With the grant being confirmed in December and the initial £26,000 arriving in early January plus the work to ensure the remaining 50% of the overall grant can be claimed back by 31st March, we have been consciously working to progress all aspects of our bid and to ensure delivery on all by 31st March 2025.  We have achieved a substantial amount of our planned spend but due to delays with providers and the tight timelines between the grant and the deadline, we have requested and agreed several carry forwards for school based activity that will be completed by the end of June 2025. 

Active Schools and Young People 

Cycle Bank

This workstream has progressed and is nearing completion: 

• A new storage container has been purchased and is in place at the Live Life Outdoors Cycle Base and is now the main storage option to support the “Hub and Spoke” delivery of the Cycle Bank programme 

• The bikes to support the delivery of the Cycle Bank are in place along with the supporting equipment- Helmets, lights and padlocks and the addition to the National Cycle Database 

• Via our Full Time Mechanic, the ongoing cycle maintenance process is in place and will now be supported separately via NESTRANS out with People and Place for 2025-2026 

• An additional option has been added, in that via June Andrew there is an identified need to support schools who have pupils unable to take part in Bikeability, so the Cycle Bank will also support that programme alongside the planned referrals from schools/CLD/Social Work 

• From existing work with The Promise programme via the Virtual Head Teacher for Aberdeenshire, we anticipate that will generate substantial demand for loans of bikes pending longer term options via local providers such as Stella’s Voice, Bikery or Angus Cycle Hub 

 

Trail Therapy 

• As a curricular based programme, and one of the first to be attempted within Secondary Schools and in our case multiple schools in an identified SIMD area, a different approach is required. That extends to the fact that the Buchan corner is not an area that geographically has MTB territory, but it does have the F&B Way and multiple options via the kit held by the Live Life Outdoors Cycle Base to complete the initial phases of Trail Therapy 

• Initial meetings took place in December, prior to the award being granted, and a working group was established consisting of specialist teachers, two Depute Head Teachers and CLD 

• That group has met a further four times up to 31st March and staff have been identified to progress with the initial Trail Therapy Practitioner Training in June 2025.   

• Fraserburgh Academy are in the process on confirming staffing and there may be an option that extends and includes some of the Cluster Primaries linked to S1 Transition, which would be an additional opportunity at a fundamental transition point for young people 

• As per the proposal, the remaining parts of the grant allocated to Trail Therapy will be carried forward internally by Live Life Outdoors and immediately utilised to support the remaining training for MTB, Mental Health First Aid, Outdoor First Aid and the excursions to allow pupils from the Buchan area to experience the MTB environments on Deeside and Donside 

• The Napier University options has been ruled out due to costs, but Live Life Aberdeenshire will work with Education to deliver a HGIOS based evaluation which will match national standards 

 

Active Workplaces 

Alford Ski Centre- provision of secure cycle shelters 

• The procurement process is complete with a Direct Award for installation awarded to Grease Monkey from Livingston and pending any weather issues this will installed in May 2025 

• As part of our ongoing Active Travel planning for Live Life Aberdeenshire staff and as part of our ongoing Cycling Friendly Employer process with Cycling Scotland, staff surveys have been issued to Alford Ski Centre staff and that feedback will assist us as we develop further options to support our staff, and in time extend a % of that secure storage space to customers 

Accessibility and Inclusion 

• See above- Cycle Bank and Trail Therapy 

• See below- Enhancements to delivery by Live Life Outdoors Cycle Base 

 

Capacity and Capability 

Enhancements to delivery by Live Life Outdoors Cycle Base 

• This workstream is completed with a wide range of procurement to replace legacy kit but also using live feedback from teachers and school practitioners to have equipment that is suitable for and enhances the experience of pupils with additional or complex learning needs 

• This has led to the purchase of a range of visual aids that change the normal delivery of a structured coaching session and now introduces a new and unique approach to delivery that will be established throughout 2025 by our qualified coaching team.  The addition of reaction lights and other coaching kit means that the coaching team are uniquely placed to deliver to all and to address areas of feedback from our work with The Promise programme, pre-school (Balance to Pedal) and the wider large scale school activity days or large community events 

• This new approach extends to the use of music to enhance ASL or Disability sessions, using sensory options to manage the challenges faced by non-riders or riders lacking confidence 

• Photo examples of some of the kit being used by the Live Life Outdoor Cycle Base has been provided to NESTRANS already along with a wider strategic insight via a short film  

Active Travel Signage for the Huntly Nordic Ski Centre 

The roller ski tracks and paths around Huntly Nordic Centre are multi-use. There is a positive benefit to the whole community to be able to access these paths. We wish to ensure that there is signage to allow access to the spaces as a shared access when safe to do so and as many people as possible utilised the spaces.