Clubhouse Project

Introduction

The facilities which currently house the Aberdeen Surf Life Saving Club (ASLSC), kindly provided by the council for many years, will be lost under the current Beach Redevelopment Plan. 

The last few years has seen a significant increase in the number of cold water swimming, surfers and other water based activities. Couple this with the general increase in footfall post pandemic and the entrepreneurial developments along the Esplanade at the Footdee end of the beach and we have the seeds from which this friendly beach community has grown. We feel if a Beach Master Plan is to go ahead then there is a need for it to include new facilities for the water users while improving existing public facilities.

We are pushing to ensure the Surf Life Saving facility is maintained in some way, either by the creation of a new structure or development of an existing one. This opportunity not only creates a facility for ASLSC but a chance to improve all facilities for water sports and beach enthusiasts alike. 

Concept

The Aberdeen Beach Club House will offer a warm and welcoming space acting as a community hub for the safe enjoyment and education of the beach community users. 

The proposed Clubhouse would feature;

• Storage for Lifesaving equipment
• Showers and changing
• A fit-for-purpose adaptive changing room
• Kitchen/breakout area
• Classroom and office
• Lifeguard observation deck

The concept for the beach Club House is being developed in collaboration with the community. We are confident there is a demand and desire for this locally and the support we have received so far has been overwhelming. Aberdeen Beach Club House will be an open, ethical, low-carbon and socially minded venture that people really want to visit! We have passed the concept over to Aberdeen Councils’ Beach Development architects for consideration on how to make these requirements a reality.

Our long-term vision is to create a multi-purpose building which facilitates a diverse range of activities, projects and services that will improve the health, social, cultural, educational, environmental and employment-related outcomes for the community and be enjoyed by visitors from near and far, helping establish Aberdeen Beach as a destination in its own right.

Facility Management and Funding

The day to day running and funding of the club house will be met by the community ClubHouse members. We are developing a business plan to represent the sustainability of the concept including expected costs and sources of income. More details of this will be posted as they develop. 

Planning

Working with the council architects we will draw on permaculture principles and use the renewable resources available to us to build out the concept. An initial environmental report has highlighted a number of actions we can take at the outset to reduce the energy use of the club house to a minimum, including careful installation of floor and wall insulation, choosing water saving devices and low energy lighting. Installation of solar panels on the new roof is also a key priority.

The Council has initially proposed the development of the Club House at the existing Public Toilet facility at the Footdee end of the beach. The beach club house would still contain free to use public toilet facilities. This is the historic location of a lifeboat house which was demolished circa 1950 and the existing slipway would make ideal access for the modern Inshore Rescue Boat (IRB) operated by ASLSC. Thanks to the addition of groynes further North along Aberdeen  beach the Footdee location typically enjoys the best surf locations and safer conditions for youth training. This is also the preferred location for the majority of the cold water swimming groups.

This development location would provide the opportunity to create a welcoming reception to Tripadvisors #8 destination for things to do in Aberdeen, the Historic Footdee (Fittie) village! With a large enough facility a Tourist information or Fittie visitors centre could even be included giving educational experience on the history of the locale and guidance on respecting the existing residents. This is not part of the current ABC remit but we would encourage the council to consider it and its potential to assist towards the costs of running the facility. 

The Work Ahead

Our project has now been split into three stages and three funding campaigns.

• Phase One – Project feasibility
• Phase Two – The design stage & building fit out
• Phase Three – Run as non-profit charity, including leasing parts of the building – water safety education centre & Lifesaving club

Phase one – Project Feasibility

Our objective for Phase One is to prove the concept is feasible. This includes the feasibility of a site, a workable design that meets the brief, identification and engagement with stakeholders and proof of demand for the concept. Our crowdfunding* campaign will be used to provide expert input to the creation of these feasibility reports and business planning documents including the establishment of legal entities that will ensure the completed structure will remain in the benefit of the community as a whole. Our fundraising team is working hard applying for grants and trusts in addition to crowdfunding.

Phase Two – Design, build & fit out

Should phase one be successful it will be over to the architects to complete the final design under instruction from the council planning team. From here the actual construction begins, again under council control. With the building complete we will be required to ensure it is fitted out to the standard expected with adequate facilities and fittings that will last the test of time in the tough beach environment. 

Phase Three – Running the Clubhouse

At this stage the building will require transfer to the ownership of the legal entity decided upon in phase one which best represents the requirements of the council and the interest of both users and tax payers from the city. This legal entity will ensure maximum benefit is gained for all stakeholders from the investment in the construction of the facility. This entity will take on the maintenance and running of the clubhouse in line with the business plan as also drafted in phase one. 

*100% of all donations received will be spent on achieving the aims of this community group through activities such as the legal and design consultation services required in order to progress. We will practise an open accounting approach in order to give full transparency on where your money goes. Should the initial ABC Clubhouse project not come to fruition we will look to our members to suggest alternative beach related causes to distribute remaining funds amongst.