Create Aberdeen
About Us
Create Aberdeen Provides Arts and Performance Activities for Adults with Additional Support needs and disabilities in Aberdeen.
Our Mission is to promote Community Participation and Inclusion so that people with learning disabilities have the opportunities to realise their potential.
Image | #Rowie City at the lemon Tree
Activities and services:
- Activities are led and supported by experienced, skilled, trained and dedicated staff.
- A safe environment for people to try out new skills
- Opportunities for Self development, creativity, confidence building, and communication.
- Skills and Talents are developed and showcased in regular performances.
- Weekday Activities based on Arts, Crafts, Drama, Music, Dance, Multi Media, Cooking, Sports and Multi sensory.
- Drop in Workshops, Short Courses, Taster sessions, Evening and weekend workshops, Discos and Social Events available.
- Support is provided within activities for participation.
- Activities are tailored to meet needs and abilities and are open to all.
- Create Aberdeen are registered with the Care Inspectorate.
- 1-1 support and care at home services available.
- Individual music tuition.
- Create staff are registered with the SSSC and are all members of the PVG Scheme.
Meet The Team:
Corinne Brands
Admin and Finance Manager. If there is anything needing sorted out at Create, Corinne will fix it! A great organiser, finance manager and all round hero, Corinne can turn her hand to anything. Corinne holds an HND in Office Admin, and Diplomas in SAGE accounts and payroll. Corinne is highly experienced in her field. When she’s not balancing the books, Corinne likes nothing more than to rock out to her favourite tunes, and although shy and retiring, shines on the dance floor, sings like an angel and organises the best parties for Create!
Alex Constantinides
Service Manager and co-founder of Create. Not always so keen to be in the limelight, Alex prefers a backstage role, although once the tunes start playing you can’t keep her off the dance floor! Alex has a Social Work degree, Registered Managers Award and is a qualified SVQ Assessor and Verifier, and she keeps her hand in with social work students as a registered Practice Teacher. Alex also plays guitar and bass, and can often be found writing up policies and procedures and fundraising applications for Create!
Maree Adams
Artistic Director/Activities Manager- Maree is one of the founders of Create, and brings a dramatic flair to the activities! Multi- talented Maree is a professional singer, musician, fitness instructor, and holds an SVQ level 4 in Health and Social Care. She is a qualified Makaton tutor, and has been providing Makaton workshops to enhance staff skills. Maree has been the director of the Va Va Voom drama group, credited with producing, directing and acting in over 10 shows at the Lemon Tree and provides the choreography for our very popular Chance to Dance group!
Gemma Duncan
Activities Support worker. A new addition to our team, Gemma comes with a flair for the dramatic. Pirate Gemma has an honours degree in Drama and performance, along with a certificate in Events Management. As a professional singer Gemma is part of a three piece band “Nae Cash” who regularly perform in pubs and parties in and around Aberdeen. No stranger to the dance floor, Gemma is an arty person who likes to share her creative talents in our art groups. Gemma also likes cats.
Susan Prosser
Support Worker. Susan has been at Create since forever! The first employee way back in 2011, Susan continually provides Create with the highest standards of care and support. Susan has completed training in Rebound Therapy and Makaton. And as a qualified nurse, Susan is able to provide on-hand medical advice and first aid.
Maryanne McDonald
Activities Support Worker. Maryanne is a highly experienced support worker who has worked in social care since she was a wee toot after leaving school! Maryanne holds an SVQ level 3 in Health and Social Care. As our resident craft expert Maryanne brings her imagination to the art and crafts groups to produce some fantastic art works. Maryanne is a great organiser, and keeps all the cupboards tidy.
Alan Herbertson
Alan has great skills behind the camera, and leads our photography group on a Wednesday, along with providing 1-1 support and relief cover. You can see some of the great photos from the photography group on our Facebook page Alan has worked in social care for 16 years, has an SVQ level 3 in Health and Social Care, and also enjoys cycling, travel and yoga. Alan likes dogs, not cats!
Bex Courtley
Bex is back to work at Create after being on maternity leave! She has been working in social care for quite a while now, and has lots of experience in providing 1-1 support and group work. Bex loves dancing, sports and drama!
Katie Reid
Activities Support Worker. Katie is brand new to Create and has an HNC in Care and an SVQ level 3 in Health and Social Care. She has worked in the care sector for over 8 years, and is very passionate about her job. Katie is great at arts and crafts and is able to use her skills to help develop our art groups. Outside of work Katie is a keen gardener, loves dancing, yoga and having fun.
Mandy Ingerson
Mandy provides 1-1 support at Create, and has her SVQ level 2 in Health and Social Care. Mandy is a highly experienced care worker, having worked as a support worker for over 20 years and is very passionate about her work. Along with loving art and crafts, she is an active outdoors person who loves paddleboarding, watersports and being out and about. Mandy likes cats and dogs and has a cat called Blue.
Jack Skinner
Jack has been working for Create for a year now, and loves his job! Jack is our resident guitar hero and is an experienced guitar tutor. He also enjoys live music, playing American football, going to the gym and singing!
Lynne Simpson
Activities Support Worker. Another new addition to the Create team, Lynne is a highly experienced support worker who has also been a chef and a painter and decorator! Lynne is a handy person to have around as she can make fantastic drama props and inventive art works! Along with enjoying woodwork, arts and crafts and painting, Lynne is a fit and active person who loves being outdoors.
Annie Duncan
Annie had been volunteering for Create for a few years, and is now a member of the team. A great help in our Thursday Musical Mayhem Group! She has a degree in Psychology and years and years of experience working in social care! Annie loves cats and dogs equally, and loves dog walking and cat sitting, along with reading and dancing!
Orla Smith: Activities Support Worker
Phil Scott: Relief Support Worker
Swathi Aravind: Team Member
Annie Duncan: Team Member
Create are thankful to have skilled and experienced volunteers.
Lynda Hunter: Volunteer and Trustee
Dave Brands: Volunteer and Trustee
David Hunter: Volunteer and Trustee
Irena Boettcher: Trustee
Andy Skinner: Trustee
Aileen Hutchison: Trustee
Greg Brands- Volunteer
Greg has been volunteering at Create for 10 years and volunteers at a school nursery. He also runs his own disco “Dance Machine Disco” with his dad Dave! Because he has been so hardworking, Greg was nominated for and WON the SCLD Community Champion Award in 2019!!
History
Create became a company limited by guarantee with charitable status (SC041611) in June 2010. We have a board of trustees with user representation. Starting with one session per week which proved so successful, we are now running activities and workshops 5 days and evenings per week.
Create have been very lucky to receive a Spirit of the Community Award, awarded at Inchgarth Community Centre, and have been finalists and winners in the ACVO Aberdeen Impact Awards.
Create have worked with a wide range of professionals to enhance and update our skills. These have included Multi Sensory Training, Dance workshops, Story telling and puppetry training, Drumming workshops Music workshops from Drake Music Scotland, Seated Yoga, Drama production, comedy workshops and Makaton. Staff are trained regularly in core training such as Adult Support and Protection, First Aid and Epilepsy. We are also ensuring all our staff undertake SVQs in Health and Social Care and become registered with the SSSC.
Create have worked in partnership with Mixed Fish and Mixit within the Aberdeen Arts Coalition. With support from Aberdeen City Council, the Arts Coalition provided a wide range of taster sessions, events and a fantastic Inclusive Arts Festival! We recently became a National Lottery People’s Project winner (2019) and received funding to provide a wide range of new activities.