Agenda item

The Convener advised the Committee of a number of good news stories as follows –

• The new season free lunch break concerts in Cowdray Hall, supported by The Friends of Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums and Vibrant Aberdeen commenced in September. It was noted that no other city in Scotland hosted such a programme which invited both amateur and professional musicians to perform, and brought high calibre national and international artists to the city, and provided an important performance platform for local musicians, including music students and school pupils.
• Adventure Aberdeen, in partnership with the school travel plan team, the sports and physical activity team and with encouragement and direction from Aberdeen’s Bike Champion, Councillor Ross Thomson, had secured a £35,000 grant from Cycle Scotland to take on the Bike Ability scheme (previously known as cycling proficiency). Eight Adventure Aberdeen staff would train the volunteers that would be vital to the scheme. It was hoped that twenty six of Aberdeen’s primaries would join the scheme next spring and summer, with the remainder joining thereafter.
• The research achievements of the Education, Culture and Sport Service were celebrated at the annual Scottish Education Research Association (SERA) annual conference in Glasgow in November. This year’s theme was widening horizons, and the Service’s achievements in engaging young people in literacy through the effective use of information technology were showcased by the city’s Apardion project which involved over 3,500 children and young people in interdisciplinary projects including literacy, expressive arts and social studies.
• Neil McLennan (Quality Improvement Officer) had won the Royal Society of Edinburgh Henry Duncan medal for his outstanding contribution to civic society, creativity and social enterprise, education and the social sciences.
• To celebrate Book Week Scotland, the Library and Information Services, in collaboration with the Accord Card and the catering team, had launched Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, where, in return for purchasing a school meal every day from 18 – 22 November 2013, secondary school students would be entered into a prize draw to win a mini e-reader and be able to access the library e-lending service free of charge.
• Aberdeen City Council was the only Scottish local authority to run The Primary Science Quality Mark, a joint project between the University of Hertfordshire and the Primary Science Training Trust, and twenty four schools gained a bronze or silver award for this year, with thirty one schools hoping to participate next year. The schools had to submit evidence to substantiate their commitment to science teaching and learning.
• Tullos swimming pool would reopen on Saturday 23 November 2013. This long project has had a great deal of community involvement and would hopefully be a well used community facility.
• Table centre pieces made by pupils at Walker Road primary school were on display, and presented as a good example of the business sector working with schools on a cultural collaboration. The Arts and Business Scotland Awards were to take place at the end of October and this was only one of a number of north east projects that had been successful.

Councillor Kiddie took the opportunity to remind members that the Aberdeen International Youth Festival fundraising dinner would be held on 7 March 2014, and suggested that this would pose another opportunity for a similar collaboration to be showcased.