Happy 10th Birthday to Give Kids a Chance

Issue 16 – Summer 2007
Happy 10th Birthday to Give Kids a Chance
Welcome to the Summer 2007 Give Kids
a Chance (GKAC) newsletter.
This is
the 10th Anniversary year of GKAC in
Aberdeen and plans are in place to
celebrate this occasion by having a
party on Tuesday, 23rd October at the
Lemon Tree. Celebrations to mark this
10th Anniversary, as it occurs in
Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Moray will
be planned for the future.
This event is being sponsored by Shell Exploration & Production, John Wood Group PLC,
the Lemon Tree and Cauliay Publishing. The event will feature some of the young people
in Aberdeen who have been involved in a music activity. This is a showcase night to
highlight the wonderful achievements of the young people. More information will follow.
*** Competition ***
Open to all GKAC participants
Give Kids a Chance has 2 mountain bikes that are
surplus to requirements. The bikes were donated
to the project and have been used, but are in
good condition. For your chance to win a bike
complete and return the attached competition
sheet. The questions all relate to road safety
and are very important messages to bear in mind
during the holiday period. All entries must arrive
in the office by Tuesday, 31st July. The winners
will be drawn and the bikes delivered the
following week – still giving plenty of time to cycle
during the summer holiday break.
Grace tries out the bikes in the office corridor The bikes will be serviced before delivery and helmets will also be provided.
Monday, 4th June 2007
National Volunteer Week
Give Kids a Chance was well represented during this week with volunteers Michael
Molden, Wim Vis and Peter Norcott all speaking about their involvement with the
project.
Wim, and Michael spoke to an invited group of
volunteers and staff at the Aberdeen City Council
Civic Reception to recognise the work done by
volunteers. They spoke enthusiastically about
their involvement with the Give Kids a Chance
football teams who play in the GOALS 5 a-side
league on a Friday night. Heather also spoke
about the benefits volunteers bring to
organisations and thanked all the GKAC volunteers
for their support during the past year.
Wim, Heather and Michael
MV Award Night, Wednesday, 13th June 2007, The Tunnels, Aberdeen
The MV Awards are open to all 16-25 year old volunteers and are
endorsed by the Scottish Executive. Awards are presented after 50,
100 and 200 hours of volunteering.
GKAC has two Millennium
Volunteers, Martin and Peter.
Martin is helping young people who
attend the Sooyang Do Martial Art Class as a Junior Instructor and
Mini Bus Escort and Peter is an assistant Music Tutor.
Martin and Peter both volunteer
their time at an activity they really
enjoy. Martin achieved his Sooyang
Do Black Belt this year and is
training hard to fulfil his new role as
a Junior Instructor at the school.
Martin receives his
certificate for 50 hours of
volunteering with Sooyang
Do Head of School,
Mr Bruce Wood
Peter plays drums in a local band and
assists GKAC drum and music tutors
with groups at Fersands, Powis and
Kincorth.
Northsound DJ Cammy Campbell
hosted the MV Award ceremony and
presented the certificates.
Peter receives his
certificate for 100 hours
of volunteering with GKAC
Music Tutor, Michael
Molden.
Golf in Aberdeen
Steven, Ritchie, Heather and Alan
Golf continues to prove popular in
Aberdeen with a total of 9 young people
attending the Kings Links Driving Range
for tuition with Golf Professional Steven
Troup.
Volunteers support this activity
and will help take the young people to the
golf courses during the summer months.
Golf clubs are always required for Give
Kids a Chance. When young people move
on from the scheme they need to hold on
to their clubs so that they can play
independently.
New participant, Ritchie, received his set
of golf clubs when Alan Pirie visited the
driving range in June.
Alan Pirie from Aberdeen St Machar Rotary Club co-ordinates a fundraising golf
challenge each year and in previous years has supported GKAC by donating the proceeds
of the event. Since GKAC was launched in 1997 Aberdeen St Machar Rotary Club has
donated over £12,000 to the project. This year Alan asked the golfers taking part in
the tournament to help us by providing any surplus clubs or golf balls and was
overwhelmed by their generosity. Alan was able to deliver 4 sets of clubs, balls, tees
and markers to GKAC in time for the start of the summer golf programme.
Fraserburgh Activities
Give Kids a chance has been awarded funding from
Aberdeenshire’s Regeneration Outcome Agreement. This will
allow new activities to be developed and will also allow us to reintroduce the trampoline sessions that were so popular before.
Activities currently available in the area include, Sea Cadets,
horse-riding, swimming and golf.
Links with Paul Robinson, the Active Schools Co-ordinator for
the Fraserburgh area will also provide contacts for a range of
other sport and dance activities so please get in touch if you
have an activity choice you would like us to investigate.
Cooking could be a
new GKAC activity.
Get in touch if you
are interested.
Music is another activity we hope to introduce to
Fraserburgh. We can’t confirm any details yet, but
hope to have more information soon. If this is
something you would be interested in let us know by
contacting Grace Hanvey on telephone number 01224
555293 or by e-mail at grace.hanvey2@nhs.net
Horse-riding in Fraserburgh and Peterhead
Young people from Fraserburgh and Peterhead attend
Annandale Equestrian Centre on a Sunday morning. Earlier
this year each participant was provided with a camera and
asked to take photographs while they were at their riding
lesson. The horses featured in all of the photographs, along
with friends, staff at the riding school and the stable cat.
The young people were also asked if they enjoyed attending
and if they had any suggestions for improvement. Everyone
enjoyed attending and the only suggestion was that we
extend the lesson time! We wish that was possible but
unfortunately it isn’t an option for us at the moment.
It is good to hear back from the young people attending GKAC activities so please use
the bike competition entry form to tell us what you think about the project and make
any suggestions for change. Please get in touch we would love to hear from you.
Moray Activities
The range of activities in Moray continues to grow. Recent additions are the Red
Shoes Theatre Company in Elgin providing acting, singing and music lessons and a model
making club in Forres. Give Kids a Chance are in contact with many martial arts groups
in Moray, and can now use Cranloch Riding Centre to provide lessons for young people
from this side of Moray. Other activities on offer include, swimming, ice-skating and
ten-pin bowling, Sea Cadets and Girl Guides.
There are now 2 fishing groups in Moray with 5 boys
attending on a regular basis. Thanks to volunteer Jim Soutar
the group have now built up a good supply of equipment as well as
jackets and boots. Three new fishing rods and lines are the latest
editions to the equipment stored in Jim’s car. The groups still fish at
Glen of Rothes Trout Fishery and will continue to meet over the summer
holiday period. Congratulations to Jordan who caught his first trout just recently.
would not be possible without the support of our
many fundraising partners. Sincere thanks are given to loyal supporters, John
Wood Group PLC, Scotoil Services, Shell Exploration & Production, Stena Drilling
Ltd and Aberdeen St Machar Rotary Club who have all been involved since the
project was launched in 1997. Thank you all for your ongoing commitment to
supporting young people in Grampian through your involvement with
.
Is co-ordinated by NHS Grampian,
In partnership with local community networks.
Denburn Health Centre, Rosemount Viaduct,
Aberdeen, AB25 1QB
Tel No. 01224 555224 (Heather) or
Tel No. 01224 555293 (Grace)
e-mail: heather.wilson2@nhs.net or
grace.hanvey2@nhs.net
www.nhsgrampian.org/gkac