Projects completed in 2023

A Heart For Duns

Year Completed: 
2023

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.

 

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Gordon Community Sports Field

Year Completed: 
2023

Funds Received - £2,000.00

With the aid of the grant from the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund, the people of Gordon we were successful in purchasing the Gordon Sports Field for the community on 28th Feb 2023!

The attached photos show “Community Sports Field” clubhouse, a panoramic of the field and the field in its entirety with, in the distance, the new fencing put in by community volunteers.

 

 

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Eat Sleep Ride CIC

Year Completed: 
2023

Funds Received - £4,000.00

Eat, Sleep, Ride, CIC received £4000 from Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund to plant native woodland trees across our site and erect fencing around the area to keep the trees safe from our 4 legged friends. The funding paid for the purchase of the tress, stabs and shelters, qualified tree planter to deliver 3 sessions with 3 target groups, young people attending youth club, on alternative school provision, adult males completing community pay back orders.

Impact

1 young male became a volunteer for ESR and went on to complete his paths for all walk leader training.

1 young boy completed his NOLB contract and working in the outdoors gave him the inspiration to apply for an Outward-Bound survival camp on Loch ELI, he was accepted

1 young boy on school provision continued with ESR on a rural skills project and has an interest in working outdoors when he leaves school.

We learnt that the young people and volunteers really enjoyed working outdoors and getting their hands dirty and learning how to plant and look after trees as well as identifying tree species and why they are important for the planet. They learnt how to plant and protect a tree from wildlife, how different species of tree will grow differently, how different species like or need different soil/environments, that the 2 main ways trees are grown in a nursery, bare rooted and cell grown, the different animals that will be a pest for trees and what they do to them and how it can kill them, why tree planting is so important especially with protection to ensure a woodland can form

The greater impact for ESR is we are increasing biodiversity and habitat creation as well as providing natural screening and wind and noise barriers in the future

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Reston Junior Agri Club

Year Completed: 
2023

Funds Received - £400.00

"..I am writing to thank you firstly for your support towards giving Reston JAC funding in order to support their members in their international travels.  On a personal note I wanted to thank you for helping me get to Canada, your support was greatly appreciated.  I had a wonderful time in Canada and can't wait to go back one day.  A highlight from the trip was going to Richmond Ranch.  The Richmond family are decended from Scotland and have Aberdeen Angus and limosin cattle on their ranch, both of which we got to see on our visit.  They have their own sale every year and often welcome over 200 buyers to their farm on sale day.

Many thanks again for your support.

Lauren

Reston JAC"

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