Successful Projects
Duns Pipe Band
Year Completed:
2018
Duns Pipe Band
Scottish Charity No. SC030190
Pipe Major: A D Ainslie BEM, Main Street, Gavinton, Duns
Tel: 01361 882022
Treasurer: Tina Robertson, 60 Hawthorn Bank Duns TD11 3HL
Tel: 01361 884242
Secretary: Julia Turner, 1 Pinkie Cottage, Duns TD11 3LS
Email - secretary@dunspipeband.org
Report
Grant of £750.00 received.
Purpose of Grant
To contribute to the replacement of 30 waistcoat and jacket sets to replace worn out uniform and establish uniformity of dress for new members joining the band.
Progress
The band were measured in March 2019 and the waistcoats and jackets delivered in May 2019 in time to celebrate the town’s summer festival (Reiver’s Week). The picture below shows the band in 2018 with new members not fully dressed and mismatched with the remainder of the band.
Summary
With the grant funding from SBC, we have been able to kit out all members of the band with new waistcoats and jackets.
On behalf of all members of the band, I would like to thank the Committee for considering our application and awarding the grant. As I hope you can see from the pictures below, we now have a very smart and uniformed band.
Yours faithfully
Julia Turner
Secretary
Duns Pipe Band
Photo Gallery:
Eat Sleep Ride
Year Completed:
2018
I'm writing from Eat Sleep Ride - a horse riding stables and social
enterprise based near Eyemouth run by Danielle McKinnon. The Blackhill
Windfarm Community Fund generously helped fund us at the beginning when
we were starting out in 2017. We continue to be extremely grateful for
your help and belief in us and we thought we'd email you and let you
know how we've been getting on.
As you may know Eat, Sleep, Ride is a social enterprise targeting people
experiencing mental health problems, those that have suffered abuse,
lived in areas of high deprivation and other challenges such as
drug/alcohol addiction. We are also a TRSS approved horse riding centre
and give lessons and hacks to the public.
We aim to improve the lives of all people. We use our beautiful animals
as inspiration for change which in turn can provide an alternative
learning environment to mainstream education. The skills developed
through the programme can meet the requirements of ongoing education and
training for employers and participants.
The way that Danielle delivers lessons and training helps people
experiencing the challenges outlined above. Danielle draws on personal
experience to provide a teachable point of view on how to overcome
personal circumstances and lead a happy and fulfilled life.
We've grown from strength to strength over the last year or so and we
now have 13 horses and ponies at the stables. We have regular riders,
volunteers and employees at Eat Sleep Ride. The majority of our riders
are children and young adults who benefit hugely from spending time with
and riding the horses. We have two young employees who have faced
difficulties in their youth and are now flourishing with the
opportunities at Eat Sleep Ride.
Now is an extremely exciting time for us - we've recently secured a new
site near Lamberton which we will move to in the late summer. The
business has lots of room for expansion and more opportunities for
social enterprises to join the community!
We will be crowdfunding for support ahead of the move and we wondered
if, when we launch our campaign, you would share the details with your
professional network. Any help you can offer as our journey develops
would be most appreciated!
Kind regards,
Danielle, Annie & Laura
Eat Sleep Ride CIC
Girlguiding Berwickshire
Year Completed:
2018
I applied to Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund for a grant towards a residential training week-end (w/e) for Guiders from Berwickshire.The application was handled by your committee who kindly donated the sum of £1000. This is an outline of how we used the generous donation for which all attendees expressed their gratitude.
As with all such arrangements, the numbers wishing/intending to attend fluctuated until very near the date itself. This in spite of the arrangement whereby deposits were forfeited for non-attendance but refunded to those who did attend. But finally twenty Guiders from the county took part in an interesting and stimulating w/e in which the new programme for Guiding across all sections was introduced and explained.
A copy of the “fees sheet” is included which shows the attendees’ charges for the w/e. These were slightly higher than I had anticipated but this was offset by us not having to pay a separate fee for the outdoor activities as these were supervised by the trainers to demonstrate the “out of doors” elements of the programme. However my estimate for travel costs was not far off the mark!
I also include a copy of the “Guidance Notes” on the new programme which may help you to understand how we run our organisation and also the teaching timetable that shows we were kept pretty busy.
I hope you feel the grant you awarded the county was well used and in accordance with your ideals for community wellbeing. The leaders all seemed to enjoy themselves and left feeling less apprehensive about the changes and consequent work involved to implement the new programme.
Once again I thank you for your interest in our organisation and generous award.
Jean MacNab
County Administrator
Re-Tweed
Year Completed:
2018
Funds Received - £3,500.00
Re-Tweed received £3,500 in June 2018 towards the cost for a Volunteer Support Worker. Funding was matched with impact funding. Since receiving the funding 18 volunteers were involved, most of whom are graduates from Re-Tweeds Level 1 training course. 3 out 18 where not former students. Volunteers come from a wide range of women from different backgrounds, some with complex health issues or others wanting to return to work.
In 3 years Re-Tweed have gone from having 1 member of staff to having 8 members of staff, all local, 4 of whom were former students. All volunteers get personal development training and are told that ReTweed is not a final destination and are encouraged to continuously move forward. Training included first aid, health & safety, customer service, business gateway training. We also held a volunteer development session to sit down and discuss what has worked and what has not worked and how do we improve it. Most important was the sense of achievement the individual women felt and the impact that this also has on each family and the wider community. 2 volunteers have gone on to set up their own businesses and 5 more are in the process of setting up their own businesses. ReTweed are providing wrap around support.
Trading income from the items that are made continues to increase. £2k in 1st year which raised to £6k in 3rd year. Profits from trading being channelled into supporting the new businesses being set up. We have a shop is based in Eyemouth and products also being sold around the area and as cultural exchange gifts. We also hope to raise the trading income above the funding income. Constantly evaluating our environmental, social, business objectives.
Business model has been sold to Dumfries & Galloway Council and Langholm Initiative. Highlands and Islands also looking for ReTweed to deliver the model to them. We are also in talks with Scottish Prison Service and Remade Network and online sales are being developed. The funding received from BWCF and other local windfarm funds inspires other larger funders to also support.
Thank you for believing in us.
Verbal report received a our AGM in August 2019
The Learning Space
Year Completed:
2018
Funds Received - £2,718.00
In September 2018 The Learning Space received £2,718.00 to renovate the scotch ovens at their premises in Gavinton. The Learning Space work with local young people with learning barriers. Funding was put towards reinstating the old ovens that had not been used for a near 50 years. Local trades men quoted to do the work, with Craftec selected to make new doors for the ovens. Local builder, Border Build & Renovation, had family connections and helped to reinstate the chimney and repair slates etc.
Now being fired up, by the young people, to dry out, this takes time and needs to be done slowly. Looking to use gas burners to make it quicker to heat up. As far as possible all ingredients for the bread etc are sourced locally. New baking project in the pipeline with ideas to make it a more commercial social enterprise project.
Verbal report received at our AGM in August 2019