Thousands of reasons to celebrate Summer of Play

23 September 2021

The huge success of Summer of Play was spelled out today in numbers for the council's Education Operational Delivery Committee.

Thousands of children and young people took part in free events provided by Aberdeen City Council and partner organisations.

Activities on offer ranged from science experiments to kayaking to nature walks.

More than 15,000 bookings were taken across the council, WeToo, Sport Aberdeen, NESCol, CityMoves, TechFest, Aberdeen Science Centre and Aberdeen Football Club Community Trust.

The programme aimed to support the wellbeing of children who have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Education Operational Delivery Committee convener, Councillor M. Taqueer Malik, said: "Thanks to the hard work of the council and the goodwill of partners, the summer of 2021 will be one to remember for all the right reasons for thousands of children and families in Aberdeen.

"The success of the programme emphasises the strength of partnership working -- and we will capitalise on these relationships further as we move through the Recovery Phase of the Covid-19 pandemic."

Activities were inclusive to cover all interests, backgrounds and circumstances and made as accessible as possible. Consideration was also given to meet wider needs, including through the integration of food, childcare, financial inclusion, and family support.