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Editorial
Welcome to the Autumn edition of the Woodside Free Press. This is YOUR magazine.
We are here to help you find out what’s going on in Woodside and connect with your community.
In our pages you will find news, views, reviews and features. Join us in welcoming our neighbours, celebrating Charlene Kilpatrick’s Heart of the Community Award and highlighting the amazing opportunities to learn in Woodside.
If you have something you would like to say, some local issue you think deserves coverage, or if you would like to get involved by joining the happy band of volunteers that puts this magazine together, please contact Rose at shmu on 07752586312 or email rose.ross@shmu.org.uk.
All the content in this magazine has been produced and approved by members of the editorial team.
The staff at shmu are able to support and train anyone living in the area who is interested in developing their ideas and skills in either writing, photography, research or proof reading.
Woodside Free Press is a community publication and the views expressed are not necessarily those of the editorial team or of shmu.
Supported by
Woodside Ideas Turn into Action!
Afew months ago, local people came together to share their ideas for making Woodside an even better place to live. Thanks to £5,000 of community funding through Woodside Decides, those ideas are already turning into real projects that everyone can enjoy.
At the Woodside Community Centre the new groups are up and running - from the Women’s Group and Community Choir to Pilates and the Language Café. These activities are open to everyone and are a brilliant way to meet people, have a chat, and do something positive together. The Dennis Law Photo Exhibition is now on display at the community centre, celebrating the people and places that make Woodside special.
The young people in the area will also be bringing their ideas to life by creating a new community garden - turning
their plans into a space that everyone can enjoy.
Work is also happening to improve the Common Room at Clifton Court, making it a warmer and more welcoming space for residents. If anyone has a bit of time to spare and would like to help out, that support would mean a lot.
Looking ahead, we’re excited to start a new film project exploring how accessible Woodside is for disabled people. We’d love to hear from any local residents with disabilities who might be interested in sharing their experiences.
And some amazing news!
On 22 November, 5–9pm, we’ll be hosting a big Ceilidh & Diverse Culture Night, with Ceilidh dancing, live music from U-Band, games and plenty of fun. Keep your eyes peeled for more information on that!
If you’d like to get involved or volunteer, email Larissa.karpa@shmu.org.uk.
Woodside Friday Shoppers Bus every Friday 11am
Woodside can be a great place to live but sometimes it can be difficult to access a good range of affordable shops, especially if you don’t drive a car.
Woodside Shoppers bus is a free service which picks up happy shoppers from Woodside Fountain Centre every Friday morning.
Ken, our volunteer driver will help you on and off the bus if required and drop you off at the beach retail Park beside Asda, Aldi, and many other shops.
One and a half hours later the minibus will pick you up and return to the centre.
It can be quite expensive at the little shops in Woodside. There’s lots more choice and good value at these bigger stores. It’s also good fun. We always have a good chat and a laugh on the bus.
The Woodside Pantry Shop & Cafe
The Woodside Pantry, run by Fersands and Fountain SCIO, is a community-led initiative aimed at reducing food poverty and tackling food waste in the Woodside area of Aberdeen. It offers residents access to affordable groceries in a welcoming, non-judgmental environment—no means testing required. All you need is proof of a Woodside address to join.
Membership costs just £3 per year, renewed every October. Once you’re signed up, you can shop weekly for only £3 per visit. Each shop includes a minimum of 7 red items (valued under £1.50) and 3 blue items (valued over £1.50). On average, members take home £15–£20 worth of food each week, saving around £60 per month—a meaningful difference for many households.
The Pantry is open three times a week to suit different schedules: Tuesdays from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM, Thursdays from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, and Fridays from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Whether you’re a parent, pensioner, student, or working professional, the Pantry is here to support you.
By redistributing surplus food and offering choice and dignity, the Woodside Pantry strengthens
community resilience and promotes sustainability. It’s more than a place to shop—it’s a place to connect, save, and thrive.
The Fersands Preloved Charity Shop, based inside the Woodside Fountain Centre, is a welcoming space where affordability meets community spirit. Created in response to the cost-of-living crisis, the shop offers low-cost clothing, toys, homeware, and furniture.
Every purchase directly supports Fersands and Fountain SCIO’s free programmes, including youth clubs, gala days, holiday activities, and community meals. That means every pound spent goes back into building a stronger, more inclusive Woodside.
The shop is stocked with a wide range of preloved items, including clothing for all ages, toys and games, furniture, and household goods. Electrical items are also available and are PAT tested before resale to ensure safety. Whether you’re looking for a bargain or donating items too good to waste, the shop encourages sustainability and reuse.
Run by a dedicated team of volunteers, the space is kept tidy, friendly, and well-organised. It’s a place where people come not
just to shop, but to connect—with neighbours, with purpose, and with the wider community.
The Fersands Preloved Charity Shop is open Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Thursdays from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, and Fridays from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
The Fersands Café, located inside the Woodside Fountain Centre, is a vibrant social enterprise built on compassion, connection, and good food. Launched in response to the cost-of-living crisis, the café has quickly become a lifeline for many in the Woodside community— offering affordable meals in a welcoming, inclusive space.
Open to everyone, the café serves a variety of home-cooked breakfasts, lunches, and sweet treats at low cost. The menu includes favourites like toasties, jacket potatoes, hearty mains, and breakfast rolls—all made with wholesome ingredients and priced to support families on tight budgets. Whether you’re popping in for a quick bite or sitting down for a warm meal, the café is designed to make healthy eating accessible to all.
Beyond the food, the café is a place where friendships grow and community spirit thrives.
Far From the Madding Machine
It may seem strange to begin an article about noise with a story from my family history, but bear with me. My grandfather lost a leg during the war. It wasn’t on some far far-flung battlefield, but an everyday accident on the streets of his home town. He was parking his motor bike when a lorry backed into him. He was taken to hospital where they amputated his leg. In my mind’s eye, I can picture him in the yard swinging that leg as he walked. Machines can do a lot of damage to human beings.
So, I get it. The driver is not in full control if the vehicle is reversing. The vehicle should make some beeping sound to warn pedestrians and workers that the machine is operating. For one machine it makes sense, but for a hundred machines it makes for a nightmare of noise. The trouble is, as you go about your day, somewhere in your audio-sphere something
is reversing or lifting or shifting something. And then there’s simple shopping in the supermarket, mobile phones and the hundred and one other machines, large or small, that continually remind us of their existence. There’s no escape. Even the local park is dominated by machines. The result is that life in the modern city is accompanied by a continual beep-beep-beep.
Take our audio-world here in Woodside. We have the railway, increased traffic overall, and even more coming our way from the new bridge over the Don. Then there’s the industrial zone on St. Machar Road. Twenty years ago, residents of Fersands scarcely noticed it. Now it is beginning to affect the mental health of local residents. And with the addition of a new scrapyard the situation just gets worse and worse. It’s like the finale of some horrific symphony. You begin to wonder if industrial
areas can exist side-by-side with residential areas anymore.
Many (perhaps most) people are okay with this; It’s just part and parcel of modern city life. But, for myself and many others, it’s making life in the city unbearable.
What’s the answer? Perhaps there isn’t one. Let’s face it, no-one wants to go back to the days of back-breaking work and unsafe working practices. Maybe those who wear their music machines continually have cracked it. Create your own audio micro-sphere.
Me? I think I’m going to have to leave the city for good. Retire to some idyllic country location with nothing but the tweeting of birds and the babble of the babbling brook around me. Unless they decide that cows in field are a health and safety risk and fit some device on them. Or the sheep no longer go bleat-bleat-bleat but…… Dougie Thomson
Fersands: A Story of Transformatio n
ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKED BEST about living in Sandilands was the big, old tree outside my bedroom window. Planted more than eighty years ago, it would bud every spring, offer welcome shade in summer then shed its leaves through autumn as a sure sign winter was on its way. For years I watched it change with the seasons; it was a sad day when it got blown down in a storm a couple of years ago.
The Council tidied the remains but left half the trunk in the garden. It lay there for over a year, untouched and unsightly, then I came home one day to find someone had planted a little
flower garden round it, turning that old lump of tree into something that brings smiles to the faces of passers-by.
I spoke to the Ukrainian lady who’d done this. Not long moved in, she and her daughter’s English was limited but between the three of us we managed to hold a decent conversation. Refugees from the war, they don’t know when, if ever, they’ll be able to return home, but one of the first things they did on arriving here was make an effort to brighten the place up a bit, proving that despite what some of our slimier politicians might claim, immigrants really don’t need to speak much
English to contribute to their adopted communities.
The same day, I took a wander round Ferrier Crescent for the first time in near twenty years. The change to this previously ragged street was incredible: so many lovely gardens with well-tended flower beds, gazebos, picnic tables and barbecues. I bumped into Wayne Gill, who’s lived here all his life, and his partner Louise Moir, who told me: “The area is so much smarter now. Lots of Polish families round here who really look after their gardens. It’s great”.
This is all so different from when I moved to Fersands in 2002. Half the
houses were empty; nobody wanted to live here because of the area’s reputation. There were few cars but significant social problems. Garden furniture in those days consisted of the odd, rotting sofa or abandoned washing machine. On the plus side, there was an active local community network, a core of decent, hardworking folk trying to get on and a community project doing its best to support them.
Perhaps surprisingly, the first signs of real, long-term change came in 2004, when the UK opened its borders to Eastern Europe. The first wave of newcomers duly arrived from Poland, Lithuania etc. and, quite astonished to find these lovely houses lying empty, promptly snapped them up - a winwin situation for the Council, the community and our local shops. Our new neighbours brought with them ambition and a strong work ethic that helped kickstart the rehabilitation of our community. Once near-empty streets began to fill with cars and work vans; overgrown gardens were knocked into shape; the Council installed new street lighting and garden fencing and built a modern play park in Ferrier Crescent; the Woodside surgery moved to new premises in Marquis
Road; the Fersands and Fountain Community Project expanded its services and moved into our newlyextended community centre. Things were looking up.
“The area is so much smarter now. Lots of Polish families round here who really look after their gardens. It’s great”.
Over the last twenty years, a combination of all these things and more has transformed Fersands from near-ghetto into a thriving, inclusive community. Like any other council estate we have our problems, but generally, everyone rubs along pretty well together and many of us were saddened to see that hard-won community cohesion threatened by the recent outbreak of ill-judged, flag-waving nationalism. Yes, working class folk stuck in an apparently never-ending cost of living crisis are bound to feel angry and resentful but by directing our frustration at immigrants – legal or otherwise – we are not only playing the billionaires’ game, we are doing it on their terms. They own the media telling us every day our problems are caused by what they like to describe as “unfettered immigration”
but the reality is that if we deported every single refugee and asylum seeker tomorrow, nothing would change. Nothing. None of us would be any better off. Prices and rents would continue to rise. Meanwhile, the rich keep getting richer and this government continues to attack our democratic right to protest against capitalism, genocide and injustice. There’s nothing the super-rich like better than the working class arguing fruitlessly on social media but, instead of fighting each other, we would do well to remember the only thing that really frightens billionaires (and governments) is the idea of the working class standing together, united, demanding real change. Instead, we’ve allowed them to manipulate and divide us into “left” and “right”, constantly shoving immigration down our throats until some of us have succumbed to the utter futility of standing outside hotels shouting abuse at frightened refugees and asylum seekers. We really need to wise up, because if it wasn’t immigration, they’d soon find something else to distract us, to keep us at each others’ throats while they - the billionaires and the politicians they own – carry on, as always, laughing all the way to the bank.
Pete Thompson
GARDENS OF WOODSIDE
From some points of view
Woodside can seem a grey and dull area with pockets of poverty and various social problems. From another point of view it’s an area on the move that people care about and look after.
It’s a community of green spaces and hidden gems. Secret gardens and pretty spaces that only a few know about, “somewhere only we know”. At one of our recent Free Press meetings we discussed some of these. Here’s a few photos to see if you can guess where they are. Do you know some special places in Woodside, some gardens, green space or park that you think is special? Please send us a photo and tell us about your place.
The Fersands Nursery Garden
A tiny growing space only a year old but already a treasure. A small area producing a harvest of knowledge, understanding, fun and excitement for the children. Already, the kids have made soup from vegetables and enjoyed picking and chopping the apples that they help to grow in their Garden.
Off the Rails Community Garden (Behind Ferrier Crescent and Ferrier Gardens).
A garden created by residents coming together. For five years a small but tenacious group have worked hard and grown interest and developed a stronger sense of community by improving their surroundings. Together they share knowledge and experience and have a go at growing stuff. Every
year the garden stretches out a little bit more and new fruits, flowers and vegetables can be seen. Residents are welcome to come and take what they need. Lots of families and children help at weekends and take great pride in the environment they are building.
Persley Walled Garden
On the very edge of Woodside lies the historic Persley Walled Garden, once part of the Crombie Mills estate. The garden offers peaceful contemplative seating areas within formal quadrants of boxed hedge. Sprinkles and splashes of colourful insect-luring bedding plants and climbing plants decorate the frames spectacularly. The red-bricked garden was reclaimed by Aberdeen City Council in 1997 as part of Scottish Trades Union Congress to mark Workers Memorial Day and an obelisk was erected a year later to commemorate all workers who died at work.
Off The Rails
The
Fersands
Innes Gregory Photography Exhibition
Whatis it with Woodside and public art? Along with the ever-popular Woodside Art Group, we have the murals along the railway and in Printfield, the art installation at the Fountain, the Boom Box and now those stunning Denis Law murals on the Clifton Court building. I know that street art is all the rage, but Woodside is becoming positively arty.
The latest addition to the list is a new exhibition at the Woodside Fountain Centre featuring the work of Innes Gregory, Gray’s School of Art Graduate in Residence. Innes took an interest in the Denis Law Project and did a lot of work documenting the murals as they went up over a forty-day period. The result is a fascinating collection of photography and film called the Building the Printfield 10: Denis Law Trail Legacy Trail. This is an important historical record of local public art celebrating ‘football, place and football’. The exhibition can be seen at the Fountain Centre (in the café area). It’s well worth a visit if art and photography (and football) is your thing. Incidentally, Innes says that he’s open to suggestions if anyone is looking for professional advice or project ideas. Check it out before it closes in December.
Out and About in Woodside
Iama big fan of ‘Health and Happiness’ videos on YouTube. I spend hours watching endless stuff on diet and fitness. In short, I am slightly neurotic about staying alive for as long as possible. But too much stressing about longevity can shorten your life. And that’s not the only contradiction. Meat is toxic, plants are poisonous. Running is the best thing since sliced bread (wholemeal), running knackers yer knees. Avoid all alcohol, but a little bit of what you fancy does you good.
But all agree on one thing. It’s important to get out and about, meet people, socialise. Learn new things, contribute to your community. The problem is, in our alienated world people just don’t get around like they used to. Pubs and music venues are closing down, and, anyway, everything’s just too expensive, and in this world of a ‘cost of living crisis’, the first thing to be cut is socialising. But there are things going on in Woodside that might interest you. Here’s an overview of things that are going on, open to all.
WOODSIDE FOUNTAIN CENTRE Monday. Woodside Women’s
Group. Breathwork, creativity and wellbeing - 11am to 1 pm. Free. Community Choir - 6 to 8.30 pm. (no experience needed) Free.
Tuesday:
Parents and Toddlers 9.30 to 11 am - £2.
Pilates 1.30 to 2.30 pm.
Language Café 1 to 2.30 pm. Practice English. Free.
Wednesday: Nitter Natter (fortnightly) 6.30 to 8.30 pm. Chat with fellow knitters.
Thursday: Arts and Crafts Group 6.30 to 8.30 pm. Donations.
Friday Zumba 10 to 11 am.
Contact www.fersandsscio.co.uk
PRINTFIELD PROJECT
One hour Health and Therapy Group. £2 Every second Tuesday 11.30 to 3.30 pm. Pre-booking necessary.
Men’s Group Thursday & to 9 pm. Contact. 01224 276788
HILTON COMMUNITY CENTRE
There is a wide range of activities. These include Creative Aberdeen, Theatre of Dreams, Arts, Yoga,
Badminton, Drummers, Over 55s Adult Paint Class, Indoor Bowls, Boys Brigade and Line Dancing. Contact Hilton Centre on 10224 277025.
The highly successful Off the Rails community garden are always keen to welcome volunteers if you live in the Fersands area. Contact offtherailscommunitygarden@ yahoo.co.uk or see Off the Rails on Facebook.
GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH, Church St Little Steps Playtime Tues 10-11.30 Coffee Mornings Wed 10-noon
STATION HOUSE MEDIA UNIT (shmu)
Wellbeing Cafe - Wednesday’s 2pm to 4pm.
shmu also has a range of adult volunteering opportunities from shmuPRESS, getting involved in this very magazine. Radio and podcasting opportunities, TV and film and much more.
We have lots of exciting projects for 11 to 17 year olds too on offer through our Youth Services programme
Contact shmu on 01224 515013 or email volunteer@shmu.org.uk
How Can Employability Support Help?
Kenneth’s story
In2024 Kenneth was hospitalised for seven weeks following a stroke. Due to his stroke Kenneth was no longer able to drive and became unemployed. Having worked all his life since leaving school in 1979, he was feeling quite lost being unemployed.
Unsure of what to do, what he was entitled to claim or where to find out, Kenneth struggled to find support. “Being unemployed, you’re put down as useless and claiming things you shouldn’t be. You are no use to the community or to anybody, a burden on society, even though you’ve paid in all that time.”
His stroke mainly affected his left side and being left-handed, it left him struggling with a lot of things, especially filling out forms. He said “The form for PIP is about half an inch thick. It’s actually a novel, but luckily, I got occupational health and C-FINE to help me go through it and fill it out.”
Kenneth hadn’t been to the job centre since 1980, it was a shock to see it had totally changed. “The last time I went, you just came in and looked at the cards, but now it’s all on the computer. Not everyone is able to use a computer. It was basically learning how to do everything all over again.
“I almost didn’t go in this time because of the fear, the stigma and everything. But once you get over it, it gets a lot easier as time goes by. The work coach I’ve got now is excellent. He’ll sit and listen. He’ll look at my record and it’s almost first-name terms with them. With me having the stroke, I was under a doctor’s line (unfit to work), and Universal Credit said they don’t worry about doctors’ lines. I’ve
been made fit to work so I’ve got to look for work.
“If I go even a walk to Iceland from my flat and back, I know for a fact I’ll sit down and fall asleep for about two hours, just because I’m that fatigued. How would an employer or a business feel if that was happening every day?”
When Kenneth sought assistance from Pathways, they couldn’t believe he had been deemed fit to work.
“Pathways and C-FINE were great in support and Pathways are still great in what they do. They’ve been excellent in helping me out. Looking for jobs, putting jobs in my universal diary and that. I use C-FINE in a number of ways: support with filling out forms, chasing up PIP and keeping up to date with what’s available. I normally go down about once a week/ once a fortnight for emergency supplies. I’m grateful that I haven’t actually had to go into a food bank yet, but I’ve signed up for the pantry at the community centre.
“My life would be easier if there was better support and more information for benefits: make it clearer. I’d advise anyone to get in touch with your community hub and enquire there or Citizens Advice and even the job centre, or the Library. Just see what you can get and where you have to go.
Contact cfine on 01224 596 156 or email info@cfine.org or find them at 2-4 Poynernook Road AB11 5RW.
Pathways can be found at 11 Powis Circle, Aberdeen, AB24 3YX, calling them on 01224 682939 or emailing info@
Women’s GroupBringing the Women of Woodside Community Together
Monday 15th September 2025
During my placement, I have the privilege of joining something truly special at the Woodside Fountain Centre – a Women’s Group that meets every Monday from 11 am to 1 pm running for 12 weeks.
From the moment I step through the door, I feel an immediate sense of welcome and belonging here. The group is open to all women in the Woodside neighbourhood, and what makes this so powerful is the incredible diversity - women of all ages, backgrounds and life experiences coming together not just as individuals, but as a true community.
The group is led by Autumn, a warm compassionate Holistic Practitioner who gently guides us through the sessions, which are focused on our reconnection with ourselves – mind, body and soul. Her approach is not only healing but empowering, helping us to explore what we need to thrive and how we can support one another.
Each week brings something new: Breathwork and flow to release stress.
Mediation to quiet the mind.
Emotional release and safe communication to express our inner thoughts and world.
Creative activities that reignite joy and self-expression.
We also dive into important topics such as hormonal health, mental wellbeing and navigating life’s ups and downs. It’s a space that feels both practical and spiritual, grounded yet transformative.
What stands out for me the most is the sense of sisterhood. We laugh, we cry, we share, we listen. All within a safe space, friendships are built, confidence grows, and every woman is valued and truly seen. Whether you are 18 or 80, you belong here.
“The Woodside Women’s Group was born of a want for connection and understanding – a place where women of all ages and background could gather together and connect
over the shared experience of what it is to be a woman. To share wisdom, learn from one another and feel seen.
Weekly we explore what it truly means to be a woman through our cycles, our stories and our shared humanity – it’s a space of warmth, belonging and safety to share in whatever emotion we find ourselves in.Together we are creating a place where every woman is welcome, exactly as she is.”
Autumn, Holistic Practitioner
The group is free, inclusive and full of heart.
If you are looking for a space to feel empowered, cared for, and connected, I wholeheartedly recommend joining us.
Mondays, 11 am – 1 pm at the Woodside Fountain Centre.
Together, we rise – and together, we heal.
Doreen Sutherland
Third year student RGU
Congratulations Charlene!
Someexcellent news from Fersands and Fountain SCIO!
Claire Whyte writes: ‘We’re thrilled to announce Charlene has been awarded Celebrate Aberdeen’s Heart of the Community Awardanan honour that recognises individuals who have shown unwavering dedication to the people and places around them.
Charlene’s award is a testament to her years of passionate service, not only through her tireless volunteer work with our SCIO, but also her invaluable contributions to the Community Council, local networks, and beyond. Her efforts have helped strengthen the spirit and resilience of our community in countless ways.
Charlene Kilpatrick is the beating heart of Woodside’s community. A member of the first-ever Scottish Youth Parliament in 1999 and holder of an HNC in Community Work, Charlene has dedicated over 20 years to volunteering with Fersands & Fountain SCIO—supporting youth services, sitting on the board, and helping secure funding to give young people the best opportunities. Her daughter, who accessed Fersands services growing up, now works and volunteers with us,
continuing Charlene’s legacy of care and connection. As Chair of the Woodside Community Council and a key figure in the Woodside Network, Charlene is a tireless advocate for equality, empowerment, and social justice. She volunteers at every major community event—whether dressing up for the Halloween Trail, setting up a magical Santa’s Grotto, or helping run our summer galas. She supports our Language Café,
gives out free food every Friday morning, and attends Aberdeen City Council’s Budget Day to speak directly with councillors about the impact of our work at Fersands. Charlene will talk to anyone who’ll listen about the value of community services, and she always champions Fersands with pride and passion.’
Woodside Free Press: Hi Charlene! It’s great that you’re being recognised as a real heart of the community! What does ‘community’ mean to you? Everything. It’s where I live and work, it’s where I grew up, it’s also where I spent most of my life representing.
Woodside Free Press: What have been your favourite parts of belonging to Woodside communities over the past year?
My favourite part is making a difference to people’s lives. One of my favourite things is helping with the winter wonderland and dressing up on the day and giving the children a day not to be forgotten.
Woodside Free Press: What are your wishes for Woodside in 2026?
I want to see the community service in Woodside grow with increased funding. I want to see us have a happy well serviced community where everyone works in partnership for the best of the community. I want people to see Woodside for what it is: a community who look after each other, who care and protect each other.
Woodside Free Press: Thanks very much Charlene, and many, many congratulations!
Challenge Poverty Week 2025
shmu took part in the national Challenge Poverty Week campaign again this October.
First launched by The Poverty Alliance in 2013, this week is all about shining a light on the injustice of poverty in Scotland - and showing that through justice, compassion, and collective action, we can create real, lasting solutions.
Challenge Poverty Week is your opportunity to raise your voice, stand in solidarity, and call for a just and equal Scotland for everyone.
Every year, hundreds of organisations take partfrom elected representatives and charities to local authorities, faith groups, businesses, schools, trade unions and more. shmu are proud to be one of these organisations.
This year, each day had a corresponding theme. We heard voices from, Tilly Flat, Aberdeen Trade Union Council, Shelter Scotland, shmu and Friends of the Earth Scotland and touched on everything from Social security, fair work, warm homes, green travel and safe climate to investing in our communities and life’s essentials.
Don’t worry if you didn’t catch any of our coverage throughout the week! It is still available for you to have a listen!
Search shmu IN FOCUS on Spotify, shmuTV on YouTube or find our Mixcloud page, SHMUFM.
Check out our social media pages to see some fantastic short films too!
Together, we can challenge poverty.
shmuFM’s 18th birthday
Aberdeen’s Award-winning community Radio Station celebrated its 18th birthday on Monday the 20th of October.
Since its first broadcast in 2007, shmuFM has been at the heart of community media in the city, giving a platform to local voices, stories, and music that often go unheard.
shmu volunteers took on 18 hours of non-stop live broadcast on Monday to mark the occasion, interviewing a range of shmu participants and staff from past and present.
Last year shmuFM launched on a new community DAB platform, extending its reach across much of Aberdeen. shmu is now calling on other community broadcasters to join the DAB platform and help strengthen the city’s diverse radio landscape.
Murray Dawson, Founder and Chief Executive of shmu, said:
“Eighteen years ago, shmuFM began with the vision of giving local people a voice on the airwaves. Today, that vision has grown into a thriving community station, driven by volunteers and deeply connected to Aberdeen’s communities. Launching on DAB means even more people across the city can tune in, and we’re excited to welcome other community radio stations to share this platform with us.
“For many, shmuFM has been more than just a station –it’s been a place to learn skills, make friends, and find their voice.”
ABERDEEN COMMUNITY ENERGY
Our ‘Community Fund’ is growing, from annual profits from the hydro (whenever there is indeed a profit) – a percentage goes into the fund, from sales of our delicious honey, and from delivering paid seminars and hydro tours for universities and fee paying schools.
We are currently looking at how to spend this, in line with what people said they wanted to see down by the river during the community consultation we carried out when we were buying the land through the Scottish Land Fund. Hopefully, within the next few months you will start to see the addition of seating areas around the hydro site, and along the riverside next to Donside Village.
We are always looking for volunteers, so if you want to get involved, please email us on acenergy2016@gmail.com
Extra hands, especially following floods and doing the ‘big clean up’ which follows these events, are always welcome.
We are currently also looking for financial support, so if anyone is reading this and has skills in financial management and wants to help out and join our team of volunteers, please get in touch and find out more. We would be delighted to hear from you.
Keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates and information.
Have a look at our YouTube page for some videos and a ‘virtual tour’ of the scheme, which we made during the pandemic, so people could still see round, even though restrictions were in place.
There is even a ‘time lapse’ video of the hydro being built, so you can watch it going up!
https://www.youtube.com/@ aberdeencommunityenergy7441
Wallace Tower Doors Open Day an Outstanding Success
Tillydrone Community Development Trust opened the doors of the Wallace Tower to the public for the 2025 Aberdeen Doors Open Day for the first time on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th September 2025.
Trust Chair Colin McFadyen hailed the Trust’s initiative to open the doors of the Tower as “an outstanding success which showed the progress the Trust has made in restoring the building and adding a café extension”.
Work on the external fabric of the building, the ground floor and extension has been largely completed and the Trust hopes that these works will be finished shortly to allow the café to open.
Trustee Linda Barclay added “we are entering into an agreement with an experienced caterer to operate the café on behalf of the Trust and we are all keen to open as soon as we can”. Linda went on to say “we were delighted to see so many people from both Tillydrone and the City and indeed from visitors to Aberdeen. Over 800 people joined us over the two days and many of them were eager to visit the café as soon as it opens.”
Trust Treasurer Susan Thoms praised the Tillydrone Community for its efforts to support the Trust. “We have raised £700,000 which has been spent to fund the work to date, and we are very grateful to the funders and members of the public who have helped us get to this stage. We have a lot more work to do as we still need to refurbish the first and second floors of the Tower, with around £80,000 required to complete the building. Anyone wanting to help us get the Wallace Tower fully open, with spaces for the community to use, can make donations to our Crowdfunder at www.crowdfunder. co.uk/p/tillydrone-community-development-trust-sciosc050475.”
Over the weekend visitors shared stories of relatives who had lived in the building when it was a lodging house in it’s original location in the centre of town. One visitor’s father was actually born in the attic, where a family of six lived, and kept chickens in the very top of the round tower.
The Trust would like to thank all those who visited the Wallace Tower and the volunteers who planned, managed and helped to make the weekend so successful. They look forward to welcoming many more visitors soon, so keep an eye on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/TillydroneCommunityDevelopmentTrust for more information!
