ABB Limited generously agreed to donate £425 to support the Hanover Street Primary Lacrosse Initiative, which is just one of the exciting new projects established in the St Machar area by Aberdeen's Active Schools team.
Under the supervision of teacher Gill Graham, the school squad has performed well this year, finishing third in the Aberdeen City Schools Pop Lacrosse tournament in March. This success was all the more remarkable given the team only started the sport in February, following advice and guidance from Michelle White, the school’s Active Schools Co-ordinator.
A ceremony was held in the games hall of Linksfield Community Centre on Wednesday 15th November to mark the sponsorship agreement. Mike Crawford, General Manager of ABB Limited in charge of its UK service operations, says "Our company is increasing its involvement in community activity and we are delighted to provide support to local school based initiatives like this. With recent reports revealing the poor level of fitness of our children there has to be a concerted effort to put things right and we are delighted to support Active Schools Aberdeen in providing local solutions."
Michelle White, one of the Active Schools Co-ordinators, was delighted with the approach made by the company. She comments: "We are extremely grateful to ABB Limited for their support of the Hanover St Lacrosse Club. Collaboration like this between private and public bodies can only lead to an effective whole-community approach to public health and that is essentially what we are all working towards."
‘Active Schools’ is a government led initiative being rolled out by the local councils. Its main aim is to get school aged children more active, more often and to develop a life long learning habit that will lead to a more active and healthy lifestyle.
Hanover Street head teacher Helen Maitland said this was a particularly exciting time for the pupils. "Our school is in the process of a complete modernisation programme which will provide excellent new facilities and exciting initiatives are being progressed in several areas including rugby and lacrosse," she says.
Hanover Street School is currently in a temporary home at the former Linksfield Academy while the major refurbishment of the school building on the Beach Boulevard is carried out. The revamped and extended school is due to be finished in 2008.