The first recipients of grants from Scottish Borders Council’s £500,000 Localities Bid Fund have been revealed.
Members of the Borders public decided which community projects received cash from the new funding pot. Nearly 16,000 people voted either online or through paper ballots across five areas.
More than £200,000 was available during this first phase with 62 applications making it to the voting stage.
The successful projects are:
Berwickshire
- Friends of Duns Primary School – £29,000
- Duns Amateur Swimming Club – £650
- Connect Berwickshire Youth Project – £6,000
- Duns & District Men’s Shed – £7,300
Cheviot
- Borders Search & Rescue Unit – £35,000
Eildon
- Stow Parent Council – £5,000
- Rowland’s Selkirk (Food for Thought) – £6,809
- Stow Community Learning Hub – £15,000
- Earlston High School Parent Council – £24,000
- Rowlands (Swap Shop) – £7,000
Teviot and Liddesdale
- Newcastleton Polysport/Copshaw Cutters – £5,000
- Artbeat Studios – £3,500
- Escape Youth Services – £8,000
- Hawick Community Pump Track – £15,000
- Hawick Men’s Shed – £6,500
Tweeddale
- Clovenfords Digital Ninja Community Project – £25,000
- Julie’s Kitchen Garden – Clovenfords £4,600
- Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team – £400
The projects that were not awarded grants will be offered further funding advice and guidance from SBC to help them take their ideas and plans forward.
Councillor Sandy Aitchison, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Locality Services said: “This is the first time we’ve allocated funding like this and it was heartening to see so many people take part in the public vote.
“Local communities embraced the concept and I think they appreciated the opportunity to directly influence where public money is being spent.
“Congratulations to all the projects that were successful. I strongly believe they will play a big part in enhancing our local towns and villages.”
Details of the second phase of the Localities Bid Fund will be announced soon.
For more information visit www.scotborders.gov.uk/LocalitiesBidFund