Everyone should have the opportunity to learn, develop and engage in their communities in a way that enhances their lives and contributes to thriving communities. Effective Community Learning and Development is life changing for people, families, and communities. It inspires ideas, ambition and citizenship. It helps our city and our communities to flourish.
Aberdeen City Council’s Community Learning and Development teams deliver learning across: Youth Work, Family Learning, Adult Learning, Heathy Minds, Fairer Aberdeen and Community Development teams.
Read our Community Learning and Development Plan 2021-2024
Community Learning team contact: Communities@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Youth Work:
The Youth Work team supports young people to achieve, contribute and be the best they can be. Youth Work supports young people’s health and wellbeing and their personal and social development.
The youth work team’s work includes:
- Youth Work in schools
- Youth participation
- Youth Awards, SQA accredited
- Community based Youth Work
- Supporting young refugees
- Project based work; at Mastrick Outdoor Hub and Amped
- Equalities through Zone Youth, LGBTQ+ city wide group
- Summer and Easter in the City programmes
Youth Work contact: YouthWork@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Family Learning
Family Learning is an approach to engaging families in learning that has an impact on the whole family.
Family learning offer:
- a holistic family centred approach to
- help families identify their own learning need
- goal setting and support them to achieve the goal set
- various group courses which are informal and held in the community
Parenting themes covered: sleep, cooking, emotions, building parents self-esteem, assertiveness and confidence.
Family learning contact: Familylearning@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Family Learning Facebook
‘Life Skills for Little ones’
Adult Learning
Community-based adult learning improves much more than educational outcomes for those who participate. Learning that starts in the community contributes to a range of positive outcomes for the learner, their family and their wider community.
Adult Learning work includes:
- ESOL (English for speakers of other languages)
- Literacy
- Numeracy
- SQA accreditation (Scottish Qualifications Authority)
- Supporting Refugees
- Criminal Justice
- Supporting Gypsy/Travellers
Adult Learning contact: AdultLearning@aberdeencity.gov.uk
For information on literacy and numeracy please call 01224 522600.
Healthy Minds
The Healthy Minds Team works with adults in recovery of an enduring mental health illness to access learning opportunities within Aberdeen City. We support and encourage learners to get involved in their community by accessing learning opportunities which promote their recovery.
The Healthy Minds Team works with adults in recovery of an enduring mental health illness to access learning opportunities within Aberdeen City. We support and encourage learners to get involved in their community by accessing learning opportunities which promote their recovery.
Healthy Mins contact: HealthyMinds@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Follow us on Facebook @Healthy Minds Aberdeen and on Instagram @healthymindsabn
Fairer Aberdeen Fund
Fairer Aberdeen Fund programme – aligned with the LOIP (Local Outcome Improvement Plan) and Locality Plans, currently 37 funded organisations focussed on tackling poverty. FAF works in partnership with Police Scotland, ACVO and Health and social Care Partnership. The Fairer Aberdeen Board takes a deliberative Participatory Budgeting approach to allocating funding, with 7 Board members from priority areas and 3 from the Civic Forum.
Community Representatives are elected from the Regeneration Matters group, a forum of volunteers mainly from priority areas. They are involved in monitoring funded projects and discussing issues relevant to all their communities.
Fairer Aberdeen contact: FairerAberdeenFund@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Fairer Aberdeen Fund Annual Report
Community Development
“Community Development is about making a fairer, just and more inclusive society with strong communities at the heart of decision making.” (Scottish Community Development Centre)
The Community Development Team provide capacity building support to communities to create, develop and sustain programmes and activities which address emerging priorities and provide increased opportunities for citizens.
We do this by improving people’s knowledge, skills, abilities (e.g. confidence, working with others) and organisational ability and support community groups and organisations to plan, manage and evaluate their work.
The team also support a wide range of community members to participate in decision-making processes by enabling them to develop the confidence, understanding and skills required to influence decision making and service delivery.
The Community and Learning Centres Team is responsible for the operation of the Council managed Learning Centres and provides assistance to the independently managed Community Centres.
Community Development contact: Communities@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Current Consultations:
Community Learning and Development Reports:
Education Recovery & Strategic Equity Fund
Education Recovery Fund & Strategic Equity Funded projects across Family Learning - Youth Work - Financial Inclusion - Summary Report 2021 -2023
This report details the work and impacts made possible from additional investment to support children, young people and families.