Funds totalling £130,000 raised during Sportschallenge, the North-east’s premier sports-themed corporate fundraiser, have been handed out to local charities in time for Christmas.
The 2025 Sportschallenge dinner brought the popular fundraising series past the £1 million milestone across its 11 events, and the monies raised have now been split between long-term beneficiaries, Maggie’s Aberdeen and Children’s Aid (Scotland), and three other local causes.
More than 70 teams of ten from across Aberdeen’s business community competed in the sports quiz held at Aberdeen’s P&J Live in September, in an evening hosted by sports personalities, Alan McInally and Andy Nicol.
Alongside Maggie’s Aberdeen and Children’s Aid (Scotland), funds raised during the event have been gifted to Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) – in memory of Jude MacDonald, Rape Crisis Grampian (RCG) and Aberdeen Foyer.
Sportschallenge funding will help Aberdeen Foyer to continue to support people across the North-east on their journey towards independent living, learning and work. Each year, the charity works with more than 2,300 local people as it empowers those affected by poverty and youth homelessness.
RCG provides vital emotional support to survivors of sexual violence. This year alone, the organisation has supported 379 survivors. This funding will enable RCG to continue delivering its essential services and, importantly, reduce waiting times so that survivors can receive support when they need it most.
Funds going to Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) will enable free heart screenings for young people aged 14 to 35 in the North-east, held in memory of Westhill Academy pupil Jude MacDonald.
Nick Dalgarno, managing director of Piper Sandler and a trustee of Sportschallenge, said:
“Our 2025 event was another great success, and we are delighted to have surpassed the £1 million fundraising milestone after more than a decade of hard work. While the quiz and dinner are always great fun, the true highlight of Sportschallenge is seeing the impact the funds make on such deserving causes.”
“It is always incredibly rewarding to meet representatives from our beneficiary organisations and hear first-hand how this support will help transform lives across the North-east of Scotland and beyond. From this year’s event alone, we raised £130,000, an achievement that simply wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of our sponsors, donors, hosts and guests, and I am always amazed at the way the Aberdeen business community gets behind our chosen local charities.”
Leona McDermid, CEO at Aberdeen Foyer, said: “We are blown away by the generosity of those who attended Sportschallenge and loved being part of the event. Sportschallenge has helped us turn crisis into stability; homelessness and poverty into hope. We would like to share a massive thank you from Aberdeen Foyer.”
Eric MacDonald, father of Jude MacDonald, said: “We are truly overwhelmed by the generosity shown at Sportschallenge. The support means so much and it has allowed us to provide free heart screenings for young people across the North-east, helping to prevent unimaginable tragedies and protect families from heartbreak, we want to thank everyone involved for making this vital work possible.”
This year’s Sportschallenge event was sponsored by CNR International, Blackwood Partners, Azets, Nexus, Centurion, Rotech Subsea and Cala Homes, and supported by donors Aberdeen Football Club, the Marcliffe and Mar Hall Golf & Spa Resort.
Plans are already underway for the 12th Sportschallenge event, set to be held at P&J Live on Thursday, 10 September 2026, with the next charity partners and presenting lineup to be announced shortly.
Tickets for the 2026 Sportschallenge event are on sale now, priced at £1,800 for a table of 10, and a limited number of sponsorship opportunities are also available.
To enquire about sponsorship or to book a table for next year’s event, please contact Emma Anderson, Trustee for the Sportschallenge Trust, at emma@esme-ltd.com
