WELCOME TO YOUR LATEST IN TOUCH NEWSLETTER
Team work makes the dream work is a terrible cliché... but like all cliches it happens to be true.
And team work doesn’t come much better than the Upper Floors Project which is now underway the vaulting ambition of bringing disused and under used spaces the length of Union Street back to life.
Everyone in Aberdeen Inspired is proud and excited to be driving this truly groundbreaking work, fully supported by Aberdeen City Council and the wider business community and stakeholders.
The premise is, on the face of it, a simple one. Assemble a panel of experts from council building and planning specialists to architects, from building owners to letting agents, to look at what is lying empty on the upper floors, what use is possible and how to make it happen.
If dead space can be transformed into living, viable enterprises – be that residential, office, health and wellbeing or even arts and culture – then we will have a living, vibrant city centre.
But for all that might seem obvious, it is actually a truly revolutionary move – one recognised this week when Aberdeen Inspired was awarded a prestigious national award for its role in the Upper Floors Project.
The Best Business Support Scheme 2025 prize was made at the annual conference of the Association of Town & City Management UK and in Bradford, an event where some of the country’s most influential placemakers gathered.
And those same movers and shakers took a keen interest in our Upper Floors Project, impressed by the groundbreaking work and its emphasis on collaboration towards transformation.
Aberdeen was being held up as an exemplar of how other city and town centre’s might approach regenerating and re-energising the heart of their communities.
We should be proud that the Granite City is seen as a trailblazer on a national level,
But let’s never lose sight of the fact this can only happen when those who are invested in making our city centre the best it can be are prepared to work together to make it happen.
It is something we are also seeing with the enormous energy being devoted to making The Tall Ships Races Aberdeen a success by the whole city.
That is an approach that could and should be applied to all aspects of regenerating our city centre, with all sectors – public, business, hospitality, culture, and the people of Aberdeen themselves – all pulling together in the same direction.
The concept of ‘Team Aberdeen’ has been bandied about before – now we are starting to see it become a reality. And that can only be good for our city and its future.
Best wishes,
Adrian Watson,
Chief Executive, Aberdeen Inspired
STORIES
Image Credits - Aberdeen Inspired
Aberdeen Inspired wins prestigious award for leading groundbreaking Upper Floors Project
Aberdeen Inspired has won a prestigious UK award for leading a groundbreaking project to breathe new life into the upper floors of Union Street.
The city’s Business Improvement District picked up the title of Best Business Support Scheme 2025 from the Association of Town & City Management UK and Ireland for the Upper Floors Project.
The visionary scheme is being driven by Aberdeen Inspired with support from Aberdeen City Council (ACC) and the wider city centre business community and stakeholders.
You can read more about it here.
Image Credits - Aberdeen Inspired
Dates revealed for the return of Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks as eateries urged to book their place at the popular Foodie Fortnight
City eateries are being urged to pull up a place at the table for the next Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks as dates are revealed for the return of the hugely-popular celebration of the city’s finest food and drink.
Discerning diners will also be delighted to know they can tuck into the Foodie Fortnight from September 1 to 14, organised by Aberdeen Inspired to act as a showcase for the Granite City’s range and quality of restaurants, cafes and bars.
The city’s newest restaurant – Glenhouse Aberdeen, set to open on Union Street later this week – is the first venue to sign up to be part of Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks.
Find out more here.
Image Credits - Tall Ships Races Aberdeen
Get ready to party as full free festival line-up revealed for The Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025
The Granite City is set to become Party City when the Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025 arrive, as organisers reveal the full jam-packed free festival programme for the four-day maritime spectacular.
They have also unveiled the visitor map and berthing map for the event, giving a real flavour of the scale, range and excitement of what’s happening with almost 50 beautiful vessels pulling into Port of Aberdeen’s North Harbour from 19 to 22 July.
That includes free live music across three stages all day every day; a feast of street food stalls; a plethora of quayside bars; a STEM Discovery Zone; a military village; plus other attractions and offerings throughout the city centre.
Image Credits - Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen Inspired welcomes the return of night bus services in time for Tall Ships
Aberdeen Inspired has welcomed the return of night bus services across the city and shire from next weekend – in plenty of time for the Tall Ships arriving.
After a tendering process, Aberdeen City Council has contracted the five routes out to First Bus which will operate them from the city centre on weekends from the evening of Friday, June 27 for the next three years.
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said: “The return of weekend night buses to Aberdeen all year round is a huge boost for the city’s evening and night-time economy, one that will be particularly welcomed by bars and restaurants.”
You can find out more about it here.
Image Credits - Nuart Aberdeen // Brian Tallman
Dates revealed for the return of Granite City’s world-class street art festival Nuart Aberdeen
Dates have been announced for the dazzling return of Nuart Aberdeen – the Granite City’s world-class street art festival.
Globally-renowned artists will have the cityscape as a blank canvas from Thursday, April 23, to Sunday, April 26, next year, it was announced by Aberdeen Inspired, who stage the event in partnership with Aberdeen City Council.
“We are so excited to announce that Nuart Aberdeen will be coming back with fresh dates and a fresh look, springing into glorious life next April,” said Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired.
Image Credits - Aberdeen Inspired
Aberdeen Gift Card is perfect end-of-term 'thank you' for teachers - and a boost for local economy
With the end of the school year on its way, Aberdeen Inspired are encouraging parents to think local with teacher gifts by turning to the Aberdeen Gift Card to boost the city's high street economy.
The ‘support local’ message has been shared ahead of the end of term by the city centre Business Improvement District, which runs the Aberdeen Gift Card scheme.
They say the end of term is an opportunity to lock vital spend into the city, with an estimated £7.8 million set to be spent in the UK on teacher gifts by families with primary school-aged children.
Image Credits - Aberdeen Inspired
Gallery: Big Belmont Bash was brilliant day out in the heart of Aberdeen
The Big Belmont Bash was just brilliant ... and here are the photos to prove it!
The vibrant festival held on Saturday saw Belmont Street and surrounds full of people flocking to enjoy marvellous music, super stalls, fantastic face painting, tasty tasters from restaurants and plenty of fun and games – all of it for free.
Staged by local businesses and organisations under the banner The Collective On The Cobbles and supported by Aberdeen Inspired, the Bash put the Belmont Quarter firmly in the spotlight while encouraging people into the city centre.
Image Credits - Aberdeen City Council
City centre businesses celebrate huge boost from Dons’ victory parade – and want to build on a ‘re-energised’ Aberdeen
City centre businesses celebrated a huge win after the Dons’ Scottish Cup victory parade saw them net a huge boost in trade – in some cases up by fivefold.
Jubilant shops, bars, and restaurants have been feeding back to Aberdeen Inspired their delight at the economic impact of up to 100,000 fans flooding into the heart of Aberdeen to celebrate with their Hampden Heroes last month.
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired – the city centre Business Improvement District – said: “The joyous scenes we saw on Sunday were almost unbelievable – and so was the massive boost in trade it brought to city centre businesses.
Image Credits - NHS Grampian
NHS Grampian offer free health training and awareness sessions for the workplace
NHS Grampian is offering a free Mentally Healthy Workplace training session for managers and supervisors.
The next session will be on Tuesday, June 24, running from 10am to 3pm, and will highlight employers’ responsibilities and providing help, support and suggestions to improve managers and supervisors skills in supporting mental health and wellbeing at work.
It is one of a series of training and awareness sessions offered by NHS Grampian, including Menopause At Work (Tuesday, July1), Keep Active At Work to reduce sedentary behaviour (Monday, July 2). Others in the series, dates to be confirmed, include a session on Breathing Space NHS24, Scotland’s phone line and webchat service as well as Neurodiversity Awareness Training.
For more information on thesefree awareness sessions or to book a space, email gram.hwl@nhs.scot
Image Credits - Police Scotland
Vital to report all incidents of city centre anti-social behaviour to police
Aberdeen Inspired is urging everyone to report all incidents of anti-social or non-emergency criminal behaviour in the city centre via 101 or Police Scotland’s online reporting form.
Concerns over such behaviour – which many of our levy payers fear is on the increase in some areas – was raised at a recent city centre safety committee meeting.
The advice from Police Scotland was to make them aware of such incidents by dialling 101. If that line has a lengthy waiting time, incidents can be speedily reported online.
By reporting and logging such behaviour, more reliable statistics can be gathered to create an accurate picture of the scale and location of such behaviour to help the relevant authorities address the issue.
The online reporting form can be found here.