Allison Swanson

Community Planning Aberdeen Community Cohesion Statement

June 2026

Community Planning Aberdeen is committed to making Aberdeen a place where everyone feels safe, connected and able to take part in community life. As a Marmot City, we know that bringing people together and building strong, supportive communities is key to reducing inequalities and improving wellbeing across Aberdeen. We also know people want to feel safe, feel they belong, and see better integration and inclusion, particularly for our international residents who now call Aberdeen home.

Across the city, communities, organisations, volunteers and local leaders already do a huge amount to support inclusion and wellbeing, showing the strength of Aberdeen as a welcoming and diverse city. However, not everyone experiences this equally. Some communities face higher levels of poverty, isolation, crime and poorer outcomes.

We are clear that tackling inequality and promoting inclusion are fundamental to creating cohesive communities and must be embedded across all areas of delivery. Racism, prejudice, discrimination and hate have no place in Aberdeen.

Through our Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) and Locality Plans we will continue to work with partners, the third sector, communities, and civic and faith leaders to support priority areas, strengthen community-led activity, and improve access to  services, spaces and opportunities for all. Together we will ensure  Aberdeen is a city where everyone can thrive regardless of background or circumstance.

2087 people participated in Community Planning Aberdeen’s Your Place, Your Plans, Your Future engagement survey, to help shape a number of plans and strategies aimed at improving our city. Thank you for participating, your input is invaluable in shaping the future of our city.

 Next Steps

 The responses are being analysed and the results will be published https://communityplanningaberdeen.org.uk/ and promoted widely.

The findings will inform the following plans and strategies: the Local Housing Strategy, Health and Social Care Partnership Strategic Plan, Community Learning and Development (CLD) Plan, the Local Development Plan (LDP), the Visitor Levy Proposal, the Children’s Services Plan, and the Local Outcome Improvement Plan and Locality Plans.

Community Planning Aberdeen will work with communities to co-create solutions through the development of the next Local Outcome Improvement Plan and Locality Plans, ensuring that local people are at the heart of community planning.

Undertaking community engagement

Empowering and engaging with our communities is a key aspect for us all. We have an online Community Empowerment toolkit that provides tips and information for anyone looking to take action and make changes in their community. It is also for anyone looking to undertake community engagement as part of their role.

Community members can find out a wide range of information, including getting in touch with their local Community Council, where to get help with funding, useful data to support projects, and how to connect into existing groups and organisations.

For organisations looking to undertake community engagement, the toolkit provides a step-by-step guide, with lots of useful resources to help support good community engagement.

Thank you once again for your participation and support.

Community Planning

 

 

Your Place, Your Plans, Your Future: It’s time to have YOUR say Aberdeen.

 Community Planning Aberdeen’s Your Place, Your Plans, Your Future engagement is now live! We are inviting all Aberdeen residents to participate and tell us what things are good now and what improvements you think would make our city and our neighbourhoods better in the future.  Have your say today: http://yourplaceyourplans.commonplace.is (Open from today until 18 May 2025)

Why should I take part?

This single engagement gives everyone the chance to share their view and to shape multiple local plans and strategies at once. This includes the Local Housing Strategy, Integrated Joint Board Strategic Plan, Community Learning and Development Plan, Visitor Levy, Children’s Services Plan, Local Development Plan, and the next Local Outcome Improvement Plan and Locality Plans. Be part of the conversation and tell us if we’re getting it right for you, your family and your community.

 How can I have my say?

The engagement is open to any resident of Aberdeen City and open from today until 18 May 2025. You can participate by:

1. Sharing your views online at: http://yourplaceyourplans.commonplace.is 

We also have an online version for children and young people under 16 here

OR

2. Coming to one of our drop in events in your locality (Dates below). The sessions also have activities assisted by Aberdeen Youth Movement and Aberdeen Ambassadors for children and young people to have their say too.

OR

3. We are also offering targeted sessions and taking the conversation into schools and communities across Aberdeen, capturing thoughts and feelings about life in Aberdeen. See our outreach programme for all the locations we’ll be at to help support you have your say.

Please help us promote the forthcoming engagement and locality events by sharing the email and dates widely within your community, your organisation, and your networks and encourage them to share also. For further information please go to http://yourplaceyourplans.commonplace.is . If you wish a targeted session or outreach to be held with your group/location please email communityplanning@aberdeencity.gov.uk

FORTHCOMING ENGAGEMENT AND LOCALITY  EVENTS

Community Planning Aberdeen are inviting all Aberdeen residents to share their views on a range of areas that impact on the place you live.

Between 24 March and 18 May 2025 we would like all Aberdeen residents to participate and tell us what things that are good now and what improvements you think would make our city and our neighbourhoods better in the future.

This single engagement gives everyone the chance to share their view and to shape multiple local plans and strategies at once. This includes the Local Housing Strategy, Integrated Joint Board Strategic Plan, Community Learning and Development Plan, Visitor Levy, Local Development Plan, Children’s Services Plan and the next Local Outcome Improvement Plan and Locality Plans.

How to participate: 

Come to one of our drop in events in your locality where you can come and see all the exciting things happening in your community and share your views at the same time. Enjoy a friendly atmosphere with stalls to explore and tasty refreshments to enjoy. See the dates below.

 OR

Share your views online at: http://yourplaceyourplans.commonplace.is (Open from 24 March until 18 May 2025)

We are also taking the conversation to targeted groups, into schools and communities across Aberdeen, capturing thoughts and feelings about life in Aberdeen.

Please help us promote the forthcoming engagement and locality events by sharing the email and dates widely within your community, your organisation, and your networks and encourage them to share also.

An online ‘toolkit’ to support anyone locally to make positive changes in their community has been launched by Community Planning Aberdeen today (Friday 28 February).

The Community Empowerment Toolkit provides tips and information for anyone looking to improve their community, and for anyone looking to undertake effective community engagement.

Councillor Christian Allard, Co-Leader of Aberdeen City Council and Chair of Community Planning Aberdeen, said: “We appreciate, understand and value the vital role that communities must play in improving outcomes for Aberdeen.

“This online toolkit gives individuals and groups access to information that can help to them to influence and action improvements that will benefit their local community, which in turn will be good for the city.

“We want all people living in Aberdeen, regardless of their background and circumstances, to be empowered and pro-active in their community. Our ambition is for all communities to become equal community planning partners.”

The online toolkit has been developed through engagement with community members and organisations across Aberdeen, and the Grampian Engagement Network. It is also being supported NHS Grampian’s Putting People First programme.

Anyone who lives in Aberdeen is a member of their local community and as a community member can find a wide range of information including how to contact their local Community Council, where to get help with funding a project, useful data to support projects, and how to connect with existing groups and organisations.

For organisations that are keen to undertake community engagement, the toolkit provides a step-by-step guide, with lots of useful resources to help support effective community engagement.

As well as the Community Empowerment Toolkit, a new introductory training course ‘Foundations of community engagement’ is being offered for all staff.

This course is for staff who want to learn the basics of community engagement and apply these skills as part of their job role. Visit our training and resources page to sign up

Three GP practices in Aberdeen have teamed up with RSPB Scotland, with support from Community Planning Aberdeen to roll out ‘Nature Prescriptions’, a pilot initiative designed to increase patients’ physical and mental health through a greater connection with local nature.

A ‘Nature Prescription’ is a guided conversation with a healthcare professional and patient which explores how wellbeing can be improved through a deeper connection with nature. Alongside the conversation, a ‘Nature Prescription Calendar’ is provided which contains seasonal activities, tailored to the local area.

The calendar was informed by a community co-creation session supported by Aberdeen City Council. Suggested activities include spending time in a favourite nature space close to home, looking for signs of changing seasons, and recording the nature you see through photos, drawings or writing.

Councillor Christian Allard, Co-Leader of Aberdeen City Council and Chair of Community Planning Aberdeen, said: “Research shows how spending time outdoors and being at one with nature helps people’s physical and mental wellbeing, which is why it is a key objective of Community Planning Aberdeen and the city’s Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP).

“By being part of RSPB Scotland’s Nature Prescriptions initiative, local GP Practices in Aberdeen can offer their patients the opportunity to connect with nature on their doorstep through a calendar of local events and activities. It’s a great initiative, which we hope more local GP Practices will sign up to.”

Dawn James, RSPB Scotland Community Engagement Officer, said: “With a growing body of evidence that nature connection is important for our health and wellbeing, taking time in nature can be crucial. RSPB Nature Prescriptions can help patients build their relationship with nature in a meaningful way to improve wellbeing with support from a healthcare professional.

“We are excited to be collaborating with GPs and Aberdeen City Council to deliver the project for people in the area. Included in the calendar are varied accessible activities which reflect nature and wildlife across Aberdeen which were informed by feedback from the local community. It’s encouraging to see nature have an increasing role in the toolkit of healthcare professionals across Scotland and we hope this will help many patients kickstart a stronger relationship with the nature around them to help better support their health.”

Dr Adrain Crofton, Lead Clinician, Torry Medical Practice said: “We have a wonderful resource of parks, woods, seashore and rivers in Aberdeen. We now know that even the smallest contact with nature, of being outside observing and appreciating plants, other creatures or the flow of the seasons is of incredible value to our health and sense of wellbeing.

“This locality-specific and user-friendly programme designed by RSPB Scotland is an excellent tool for us to give to patients who feel this might be something they would like to try but might not otherwise know where to start. The materials are of a high quality and very easy and fun to follow.

“The great advantage of the nature prescription is that it is all on your doorstep and is something that can help anyone at any stage of life, and it’s free. In many ways, that makes it one of the best treatments we have”.

A growing body of evidence finds that connection to nature can benefit physical and mental health in varied ways including reducing stress, boosting the immune system, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression and improved memory and concentration.

The Nature Prescription initiative was first trialled in Scotland in Shetland and in five GP practices across Edinburgh. 74% of patients who took part in the trial reported having benefitted and 91% of prescribing health professionals stated that they would continue to offer Nature Prescriptions. Since then, further trial schemes have been launched across Scotland including Orkney and Argyll and Bute, as well as in other parts of the UK.

Have you downloaded the Aberdeen Protects app?

This is a free app that promotes Naloxone, a free and safe medicine that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose whilst an ambulance is called.
Anyone can use the app and it works on both Apple and Android phones and tablets.

Help save a life and download the Aberdeen Protects app today via:

• • the App store https://orlo.uk/i4juI and
  • Android https://orlo.uk/F8Qf3

The Aberdeen Protects Naloxone App has been updated with some new features. Go to the app store to update. Make sure location and alert notifications are enabled.

New features include a video about naloxone, able to search for suppliers by Open/Closed, able to see a list of all naloxone supply and a few other wee improvements.

The app provides a valuable way for us to send out alerts and harm reduction support to people at risk, their friends and family. Always carry naloxone! You never know when it might save a life.