Aberdeenshire Decides

It's budget engagement time - we are asking people across Aberdeenshire what they think about proposed savings ideas to help shape the budget for 2025/26.

A new survey has been launched, asking people to prioritise services, give views on savings proposals and help explain what a rise in Council Tax might mean for you.

We would really appreciate your help by taking part in our survey.

You will find the survey here: Budget Engagement for 2025/26 | Engage Aberdeenshire

It would be really helpful if you could complete it by 15 November so we can provide an update to Councillors at their meeting towards the end of November.

Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership is a part of Aberdeenshire Council and provides a wide range of care and support for people of all ages. For example, the partnership includes nurses and social workers. Over the coming weeks our teams will be out and about across Aberdeenshire to speak to people about how we continue to deliver health and social care services in the face of increasing need and smaller budgets. You can find a public session near you or take part in our survey by following this link: Health and Social Care in Aberdeenshire | Engage Aberdeenshire

Have you seen the photos we have received of Summer in Aberdeenshire? There are some beautiful photos from Banff marina in the North to Stonehaven bay in the South, and everything in between! You can like and comment on your favourite photos here: Summer in Aberdeenshire | Engage Aberdeenshire

There is still time to share your views about equality in Aberdeenshire. Have you faced any form of discrimination or prejudice, or know someone who has? Please let us know so we can work towards making Aberdeenshire a safe place for everyone to live .You can get involved by taking part in our short survey here: Views on Equalities in Aberdeenshire | Engage Aberdeenshire

Thank you to everyone who has sent in their photos of Summer in Aberdeenshire! We will shortly publish these and let you decide which is your favourite . To share your photo of Summer in Aberdeenshire, please see our earlier post which you can read here: Summer in Aberdeenshire | Aberdeenshire Decides | Engage Aberdeenshire

Have a nice weekend!

Now that it's September and summer is coming to an end, we'd love to see your photo's of summer in Aberdeenshire.

Do you have a favourite place to visit in the summer? Is it a beach, village or annual event? Or perhaps a walk up one of our many hills and mountains?

To share your photos of Summer in Aberdeenshire, please email them to us at engage@aberdeenshire.gov.uk. We will publish photos on this page and help you decide where to visit next in Aberdeenshire!

When submitting your photo, please let us know the location, the date it was taken, and if you’re happy for your name to be published. Any photo you submit must be your own and you must have permission from any people featured in your image. Please don’t put yourself at any risk while taking a photo and don’t enter private property without permission. Images may also be shared on Aberdeenshire Council’s website, social media channels, and other council platforms. Please see our privacy notice for more information: Summer in Aberdeenshire photography privacy notice | Aberdeenshire Decides | Engage Aberdeenshire

We look forward to seeing all of your summer photos.

We have some new surveys this week that might be of interest to you

We are looking for feedback on proposed new taxi fares across Aberdeenshire. If approved, these would come into effect from December 2024. To read about the proposals and have your say, follow this link: Taxi Fare Scale Consultation | Engage Aberdeenshire

There are also a couple of surveys that are specific to different areas in Aberdeenshire. If you live or work in the Kincardine and Mearns area, there is a climate awareness survey where you can let us know if climate change has affected you in any way. The survey can be found here: Kincardine and Mearns Climate Awareness and Adaptation | Engage Aberdeenshire

There is also information about protection measures being proposed in the River Deveron at Banff Bridge. If you want to learn more about this and have a say, you can do so here: A98 Banff Bridge Scour Protection | Engage Aberdeenshire

Finally, there is still time to share your thoughts about equality in Aberdeenshire. Our survey is open until 27 September and we are keen to hear from as many different people as possible . Take part here: Developing Aberdeenshire Council Equality Outcomes 2025-2029 | Engage Aberdeenshire

Are you a young carer or know someone who is? We are looking for feedback from young carers to let us know what we are doing well or if there are things we can do better. We want to hear from young carers aged under 18 (or 18 if still at school), those supporting them or anyone with an interest in supporting young carers. As a thank you for taking part, there is a chance to win an Amazon voucher.

Please share the survey with anyone who might be interested. You can find the survey here: Young Carers | Engage Aberdeenshire

Similarly, we also want to hear from adult carers. An adult carer (sometimes referred to as an unpaid carer) is anyone aged 18 and over who cares for a family member or friend due to illness, disability, mental ill-health, alcohol or drug dependency. The survey can be found here: Adult Carers | Engage Aberdeenshire

We appreciate your help and hope everyone has a good weekend

Do you live or work in Inverurie, or visit on a regular basis? We are looking for your views on recreational facilities in the town. This survey is being conducted on behalf of Evolving Inverurie, a charity established in 2022 to enhance recreational, environmental and cultural opportunities in Inverurie. Your feedback will help shape the future of recreation in the community! If you would like to have your say, follow this link: Inverurie Recreation Survey 2024 | Engage Aberdeenshire

And a big hello to our new subscribers! If you are new here, please take part in our quick poll to let us know which area of Aberdeenshire you are from. This helps us learn which communities across Aberdeenshire we are reaching. You can take part here: Aberdeenshire Decides | Engage Aberdeenshire

If you have any questions, you can email us at engage@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

This week we have launched a survey to help us develop equality outcomes at Aberdeenshire Council. Our equality outcomes set out how we intend to eliminate discrimination and make a difference for our residents, specifically those with protected characteristics, such as disability or age.

As part of this project, we would love to hear your stories about equality and diversity in Aberdeenshire. We want to share and capture stories from across Aberdeenshire to promote the good things that are happening and help understand the lived experiences of people, groups, and communities. If you have a story to share, you can tell us about it here: Developing Aberdeenshire Council Equality Outcomes 2025-2029 | Engage Aberdeenshire

We would also really appreciate your thoughts about equality and diversity in Aberdeenshire, by taking part in our survey: Developing Aberdeenshire Council Equality Outcomes 2025-2029 | Engage Aberdeenshire The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete.

Thank you again for getting involved with Aberdeenshire Decides!

Thank you for subscribing to Aberdeenshire Decides! We won't send you too many emails, but will let you know about any projects, surveys or public events taking place that may be of interest to you. We want to hear from as many people across Aberdeenshire as possible to help us make decisions based on what you tell us. Our aim is to build a network of people across Aberdeenshire that we can reach out to when we need your help.

This week we are looking for your feedback on our Passenger Transport Strategy - this asks how much you agree or disagree with some of our objectives around public transport, including bus services in our towns. This survey does take about 15 minutes to complete so you might want to grab a cup of tea or coffee You will find the survey here: Aberdeenshire Council Passenger Transport Strategy | Engage Aberdeenshire

There is also a quick survey about affordable housing in Aberdeenshire, which you can find here: Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2025 - 2030 | Engage Aberdeenshire

We'll also shortly be asking what you would like to have a say on - keep a look out for our ideas generator where you can put forward ideas. Finally, it would be really helpful to know which area of Aberdeenshire you live in so we know who we are reaching. If you haven't already, please take part in our Quick Poll: Aberdeenshire Decides | Engage Aberdeenshire

Thanks again for your input! If you have any questions or need any help you can contact us at engage@aberdeenshire.gov.uk