IN Touch - Issue 16

Brollies above the Business District

Shiprow and Bon Accord Terrace, in the city’s business improvement district, have been confirmed as the locations that will play host to two quirky colourful art installations aimed at raising awareness and understanding of ADHD and autism.

We are bringing the uplifting temporary installation to the city centre in mid-June, working in partnership with the ADHD Foundation as part of a three-year programme. The iconic display will feature a canopy of hundreds of vibrant, colourful umbrellas suspended across the city street.

Last week we revealed Shiprow as the first site and today we can confirm that the planning application for a second installation in the West End on Bon Accord Terrace has been submitted.

Commenting on the locations for the installations, Adrian Watson, Chief Executive of Aberdeen Inspired said “We are thrilled to reveal Shiprow and Bon Accord Terrace as the locations for our upcoming Umbrella Project and we know how excited the surrounding businesses are to have such an iconic project on their doorstep.

“We are not only proud to bring such an uplifting project to the city for the first time but also to be playing such an important part in flipping the narrative of neurodiverse individuals, and instead, recognise the strengths and ability of those with cognitive differences.”

“The displays will encourage people from all walks of life to come into the city centre, enjoy all it has to offer, take part in the celebrations and embrace the joy the multi coloured installations.”

Bill Barclay, Partner at Raeburn Christie Clark & Wallace LLP said: “I am delighted that the Umbrella Project is likely to be heading to Bon Accord Terrace. The vibrant colours and uplifting imagery are exactly the sort of eye-catching installation that will encourage footfall into the West End. 

“I hope the display will also stimulate conversation as to the reason for the project which, in turn will, of course lead them to the important work being carried out by the ADHD Foundation. My hope is that the project attracts the public to the West End, whilst highlighting the important work of the Foundation.”

Harbour Energy is the principal sponsor of the project and Aberdeen Inspired were also awarded a grant of £12,500 towards the project – roughly the cost of one installation – through the Scottish Government’s Scotland Loves Local Fund II which aims to encourage people to think local first and support businesses and enterprises in their community.

The project will remain in place until late August 2022.

TEDXAbz is back!

TEDxAberdeen is back for another year, and we are excited to be partnering up for this fantastic event.

Speaker applications have officially opened for the event. On Saturday 12 November at Aberdeen Arts Centre, a line-up of captivating and compelling speakers will take to the stage to share their ideas centred around the theme of ‘movement’ - could you be one of them?  

To find out more about this event, and how you can get involved, visit: https://tedxaberdeen.com/

Celebrate Aberdeen set to return

We are delighted to be a supporting partner with Celebrate Aberdeen, which showcases the enormous contribution that charities, voluntary groups, and social enterprises have on life in North-east Scotland, will make a welcome return this year.

Cancelled for the last two years due to the pandemic, the highly popular parade, organised in partnership with Aberdeen City Council, will be held on Saturday, 27 August, with the Celebrate Aberdeen Awards taking place three weeks later at P&J Live on Saturday 17 September.

Read more and get applying here.

BID Network Meeting Update

Nearly a hundred city centre businesses attended the four BID Networks hosted by Aberdeen Inspired at various venues across the city this quarter.

Businesses including retail, hospitality, entertainment and corporate heard updates from Aberdeen Inspired covering key projects and initiatives in the city centre, including this summer's much anticipated Nuart Festival, ADHD Umbrella Project for which Aberdeen Inspired has secured both corporate funding from sponsors Harbour Energy and £12 000 from the Scotland Loves Local Fund, Aberdeen International Comedy Festival and the Aberdeen Gift Card for which the organisation has launched a new marketing campaign and starting to plan the Christmas promotional activity - watch this space!

The City Centre Manager, Innes Walker updated on his core role, post funding and key projects. These included Urban Green Space, funded at no expense to the levy payer and Dementia Friendly Shopping Centres. There was an update on the seagull nest and egg collection programme which will recommence in May. It is jointly funded by ACC and projected to run annually for the whole of this BID term.

Ewan McLean, Evening and Night-Time Economy Manager also updated on his new role and some of the key projects he has been focussing on, including discussions to bring back night busses to Aberdeen City Centre and improve taxi supply in the city. Ewan successfully promoted recent training for the administration of Naloxone, the anti-opioid overdose drug which can be part of any organisations first aid kit. Ewan is currently also working with city bars and venues to re-introduce the industry excellence "Best Bar None" awards this summer.

Businesses then had the opportunity to hear from Aberdeen City Council Planning team with an overview of the City Centre Master Plan and were introduced to communications and social value consultancy Street UK.

More detailed engagement for the Belmont Street Cafe Culture will start in May. Fiona Robertson from streets-UK is supporting the design team and Council with the engagement and she’ll be in touch with all businesses and residents in the area shortly. She explained the intention is to offer 121 meetings with interested businesses. If you’d like to book a meeting, or have any issues you want to raise, you can you email Fiona on Fiona.robertson@streets-uk.com

The Police Scotland Safer City Unit updated on various initiatives to reduce anti social behaviour in the city and businesses were able to share their own experiences with officers. Finally North East Scotland College (NESCOL) shared information on fully funded training available to business to up skill their people. More information here flexible-workforce-development-fund

If you would like to attend future meetings, you can find out more here https://www.aberdeeninspired.com/project/business-networks or contact Business Engagement Manager roule.wood@aberdeeninspired.com

Handful of comedians join Aberdeen International Comedy Festival line up

We're excited to reveal five of the most hilarious comedy acts who will be joining the already star studded line-up for the 2022 Aberdeen International Comedy Festival!

Craig Hill, Colin Hoult, Stephen Bailey, Alun Cochrane and Darren Connell will bring their acclaimed acts to the thriving festival, which is taking place in venues across the city centre from October 6 to October 16.

Programming for the festival is in full swing and we have secured space at some great city centre spaces including Tunnels, Drummonds, Blue Lamp, Aberdeen Art’s Centre, Douglas Hotel, Park Inn and a couple of new city venues due to open this spring. We are still on the hunt for more so if your business has a space that you’d like to be considered for one of the comedy festival gigs then get in touch with us here.

Find out more here.

Best Bar None Scotland

The Best Bar None accreditation and award scheme will be returning this year and offers our wonderful hospitality venues the opportunity to highlight to customers the efforts that go into making Aberdeen a safe and welcoming social and cultural hub. Best Bar None works with the licensed trade to achieve excellence in hospitality, effectively making Scotland’s towns and city centres more attractive places for people to live, work and visit. It focuses on public safety and customer care and offers each venue an opportunity to demonstrate that it is committed to addressing important issues in line with five high-level objectives of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 as follows:

• Prevention of Crime and Disorder
• Public Safety
• Prevention of Public Nuisance
• Promotion of Public Health
• Protection of Children from Harm

The scheme focuses on public safety and customer care and gives each licensed venue the opportunity to prove that they meet a certain standard of operation - a standard which has been set at a national level through consultation with the government and the alcohol industry.

Partners

• Scottish Government
• Police Scotland
• The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
• Licensing Boards
• The Scottish Licensed Trade Association
• Purple Flag
• many other local partners.

What are the benefits to your business by becoming a Best Bar None accredited venue?

• Best Bar None gives you the chance to show your staff and customers that your venue has an interest in their safety and security on a night out.
• It increases the chances in seeing a reduction in crime and the fear of crime in your venue by following good practice guidelines.
• It improves communication with the police and licensing board so that there is a greater understanding of issues on all sides.
• It provides an opportunity to have an inspection carried out in your venue by a qualified expert to identify good practice and get advice on a range of issues.
• It gives you a chance to demonstrate your commitment to a cleaner, safer, better city.
• It gives you access to professional advice on community safety, crime reduction and business continuity issues for management and staff.
• Most importantly, it gives you the opportunity, through the application process, to focus on the key elements of the Licensing Act.
• Best Bar None raises the profile of our City as a safe place where people can enjoy a fantastic night out.
• Support from partners to raise your venues standards
• Reward your team with a night-out to the awards ceremony

If you are interested in your premise(s) taking part please indicate your intent by emailing ewan.mclean@aberdeeninspired.com

Further information attached here.

Scottish Cities could follow in Aberdeen’s ENTEM footsteps

Earlier this week, our Evening and Night Time Economy Manager Ewan McLean was interviewed by BBC Good Morning Scotland to discuss calls from the Scottish Beer & Pub association for Edinburgh and Glasgow to follow Aberdeen in appointing an Evening and Night-time economy manager.

He highlighted the benefits of the collaborative approach and praised the Purple Flag accreditation scheme as a vehicle to drive partnership work for excellence in the night-time economy.

With the hospitality industry facing unprecedented financial pressures and consumer confidence still low this is the time the industry needs an advocate to highlight the social and cultural benefits a vibrant city after dark brings.

View more & listen here > https://www.linkedin.com/posts...

Aberdeen Artists Society's Exhibition 2022 opens at Aberdeen Art Gallery

Aberdeen Artists Society, one of the country’s longest-established artist-led membership organisations, celebrated its return to Aberdeen Art Gallery with the launch of an exhibition of almost 300 works by 178 artists this week.

The exhibition was officially opened Arthur Watson, Past President of the Royal Scottish Academy and one of the founders of Aberdeen’s Peacock Visual Arts. The engaging and diverse exhibition of drawings, paintings, ceramics, sculpture, prints, photography, jewellery and video has been selected from around 500 works submitted by artists from across the UK.

It is being presented for the first time in Aberdeen Art Gallery’s new BP special exhibition galleries. The exhibition had been due to take place in 2020, following the Art Gallery’s landmark redevelopment, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic it was presented online that year. Read more here.

Sensational Sensory Ball

Be part of a sensational evening that will leave your senses in overdrive. Join North East Sensory Services (NESS) for this Sensational Sensory Ball on Saturday 28 May at The Marcliffe Hotel.

Promising to bring you an evening that will heighten your senses in every way, through vision, sound and taste. They’re supporting local with our entertainment, Fifth Dimension will be performing their fantastic up-close magic and Aberdeen band, Silver City Soul Revue will have you up and dancing into the early hours!

The fundraising from the event will be supporting their Added Value Services. You will be helping our service users to not only live independently, but live life to the fullest. With your support of the Sensational Sensory Ball, NESS will continue to provide these services to over 6,500 people of all ages in the north east of Scotland now, and into the future.

Find out more here > https://www.nesensoryservices....

New treats in store at Haigs

To mark the launch of their new hot food and ice cream area, the team at Haigs are hosting a ribbon cutting on Wednesday 11 May at 11am. Pop by, taste their tasty new treats and show your support!

Aberdeen Arts Centre unveils million-pound revamp plans

The old police HQ will be demolished to make way for a new urban quarter including 350 new homes as well as hotels and shops. At the weekend Aberdeen Arts Centre revealed how it will fit into the redevelopment with ambitious plans for a revamp which will put the theatre at the heart of the development and city’s cultural economy.

The planned revamp, estimated at around £1m, includes an overhaul of the building, including improving disabled access and facilities and a new viewing platform which would look our over Queen’s Square and offer impressive views across the city skyline.

Read about the full article from Saturday’s press here > https://www.pressandjournal.co...;

La Lombarda celebrates 100 years

This year they La Lombarda are celebrating their 100th anniversary. Opened in 1922 by Joe & Nan Birnie who originally came from Italy's northern region of Lombardy (hence the name), making them the UK's oldest Italian restaurant.

The business was later passed to their daughter & son-in-law Monica & Fabrizio Necchi who expanded the original restaurant by adding a basement Wine Bar & Function suite and an adjoining Take Away.

Make a visit to La Lombarda today check out their website here > http://www.lalombarda.co.uk/

Suspended Signage

Have you seen suspended signage that has been installed throughout the city centre? It’s making a real impact and we are working hard to secure new funding so tht we can add additional elements of creative lighting and way showing for the city centre.

There are two final signs to be installed on Carmelite Street and Back Wynd which will be up by the summer – look out for them when they arrive!

Belmont Filmhouse launches Queer Film Club

In partnership with Aberdeen’s leading LGBTQIA+ organisation, Four Pillars, Belmont Filmhouse have announced their brand-new Queer Film Club. Aiming to highlight a range of queer stories on film, the first of the monthly screenings will take place on Monday 2 May with critically acclaimed film Moonlight being the first of the viewings.

Find out more here > https://www.belmontfilmhouse.c...;

Get involved with the Aberdeen Gift Card Scheme

With over 220 businesses in Aberdeen City already signed up, the Aberdeen Gift Card is delivering a much-needed boost directly back into local economy. Multiple new businesses have recently joined the free scheme including:

• Schuh

• Boots - Airport, Bridge of Don, Dyce, Garthdee, Great Western, Mastrick, Westburn Road
• Spar Stores - Clifton Rd, Kincorth, Mastrick, Midstocket, Northfield, Peterculter, Rosemount, St Machar Dr, St Swithin St, Torry
• Urban Wellness Hub
• Aldi - Cornhill
• Begg Shoes
• Simpsons Newsagent
• Menstyle
• Mains Highlandwear Ltd
• GlamourEyes Aberdeen
• Goulash Restaurant
• Pablo Smokero
• H&S Milne & Sons
• Bangin' Burgers
• CAFE SOCIETY
• CO-OP - Sclattie Park, North Deeside Rd, Mastrick
• SemiChem
• PURE Spa
• Mobicare Scotland ltd

Funded by Aberdeen Inspired the scheme is free to join and does not cost your business or the consumer anything, it’s simply another payment method for the goods, services or products your business sells. Research shows that on average people spend 40% more on top of the value of their card when they redeem it and that their likelihood of becoming a repeat customer is over 50%.

If you’d like to sign your business up to be part of scheme, then simply click here and we will do the rest!

To check out the full list of businesses who accept the card, click here.

NESCol – Flexible Workforce Development Fund

NESCol has obtained funding from the Scottish Government available for SME's to upskill or support their staff. Up to £5,000 worth of funded training is available per employer.

There are many learning areas to choose from such as Social Media Skills for Business, First Aid, Food Hygiene & Customer Service courses. The courses are available in person and online and most are only one day courses. NESCol have already helped over 100 employers across the North East region to access funded training, such as Garioch Heritage Centre and Ocura Healthcare Ltd.

BID businesses are encouraged to take advantage of this funding by getting in touch here & read more here.

AIESEC – Develop your leadership

AIESEC is the world’s largest youth run organisation, operating in over 120 countries with 90,000 members. The local committee in Aberdeen is run from the University of Aberdeen and offers Global Talent programmes that bring youth talent from across the globe to work in Aberdeen.

They are sponsored by the UK government for Tier 5 visas which allow the talent programmes to take place, with an extended maximum of up to an 18-month internship available. Youth are aged from (18-30) University graduates that can have specified qualifications and skills tailored to your business and role requirements. If you would like further information and are interested in this programme, please get in touch with Josh Brown josh.brown@aberdeen.aiesec.co.uk.

Brush up your skills with Business Gateway

Business Gateway has introduced a range of Aberdeen City & Shire events and workshops from April – May 2022 Whether you are a business looking to develop or a new start up, Business Gateway is offering free expertise to all!

Webinars, workshops and events are being delivered across the region during the next two months, free of charge and designed to help you learn the essential skills to start and develop your business at a time and place that suits you.

April workshops.

May workshops.

Chapel Street Car Park Closure

Chapel Street cark park will be closed for use from Sunday 24 April until October 2022. Throughout this period, an extensive refurbishment programme will progress which will see £1.2 million of investment to improve the car park. Businesses with monthly passes for Chapel Street car park will be able to use Denburn car park as an alternative while work is carried out.

Find out more information here.

Meet the Locals

In March, we launched our ‘Meet the Locals’ campaign on our social media channels. The aim of this is to shine the spotlight on our local businesses and the people who run them and encourage the people of Aberdeen to come into the city centre!

So far we have caught up with The Greenhouse, Haigs, Bloom Lifestyle Salon and Kuoni to discuss what is going on within their businesses as well as their plans for the future, you can view these stories here.

If you are a business in Aberdeen City Centre and want to be featured in our ‘Meet the Locals’ campaign, please get in touch here.

TAG US!

Are you a business in the city centre who wants to be featured on our social channels? Make sure to tag us, it makes it so much easier for us to find and share your content!

Make sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter at @abdninspired.