Successful Projects

Funds Received - £4,500.00

Business forum and tourism map with Duns History Society

In 2022 we sought investment from BWCF to support the creation of a tourism map alongside Dunse (Duns) History Society and Duns & District Business Forum.

We planned to create and print and distribute a map and build a process that focused on tourism promotion, with a principal focus on the history of Duns, and to do so by engaging and enthusing a non-traditional audience that included a freshened Business Forum.

We created and delivered and published a map via extensive input from the Duns & District Business Forum members, published information on the history of Duns, linked it to existing and new projects for the existing refreshed Town Trail, Keeping Duns Blooming Marvelous trail, the AHFD Visit Duns web pages, and the Dunse History Society.

In developing the project we were affected by delays related to Covid legacies in 2022 and early 2023 and the reluctance of some people to meet in person, to a further impact from a key project organiser (Adam Novak) being ill and eventually withdrawing from the project, and to a change of emphasis from Dunse History Society leading to an option for a PDF and print run rather than an online map.

Over the course of the period from the end of 2022 we had a total of 145 attendances at planning meetings from Business Forum members, met a total of 8 times as a Forum in four separate venues, and met as a planning group 8 times. We also had an extensive sharing of information with 109 members of the Duns & District Business Forum and created and used WhatsApp groups for comments.

In creating the actual map we sought input from three members of Dunse Historical Society who worked on supplying and editing information and providing provenanced detail, worked with other local groups to share and disseminate information, and through a series of discussions and agreements we resolved that a printed map and a PDF would be the most useful focus we could have for visitors, and that an online map could follow.

The reason for the print focus was that it allowed businesses and tourism operators to engage in discussions in a different way with their customers, and for tourism operators to be closer to customers. The map would cover Duns and the wider mid Berwickshire area, be supplied online via requests for a PDF and would be initially hosted via AHFD if there was a market demand, and may be a published web document in future.

The map is now printed and published and distributed, with 5,000 copies in the initial print run. In future months we will consider the option to reprint and distribute the map, and review the best methods of delivery and dissemination of the information it provides.

We’re aware that the project was affected by both Covid delays and by the family illnesses of a key member of the design and delivery team, and while the project was delayed it has now been completed. We’re grateful to BWCF for their investment and their time, and for supporting our efforts to improve the tourism and economy options for Duns and District.

Funds Received - £700.00

The grant from Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund has certainly played a major role in moving our EBGR project forwards.   We now refer to the project as the Borders Greenway.

We have formed a Community Consultation Group which is well supported by community groups along the route from Melrose to Eyemouth.   The group is led by a Steering Group which meets regularly in Gavinton Village Hall and elsewhere.

Our efforts have led to South of Scotland Enterprise and Scottish Borders Council commissioning a professional Feasibility Study of the route by Atkins Transport Consultants.   This excellent piece of work was recently completed.

Full details of the Borders Greenway project are available here.  This document includes links to a recently completed feasibility study, maps and photographs of project activities, and much else besides.

The BWCF grant has been invaluable in enabling these startup activities, and to date, we have used the fund for:

• Venue hire and refreshments for meetings with SBC officials, consultants (Atkins) investigating, route feasibility, the Borders Greenway steering and community collaboration groups, and other community groups
• Purchase of maps/marker pens to inform discussion on preferred existing walking and cycling routes between the main communities mainly following the old railway line from Tweedbank to Reston, and on to Eyemouth

Together with groups of local residents, we have completed a reconnaissance walk‑through of the entire route (over 50 miles) following existing paths, quiet roads, and some short sections of farmland.  We have documented our findings to inform discussion on issues which need attention before the route is safe for public use.  We will soon conduct a similar reconnaissance cycle‑through of the preferred cycle route, mainly following quiet roads.

We anticipate a significant increase in promotional activities once SBC has secured initial funding to progress the project.  Transport Scotland has assigned ten percent of their annual budget to ‘active travel’ projects, and, with a completed feasibility study, SBC considers there are reasonable prospects of the project becoming a reality.