Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to

everyone involved with Give Kids a Chance. We

hope you all enjoy the holiday break and send you

our very best wishes for 2007. Have a great

festive season but remember to go easy on the

mince pies. From Heather & Grace xx

BAD WEATHER

Bad weather is never far away at this time of the year. If schools are closed due to poor

weather conditions Give Kids a Chance will not operate either. If you are in any doubt

about whether activities are going ahead in your area please contact the project on the

office numbers: Grace on 01224 555293, Heather on 01224 555224 or on the project

mobile number 07770 343179 to check.

NEW VOLUNTEERS

Welcome to new volunteers, Peter, Philip and

Fiona. Peter is helping support our music

groups in Aberdeen and is working alongside

some of our more experienced tutors. Philip

and Fiona are helping transport young people

to and from golf lessons and martial arts

class.

NEW STAFF

Welcome to Alison Findlay from Portsoy

who is supporting young people to access

horse-riding lessons in Moray, Alison Hicks

who has joined GKAC as a swimming coach

in Aberdeen and Kris Elliott, again from

Aberdeen who is helping teach drums.

NEW SPONSORS

The Rotary Club of Buckie presented Give Kids

a Chance with a donation of £5,000 in October

2006. The Club co-ordinated a sponsored walk

around the Moray coast that passed through 6

of the local harbour villages and raised more

than £20,000.

One of the walk organiser, Malcolm Watt

presents Heather with the cheque at a Rotary

Club meeting.

The Give Kids a Chance team were one of three finalists shortlisted for the NHS

Healthy Lifestyle Award. Four members of the team, Ian Brodie, Volunteer Driver,

Michael Molden, Volunteer Football Coach and Music Tutor, Grace Hanvey, Project

Administrator and Heather Wilson, Project Manager attended the 2006 Award

Ceremony on 9th November at the Corn Exchange, Edinburgh thanks to support from

Aberdeen Community Health Partnership.

WELL DONE KATELYNNE !!

Heather said, “the team were honoured to have

been short listed and thoroughly enjoyed the

experience. It was a great thrill when our details

were projected on to the huge screen on stage.

Although we didn’t win, we came away feeling

very proud that Give Kids a Chance had been

recognised as a shining example of good practice

in Scotland and we received a certificate and a

cheque for £400. We collected some memorabilia

from the event to add to our certificate and the

framed picture now has pride of place in the

GKAC office. For those not able to come and

visit us Grace and Michael have kindly posed.”

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

SURVEY

We asked everyone who received

a newsletter last summer to

feedback any comments about

GKAC. We entered all the

comment forms received from

the young people into a draw and

the winning form was drawn by

GKAC office volunteer Sandy

Wood as Katelynne from

Peterhead.

Katelynne was very happy with her GKAC horse-riding activity and didn’t want to suggest any

changes. On checking Katelynne’s attendance it was discovered that she had missed only 1

lesson since she started horse-riding over 1 year ago. Katelynne had the best attendance

record of all the young people attending Annandale Equestrian Centre so also received a mini

radio, a calculator and pens and pencils to celebrate her excellent attendance and a box of

sweets for being the owner of the drawn comment form.

Isobel Davidson from Peterhead and Jim McLean, a GKAC volunteer driver from Aberdeen

presented Katelynne with her prizes in her school classroom.

Give Kids a Chance has been involved with

Banks O’Dee Trampoline Club in Aberdeen

since 1997 when the project was first

launched. Young people attend regular

coaching sessions and have the opportunity

to take part in competitions as they develop

their skills.

Rhia, on the right, has been attending the

club for almost 2 years and is now able to

complete a range of moves on the

trampoline. Rhia will be representing the

club at competitions during 2007 and will be

presented with her club leotard and

tracksuit when the sessions start again

after the Christmas break. The club has a

wonderful attitude to competing and

encourages their members to do their best

and strive for personal improvement.

Three young people from GKAC have

recently joined the club. Spaces are

limited, but if anyone else is keen to attend

please contact Grace on telephone number

01224 555293.

BANKS O’DEE TRAMPOLINE CLUB, ABERDEEN

HORSE RIDING AT GRANGE RIDING STABLES, KEITH

Terri, Amy and

Ashleigh all attend

the Monday night

horse-riding group

at Grange Riding

Stables. The girls

have been attending

since early 2006 and

have over time

become confident

riders.

The girls are also enjoying learning about the care of the horses. Horse riding has always

been a popular activity and is provided by Grange Riding Stable for the Moray participants

and Annandale Equestrian Centre for those living in Aberdeenshire. Both stables provide

opportunities to ride but also include stable management topics that involve the care and

grooming of the horses and of course, mucking out. Both centres have excellent indoor

facilities so horse riding is provided all year round and is not dependent on the weather.

At the moment 16 young people are receiving horse riding lessons through GKAC.

Is co-ordinated by NHS Grampian,

In partnership with local community networks.

Denburn Health Centre, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen, AB25 1QB

Tel No. 01224 555224 (Heather) or

Tel No. 01224 555293 (Grace)

e-mail: heather.wilson2@nhs.net or grace.hanvey2@nhs.net

www.nhsgrampian.org/gkac

COMPETITION FOR CHRISTMAS

This is the GKAC Christmas Card. This design was

drawn a few years ago by GKAC participant, Emma

Stuart and has been used again this year. We have

been produced cards at Denburn Health Centre and

used them as a trial fundraising project. The cards

have been available to staff and friends at a charge

of £1.00 for 5. It is planned to repeat this next

Christmas with a range of designs. Young people

involved with GKAC, their brothers, sisters or

friends are invited to send in Christmas drawings.

Snowmen, wintery scenes, Santa playing guitar,

keyboard, or drums, or playing football – you could

try to link your picture with your GKAC activity.

STORIES FOR THE NEWSLETTER

Do you have a story to tell about your

GKAC activity? Would you like to draw

a picture about your activity? Would

you like it to appear in this newsletter?

Let us know if you have anything that

you want us to include for the next

newsletter.

Volunteers, tutors, clubs or groups also

involved with GKAC can use this

newsletter to showcase achievements

and performances.

GKAC will arrange for all the entries to be displayed at Denburn Health

Centre. The entries will be judged on 22nd February 2008 and the winning

drawings will be reproduced as cards for Christmas 2008. Gift Token

prizes will be awarded to the winners.

NOT TAKING PART IN AN ACTIVITY?

If you are not taking part in an activity but would

like to find out more about what is available in your

area get in touch with Grace or Heather using the

contact details below. Perhaps there is a club or

group in your area that you would like to join and

GKAC can help make that possible. Please get in

touch and we can try to help.

Being involved in a hobby or activity can bring

great rewards. You have the opportunity to do

something through GKAC – don’t let it go to waste.