportunities for those who identify as socially isolated or vulnerable to take part in activities. Increase volunteering opportunities in the area and the communication of them and to provide more activities/spaces for children and young people to participate in/be together

One in five people live below the poverty line and with the rising cost of living crisis, many more people are finding themselves struggling to pay bills including putting food on the table. The Aberdeen North Foodbank is one of 428 Trussell foodbanks across the UK, providing 3 day, nutritionally balanced food parcels for those in need as well as providing a friendly face, a listening ear and practical support. In 2024, our foodbank was extremely busy, provided more than 50,000 meals to 11,000 people in crisis and unfortunately, we expect these numbers to be similar in 2025. Our costs to run the foodbank are also rising, and whilst we have support from The Trussell Trust and local supermarkets, we still have to find around £30,000 per year to pay for additional food needs, warehouse costs, staffing and for running a van to transport supplies to both our foodbanks. Most of this comes from grants, appeals and donations of both food and money and we are incredibly lucky to have a group of very dedicated volunteers, who help us to run our food warehouse and the two foodbanks in central Aberdeen. No-one should be hungry and without food. Support from Central U Decide, will ensure that we can support families and individuals most in need in 2025.

Middlefield Hub will facilitate monthly Games and Activity sessions with our Nurseries, Youth Hub, and Older Adults in the area.

The purpose of these sessions will be help combat isolation and loneliness, keep older people active engaged in lifelong learning opportunities such as arts n crafts, board games, dancing, and more.

Young people that attend the Youth Hub will support adults with taking part, serving food/drinks, and helping them work their mobile phones and tablets. Nursery children will take part in activity and sing songs, make gifts and birthday cards during the week, and create more opportunities for different age groups to mix and be around each other.

Studies show mixing generations and ages is beneficial for everyone. These experiences, which will also have food and drinks at each session to help combat poverty and the cost of living crisis, will help nursery children in their development and learning, older youths will gain valuable experiences to help them reach their full potential, as well as increase learning about other people and empathy, and will help older people feel connected with the community. We can also use these sessions to signpost participants and families to other services at The Hub and in the community should they need further help or support. We will also invite different agencies to come in and speak to groups about other services, such as AHSCP Wellbeing Team, Sport Aberdeen, AFCCT, Mental Health Aberdeen, SamH, and more.

Empowher is a peer-to-peer mental health support group for women in Aberdeen. Setup in Nov. 2024 the group meets on a fortnightly basis for 1 hour & provides a safe space for women to have open & honest discussions around mental health, with a focus on suicide prevention. The idea came from the founders' lived experience, recognition in the success of groups such as Andy’s Man Club & Man chat, and identification of a lack of similar help for women.  The venue is a cosy room in Hilton Community Centre, which has been popular, and has been free while the group has been set up. The Centre is very near Woodside and at least two regular participants are from Woodside. The project aims to help women help each other with improvement of their mental wellbeing. About 8 people have come along to each session with varying degrees of mental health issues, some with Autism or ADHD & is inclusive to anyone struggling or feeling alone. The budget includes venue hire for the fortnightly meetings for a year, as well as separate professional art therapy for people who would like to try this. The group will also aim to find free, in-kind advice from specialist organizations, to learn more about keeping the group going safely.  

ALC recently held a workshop at St Machar Academy which listened to students’ thoughts on the issues and challenges facing their communities and to hear their suggestions for services ALC could provide which could help. Students highlighted many issues, However, there was two notable recurring themes, which was access to a safe warm environment and the of issues related to food poverty ortunately, ALC is in a great position to address these concerns. We propose to offer a breakfast club primarily for academy student though open to younger age groups if required. The service will be available five days a week during term time and open from 07:30-09:00. 

Kincorth is called the garden estate. Although the area has many green spaces the community doesn’t use this to its advantage, many of the areas are under developed or over grown particularly the trees. This project is about creating a safe and welcoming green spaces for the residents in the Gardner community. We want to take community action to develop the areas to provide green spaces that are used by all residents to socialise and enjoy nature. We want children to be able to feel safe and play in a positive clean environment. Our ideas include planting and growing flowers and cultivating vegetables using raised beds, seating for residents and equipment to support wildlife and biodiversity. We want to motivate people to take a personal pride in their area, clean encouraging owners to clean after their dogs.