Staff recruited using Nestrans’ funding have now fully settled into the team and are fully engaged with delivering and developing a range of programmes across bothy sites. An additional location (Banff) has been added to the delivery venues, and additional sessions have begun in Aberdeen, with pl ans to expand the number of sessions at Peterhead over spring and summer.

Having had an additional award of £70k of capital funding has also allowed Sport Aberdeen to invest in in two new bike fleets for use at the developing cycle hub in Aulton (inclusive and community fleets), while Adventure Aberdeen has completed the refit of their garage space to become a cycle maintenance workshop.

Active Schools and Young People
As a result of the additional staffing the team have been able to organise a second weekly session at the Aberdeen bothy, with sessions running on a Wed afternoon from the beginning of 2025. Regular attendees have included a new group from Cults Academy, as well as existing attendees from Heathryburn Primary School. Numbers across both sessions are building well, with the potential for running a regular extra-curricular session during the spring and summer period.

Sport Aberdeen have been approached by the Russell Anderson Foundation to support a school’s cycling event in June which will link to a fundraising coast to coast cycle ride by RAF. The intention is to engage pupils from Seaton and St Peters schools in activity at Aulton to further promote engagement from the immediate community. We also have interest from local ASN support groups for children and young adults (Aye Aye and HANDSS Groups based in Bridge of Don) to attend sessions.

In terms of partnership working, with have a strong relationship with Live Life Aberdeenshire, and have been currently working with them to support activity at schools out with bothy locations - Turriff Academy borrowed two bikes during this quarter to support bikeability delivery, while we are The GICB Team are also lending bikes out to Carronhill School for a couple of weeks in May and delivering sessions on site.

Accessibility and Inclusion
The new bothy site at the Deveron Sports Centre in Banff is now fully operational, with sessions running every two weeks. Six sessions have taken place so far this year, with 27 participants in total attending - all under 24 years of age (half under 18).

Sessions at the Peterhead Bothy continue to run regularly with weekly sessions staffed by volunteers, with a core group of pupils from Anna Ritchie regularly attending, while we have also had participation from adults & carers from Cornerstone, and a number of individuals from Peterhead supported by their carers. The highest attendance at a session in 2025 (so far) was 25 at a session February.

In Aberdeen, good links have been developed with the charity Inspire, which has resulted in a number of adults with additional support needs accessing sessions. We have also worked in partnership with Active Schools’ SPACE programme with one participant with care experience regularly attending.
As a result of the additional capital funding supplied, five new inclusive bikes have been purchased to add to the overall fleet to provide additional variety of bike types and sizes to cater for the increasingly wide range of users. This include two Ice Trikes, a Tomcat Handcycle and two Tracers.

Capacity and Capability

The additional capital funding has also enabled the Community Cycling Team to purchase a fleet of 22 frog bikes plus 3 step through adult bikes to increase the capacity of our adult learn to ride, family cycle confidence and youth coaching programmes.

A Limitless race day (in partnership with Scottish Cycling) has been confirmed for Aberdeen in May (ASV), while we are looking at two further date in Peterhead (provisionally June) & Alford (provisionally Aug).

In terms of the additional funding received specifically for Adventure Aberdeen, this has enabled work to be completed on the refurbishment of the garage area at AA’s Kingswells base. Two velotech courses have already been delivered using the space, and a targeted all female group have also used the space to practice their cycle maintenance skills and are keen to explore a regular booking. The Community Sport Team have also sourced additional funding from participatory budgeting to enable pupils from Northfield Academy to access cycle maintenance training in the new garage, as a route to improving positive destinations.

Increased focus on cycle maintenance training has also allowed us to work in partnership with Angus Cycle Hub to deliver “pop-up” roadside cycle maintenance sessions across the city during Feb & May, using trained Velotech staff.

A container has also been purchased at Kingswells to house an expanded Bikeability fleet, as well purchasing warm clothing for our Bikeability tutors to be used while on delivery.

All GICB posts that were part of the Nestrans funding package have now been successfully recruited, with the final post commencing on 19th November. This has taken capacity up to 2 FTE (3 posts), with new staff now up to speed and looking to add additional sessions / days into hub location programmes given the additional capacity. Having had an additional award of £70k of capital funding has also allowed Sport Aberdeen to start looking at investing in two new bike fleets for use at the developing cycle hub in Aulton (inclusive and community fleets), while Adventure Aberdeen has been able to equip their refurbished garage to become a cycle maintenance workshop.

Active Schools and Young People
The GICB Team have organised weekly adapted cycling sessions are run from the Aberdeen Cycle Hub @ Seaton on a Tuesday morning and are working closely with the Active Schools Team to ensure targeted engagement. Sessions have been attended by a group of primary school pupils including enhanced provision at Heathryburn School. The session has become an important part of these pupil’s weekly routine allowing physical activity and social interaction.

In December SUSTRANS were doing some bike ability and learn to ride work with a few classes in Seaton Primary over a three-day period. There were 2 kids in the classes who were both in wheelchairs; one had Muscular Dystrophy and the other had Brittle Bone Disease and neither of them had ever used a bike before. Due to the increase in GICB staff SA were able to bring along one of our handcycles to the school and whilst the rest of the class did bike ability, they were abl e to get involved and participate alongside them. The PSA couldn't believe how chatty one of the boys became after just one session and both boys were desperate to have another go on the handcycle.

Accessibility and Inclusion
Progress with a new Bothy location in Banff has progressed well, with a location confirmed at Deveron Sports Centre, and a container relocated from Inverurie to store a bike fleet. Sessions are due to commence in January 25 (although this is clearly weather dependant), and the team are currently looking at volunteer recruitment to support delivery.

Sessions at the Peterhead Bothy continue to run regularly with weekly sessions staffed by volunteers, and the team are now looking at piloting weekend sessions from the spring onwards to increase engagement with a range of different groups.

Weekly sessions in Aberdeen have also continued (although bad weather has meant attendance has been mixed). As detailed above, the majority of attendees have been schools pupils, being accompanied by carers. Given the level of 1-2-1 support required at these sessions the team are looking to increase capacity onsite, with a Wednesday PM session due to start from early Jan, with the intention of delivering extra-curricular programmes as the light improves.

Although Alford probably has the best facilities of all the hub locations, numbers are lower than the majority of other locations, but there are still regulars that attend and we will be looking to boost attendance as the weather gets better in the spring.

Capacity and Capability

The GICB project will only be sustainable if enough volunteers are recruited to support the program of activities. It is far easier to recruit volunteers if the individuals can come along to a session and see what is involved. Having more staff available to support the project session delivery will help attract more volunteers. Over the course of the last quarter, 2 new volunteers have completed their PVG checks for the Aberdeen Bothy, and we are looking to increase marketing through ACVO, AVA, Aberdeen University and other partners to attract more across the region.

We are now looking to officially create an outreach programme to provide support to those schools who may already have inclusive bike fleets (e.g. Bucksburn Academy /Carronhill) to support increased cycling engagement on school sites. Given the success of the Limitless Race Day at Alford in August, we are also looking to schedule in race days at a number of other Bothy locations – including ASV (booked for May 25) and Peterhead (date TBC).

In terms of the additional funding received specifically for Adventure Aberdeen, this has enabled work to commence on the refurbishment of the garage area at AA’s Kingswells base. To date this has enabled a new design and build to commence to accommodate Velotech courses. The build has been able to reclaim materials that were destined for the skip allowing for a very bespoke garage build to take place. By sourcing second hand, but exceptionally good, equipment we have also managed to recycle to a point. New equipment has been purchased to fill 5 garage stations to help teach new skills to individuals and also help the maintenance of the Bike Ability / Learn to Bike fleets within our organisation and throughout the city. The teaching space is also designed so that we can help children.

Having been visited by the Velotech owner Adventure Aberdeen is now going to be the 6th place in Scotland to be accredited to deliver Velotech courses.

Since being awarded funding by Nestrans at the end of June, Sport Aberdeen have completed recruitment for 1 of the two posts set out in our application, with the full time Project Activator position starting in role on 2nd September. Recruitment for the second funded position (0.5 GICB + 0.3 GDS Branch Co-ordinator) is currently underway, with interviews scheduled for start of October, with a proposed start date of early November (or earlier if no notice required).

The Grampian Inclusive Cycling Bothies project was able to support Scottish Disability Sport’s Grampian Parasports festival on Friday 27th September. The Parasport festival is aimed at P4 to S6 pupils in mainstream school that have a physical impairment, visual impairment or hearing loss. Twenty -seven pupils participated.

Weekly adapted cycling sessions are run from the Aberdeen Cycle Hub @ Seaton on a Tuesday morning. These sessions are attended by a group of pupils from the enhanced provision of Heathryburn School. The session has become an important part of these pupil’s weekly routine allowing physical activity and social interaction.