Live Life Aberdeenshire

What Live Life Aberdeenshire does

Live Life Aberdeenshire is the trading brand under which Aberdeenshire Council delivers integrated sports, culture, and library services across the Aberdeenshire council area in north-east Scotland. Established in 2019, the organisation consolidates a previously fragmented portfolio — public libraries, sports and leisure centres, swimming pools, museums, theatres, arts development, and outdoor activity centres — under a single operational umbrella. It serves the general resident population of Aberdeenshire alongside targeted segments including women and girls, people with disabilities, low-income families, rural communities, school-age youth, care-experienced children, and national/international athletes resident in the region.

The organisation operates a network of more than 50 physical venues, including 25+ libraries, multiple sports centres, swimming pools, theatres (Aden, Alford, Aboyne, Peterhead), museums (Discovery Centre, Banff, Fordyce, Lighthouse Museum, Stonehaven Tolbooth, Maud Railway), outdoor centres (Alford Ski Centre, Huntly Nordic, Sir Arthur Grant), and the Macduff Marine Aquarium. Its technology stack is built largely on third-party SaaS platforms: Spydus for library catalogue management, Gladstone and SimplyBook.me for leisure bookings, and digital content platforms Libby, BorrowBox, uLibrary, PressReader, and VLe Books for eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, and digital newspapers. The leisurebookings.aberdeenshire.gov.uk portal handles membership registration, session booking, and payment processing. There is no proprietary AI or machine-learning capability disclosed; digital posture is integration-driven.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid of council funding (the primary source), recurring membership subscriptions (Live Life to the Full, Live Life Well, Live Life Outdoors, and the free Live Life Essentials tier), pay-as-you-go admission fees (e.g. aquarium tickets at £8.95 adult / £25.90 family), facilities hire, and concession revenue. Pricing is structured around age- and income-based discounts (35% off for ages 6-18, students to 25, and over 60; 60% off for recipients of qualifying means-tested benefits; free entry for under-5s swimming and care-experienced children). Memberships are sold via monthly direct debit, 30-day pass, or annual pass. The Leisure Link Partnership extends reciprocal facility access across 11 Scottish local authority areas, materially broadening the effective product surface for members. Active Schools coordinators embedded in schools and 10+ Community Sport Hubs deliver community-based programming that complements venue-based service delivery.

Name

Live Life Aberdeenshire

Legal name

Live Life Aberdeenshire (Aberdeenshire Council)

Website

https://livelifeaberdeenshire.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Live Life Aberdeenshire is the council-operated brand through which Aberdeenshire Council delivers integrated sports, culture, and library services across 50+ venues to the residents of north-east Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Leisure and Cultural Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor, Sportsman & Recreation Shows (MPAGAFAM)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Leisure centre memberships
• Community sports programmes
• Swimming pool facilities
• Cultural arts venues

Headquarters

HQ city

Aberdeenshire

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Council Funding: Live Life Aberdeenshire is an innovative approach to delivering Sports and Culture Services on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council. The primary funding comes from Aberdeenshire Council, with services designed to be accessible to the local community.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Recurring membership revenue from Live Life to the Full, Live Life Well, Live Life Outdoors, and Single Activity memberships. Memberships include various levels of access to sports facilities, classes, and outdoor activities.
3. Admission Fees: Pay-as-you-go admission fees for facilities including Macduff Marine Aquarium (Adult: £8.95, Child 5-15: £5.40, Family: £25.90, Concession: £7.40), swimming sessions, and other sports facilities.
4. Concession Revenue: Reduced-rate memberships and admissions for specific groups including age-related discounts (35% for 6-18 years, students to 25, over 60), and low-income benefits (60% discount for those receiving qualifying benefits).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Live Life Aberdeenshire is the operational brand through which Aberdeenshire Council delivers Sports, Culture, and Library services to residents across Aberdeenshire in Scotland. It runs a network of libraries, sports centres, swimming pools, theatres, museums, the Macduff Marine Aquarium, and an outdoor centre, offering physical access, membership programmes, digital lending, community programmes, and event hire.

Product overview

Live Life Aberdeenshire is an innovative approach by Aberdeenshire Council delivering Sports and Culture Services as an integrated portfolio of facilities and programs. The organization operates as a unified service offering five interconnected pillars: Libraries (including Digital Library platforms like Libby, BorrowBox, uLibrary, PressReader, and VLe Books), Sport and Physical Activity (venues, memberships including Live Life to the Full, Live Life Well, Live Life Outdoors, Live Life Essentials, and community programs like Sport for Change and Sports Kit for All), Arts (theatre venues and creative development), Museums (heritage sites and collections including the George MacDonald and Greig-Duncan Folk Song collections), and Macduff Marine Aquarium. Membership tiers range from free Live Life Essentials to comprehensive Live Life to the Full packages offering skiing, climbing, swimming, and racquet sports access with Leisure Link partnership enabling multi-venue use across Scotland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Live Life Well: Membership including activities available at most indoor venues - classes, gym, swimming, and racquet sports with 10 days advance booking and Leisure Link Partnership access
• Live Life to the Full
• Live Life Outdoors
• Active Schools
• Sport for Change
• Sports Kit for All
• Community Sport Hubs
• Talented Athlete Pass
• Summer Reading Challenge
• Leisure Link Partnership
• Macduff Marine Aquarium
• Sir Arthur Grant Residential Outdoor Centre
• Heritage Stories
• Local Studies Centre

Products and services

• Aberdeenshire Library Service
• Live Life to the Full Membership
• Live Life Well Membership
• Live Life Outdoors Membership
• Live Life Essentials Membership
• Macduff Marine Aquarium
• Aberdeenshire Sports Centres and Swimming Pools
• Theatres and Arts Venues
• Sir Arthur Grant Residential Outdoor Centre
• Talented Athlete Pass
• Digital Library Lending Services
• Facilities Hire
• Local Studies Centre
• Active Schools Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• Sport for Change commits £30,000 annually to community projects addressing social needs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aberdeenshire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLive Life Aberdeenshire is an innovative approach to delivering Sports and Culture Services on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council. The organization operates as the delivery mechanism for council-funded public services across the region.
• Leisure Link Partnership MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership of 11 Scottish local authority areas (Sport Aberdeen, Orkney, High Life Highland, Western Isles, Argyll and Bute, Moray/Moray Leisure Centre, ANGUSalive, Shetland Recreational Trust, LiveBorders) allowing Live Life Aberdeenshire members to access facilities across Scotland and vice versa.
• Active Schools (SportScotland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive Schools program delivered in partnership with sportscotland, with coordinators working in schools across North, Central, and South Aberdeenshire to engage young people in sports activities.
• Deeside Women's Navigation ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject empowering women across Deeside with navigation skills and outdoor recreation access, creating community connections and supporting broader women's participation in sports.
• CHAP GroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCHAP Group appointed as principal contractor for the Museum of Aberdeenshire and new Peterhead Library construction project starting June 8.
• Child Protection CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting the launch of new Child Protection Committee website making it easier for children, families, and professionals across Aberdeenshire to find support.
• Sir Arthur Grant Residential Outdoor CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewly refurbished and extended outdoor centre providing residential outdoor experiences as part of Live Life Outdoors offerings.
• Macduff Marine AquariumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMacduff Marine Aquarium operated as part of Live Life Aberdeenshire, currently closed for multi-million redevelopment until early 2026.
• BBC ArtsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with BBC Arts for George MacDonald digital canvas project as part of BBC's 'Novels that shaped our world' initiative celebrating 300th anniversary of the English novel.
• Scottish Book TrustminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership supporting Summer Reading Challenge 2026 celebrating 25 years with theme 'Just Read!' running June 1 to August 29.
• Trans CaledoniaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational mountain bike event bringing world-class racing to Deeside and Donside in September.
• Mearns and Coastal Healthy Living Network (MCHLN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting Walking Football sessions at Stonehaven Community Sport Hub with weekly sessions at Mackie Academy.
• University of AberdeenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Aberdeen published the Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection and plans to make full transcriptions available online.
• Handsling Alba Development Road TeamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinning partnership between Cycle Aberdeenshire and local elite racing team continuing into 2026.
• Community Sport HubscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner10+ Community Sport Hubs across Aberdeenshire bringing together sports clubs and community organizations to develop sport and physical activity at local level.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sport Aberdeen: Aberdeen city's leisure trust delivering sports and active-life services across multiple venues, and a direct Leisure Link partner. Closest geographic and operational peer, with comparable membership tiers and council-aligned operating model.
• High Life Highland: Highland Council's leisure, culture, and learning service operating libraries, sports facilities, museums, and outdoor centres — a near-identical integrated delivery model across a larger but more rural Scottish region.
• Argyll and Bute Council Leisure Services: Council-operated leisure service across multiple venues in the Argyll and Bute region — direct Leisure Link partner delivering comparable rural council leisure services.
• LiveBorders: Scottish Borders Council's charitable leisure and culture trust operating sports centres, swimming pools, museums, and arts venues — directly comparable council-delivery model and Leisure Link partner.
• ANGUSalive: Angus Council's charitable leisure trust delivering sport, libraries, museums, and cultural programmes with tiered memberships — same council-aligned operational model and Leisure Link partner.
• Moray Leisure Centre: Moray Council-aligned leisure operator delivering sports, swimming, and fitness across multiple Moray venues — directly comparable in scale, geography, and Leisure Link partnership.
• Shetland Recreational Trust: Charitable trust operating leisure, sport, and recreation facilities in Shetland under council mandate — directly comparable rural delivery model and Leisure Link partner.

Broad incumbents

• Places Leisure: UK charitable leisure operator running council leisure facilities under long-term contracts — closely comparable operating model (membership tiers, council partnership, multi-venue) at broader geographic scale.
• GLL (Better): UK-wide charitable social enterprise operating leisure facilities on behalf of local authorities — operates under a similar council-lease charitable model at much greater scale.
• sportscotland: Scotland's national sport agency that funds and partners with Active Schools and community sport programmes — directly partners with LLA on Active Schools delivery and is the broader governing body in the same space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ASAberdeenshire
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLf9SJJOIgiNJZc0WdEanO6AzUk-DC8OPc
• Facebookfacebook.com/activeschoolsAberdeenshire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/live-life-aberdeenshire
• Instagraminstagram.com/aberdeenshirecpc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Live Life Aberdeenshire