Annual Report and Accounts 2014

Annual Report and Accounts 2014

Sustainable Connections Transport Team SCoTT

Climate Challenge Fund Project

Thanks to a grant from the Scottish Governments Climate Challenge fund, we were able to introduce a new string to the Shopmobility Aberdeen bow in the shape of the Sustainable Connections Transport Team (SCoTT) project.  In an earlier post (find it here) we tried to explain the value of this new service and the benefits it could bring to those who used it, but this short video does a much better job.

The Climate Challenge Fund grant has now come to an end but the service carries on, it has become so important and integral to the lives of those who have embraced its use (as we knew it would) that Shopmobility Aberdeen is committed to its continuation.

The link below will take you to the final report we submitted to the Climate Challenge Fund.
SCoTT Project Report  makes good bedtime reading, you will be in the Land of Nod in no time.

Shopmobility Grows Wild

Grow Wild

In keeping with our efforts to become more sustainable and reduce the impact we have on the planet, Shopmobility Aberdeen in conjunction with Union Square and our local school partners is taking part in the Grow Wild initiative.  Supported by the Big Lottery Fund and led by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Grow Wild inspires communities, friends, neighbours and individuals across the UK to come together to transform local spaces, by sowing, growing and enjoying native wild flowers.

 We have recently seen a number of large building projects be completed near Union Square, much of this building work replaced areas which nature had taken over when the previous buildings had fallen in to disrepair.  So to give the displaced wildlife a new home, we applied to Grow Wild and asked them for some Scottish wild flower seed kits.

None of this would have been possible with out the enthusiastic support of Union Square, who agreed that we could use part of their land for our project.

This is the area we used

It had been planted up before (Union Square keep their grounds in pretty good shape) but people had been using it as a short cut and had trampled all the plants out of existence, only a few hardy bushes have survived.

To stop people walking over the wild flowers, Union Square built us a raised bed for the project.

All we needed now, was some plants. The seeds we received from Grow Wild had to be planted in the spring or early summer to give them their best chance.  The planting area wasn't ready for this so we enlisted the help of some local schools, and boy did they deliver! 

Thank you:

Bramble Brae Primary School, Braehead Primary School, Ferryhill Primary School, Walker Road primary School and Gilcomstoun Primary School.

Bramble Brae Primary School

Braehead Primary School

Ferryhill Primary School

Walker Road Primary School

Some of the Management Team at Union Square pitched in too
(The children from Walker Road Primary School kept them right)

Complete

We had a wonderful day helping to plant the seedlings and chatting to the children about how they had sown the seeds and tended to them and giving the bees, butterflies and birds somewhere to call home. The next few weeks will be exciting to watch our little garden grow and see what the seedling grow up to be.  We hope that the children and their parents visit often to check on the progress.

Finally, we would like to thank all the children for helping us, and compliment then on their behaviour and manners, you were all a pleasure to work with (the adults weren't too bad either).