Submission Details ------------------
Nominee Summary
Aden Country Park is one of the much-loved parks in Aberdeenshire and is often called “The Jewel in Buchan’s Crown”.
Friends of Aden (FOA) was created in 2012 as a Community Group, mainly to assist with the Aden Craft and Gift Shop, which at that time was manned during the week by Willowbank Day Services, who created meaningful jobs for Adults with Learning Difficulties. Volunteers looked after the shop at weekends and holidays. In 2025, due to funding cuts, Willowbank (Buchan Day Opportunities) had to withdraw its services and Friends of Aden took over the management of the shop. This is now a very successful enterprise.
In 2017, FOA became an SCIO to formalise the group. We work in Partnership with Aberdeenshire Council towards the development and management of the Park, and also all the other groups that are within the Park, the Landscape Service, the Ranger Service, the Café, the Allotments Group, the Men’s Shed, and the Museum Service.
Overcoming Challenges
The Carers and Sensory Gardens, situated adjacent to the Car Park in Aden, were opened by HRH The Princess Royal in 2003. Twenty-two years later, the gardens looked very sad, uncared for, with rotten fencing and in need of some TLC. The project was costed, and Friends took the opportunity to approach the Just Transition Participatory Budgeting Fund for funding to carry out the refurbishment of the Gardens. The gardens are a quiet, reflective area where visitors and carers can sit and enjoy birdsong and an escape from everyday life challenges. With the funding and a contribution from the Friends in 2026, plus assistance from our Partners in the Park, the project took 3 months to complete with very challenging weather conditions.
Supporting the community
Our aims are to help safeguard the future of Aden Country Park as a public amenity; to promote and encourage the local community to take part in the protection, development, and enjoyment of Aden Country Park; to develop activities and facilities that will enhance the park and increase people’s enjoyment of it; and to establish Aden Country Park as a venue for cultural activity. We are dedicated to conserving and enhancing Aden Country Park for the benefit of people and wildlife. We also set out to establish a music group dedicated to promoting music in the park for the enjoyment of all, and to work in partnership with YMI. That group is now in place and has been for several years. We are currently working on a programme of exciting musical events that will take us through the summer and into the autumn, providing a wide and varied programme of musical events in the park for everyone’s enjoyment. We participate in the Aden Development Group, ensuring community representation at the decision-making level and ensuring FOA is appropriately informed. We also deliver volunteering opportunities within the park and in the shop, offering opportunities to upskill at various levels.
Ethical/environmental standards
We are working in partnership with the Ranger Service to deliver bird, bee, and bat boxes that will help our wildlife. We have established a bird-feeding station providing an alternative to feeding ducks and swans with bread, and a wildflower area to encourage insects. In the Carers/Sensory Garden Project, we have:
• Replanted with plants that will survive climate change
• Replaced the fencing and gates
• Removed a raised concrete bed that had been badly damaged by tree roots
• Renovated the other existing raised beds using recycled materials from the damaged bed. Where the damaged bed was located, we replaced it with two raised metal planters, which will not be affected by the roots of the mature tree located just outside the garden’s boundary. We also situated a bench between the planters to enable visitors to sit, reflect and appreciate the space.
The entrances at the front of the gardens are fully suitable for all visitors, including wheelchair users, as well as visitors with prams and young children. However, there was a side entrance with a step, so we installed a concrete ramp and drainage to make the gardens completely accessible to all visitors. We have also installed a series of stunning chainsaw animals, based on the wildlife found in Aden, a water feature and windchimes to provide enjoyment for our visitors.
