To empower and enrich our community by providing financial support to local projects that enhance quality of life, preserve our heritage, and foster sustainable development.
We value transparency, sustainability, community impact, and collaboration. We strive to be open, responsible, and supportive of projects that enhance local lives.
6-Monthly Progress Report , January 2026Project DetailsProject title: Come Fly With Us at Duns Swimming Club- Introducing a new hourlySwimming Training Programme specifically for Beginners aged 8-12 year olds, plussupporting
The workshop programme of theatre-based learning and creativity as part of the well-established community festival, DunsPlayFest.
The aim of the winter programme was to educate local people on environmental issues that are poignant to living sustainable & affordable lives. We screened two films, Leaving it Better about farming in a sustainable way & The People’s Emergency Briefing about the climate crisis. Both films had a Q&A session afterwards with experts
Borders Greenway (BG) is a community group which exists to promote an active travel route between Tweedbank and Eyemouth, based on the old Berwickshire railway line. We work with communities along the route and support Scottish Borders Council in developing the route. There is a Steering Group of around 8 people.
DSCC is a family, and without doubt this celebration epitomised that! It was full of fun, companionship, laughter and togetherness. The atmosphere in the hall embraced all these things. We see family members come and go – it’s the natural way of things, but the memories that everyone experiences through the club, will live on!
Since the books have been repaired ( by a local book repairer) can now be safely handled allowing members and guests to study the volumes without causing any damage.
The Come Fly With Us at Duns Swimming Club has introduced new hourly training programme aimed at new young members aged between 8 and 12 to develop their competitive swimming skills. It has also supported our new coach to gain her qualification, and provided mentoring to older members to support the young swimmers.
Blackhill Wind Farm Community Fund Interim Grant Report Ref No: BF0295 This interim progress report is submitted in accord with the terms and conditions of grant approval BF0295 to Chirnside
The funding that we asked for will be used fully by our intended date of completion of January 2027. All objectives have been fulfilled and although relatively mundane items asked for it has freed our time to complete other projects along side.
The project replaced the club’s failed boiler, which had left the building without hot water or shower facilities. A new, efficient system was installed by Stephen Darlings Ltd, restoring essential services and ensuring the clubhouse can be used safely and comfortably by players, members, and visitors.
This project aimed to refurbish and repair a number of local amenities in our local area, including two local bus shelters, railings, benches, cutting back shrubbery and renewal of signs.
A massive thank you to everyone corncerned in gifting us the money to purchase the Inflatable it has been a great success.
The project allowed older residents from the Westruther community to share their memories and experiences with Primary 4 to 7 pupils from the primary school.
Since 1990, our befriending projects have supported children (8+), young people, and adults with learning disabilities—reducing isolation, boosting wellbeing, and giving respite to family carers.
Our publication promotes Duns as an active, vibrant community. Residents find out what is going on in the town; understand the work being done in place-making and local development; learn about the many organisations, clubs and societies operating here; and be encouraged to participate in community activity.
Since 2015, this community-led project has transformed Duns with vibrant planting across 23 sustainable beds and countless planters. Their electric watering vehicle, “Billy Bowser,” is essential to the upkeep—and thanks to 100% funding from BWCF, new batteries were installed in 2023 to keep everything growing strong.
Berwickshire High School provides LLE CIC with access to one of their metal working areas in the school to deliver sessions providing supplementary skills and experience to
those currently offered by the school courses. The sessions include the safe and proper use of a number of powered hand tools taught alongside expanded MIG welding techniques.
Achievements The grant of £2,750 has helped us in the following ways:
We wanted to strengthen the town and strengthen the community and sought to harness the power of our community to do so. In developing our bespoke community survey and bespoke music and beer festival as a means of engaging the community, we were successful in terms of participation and engagement.
We aimed to help and enhance the School’s outdoor environment for the children, the staff and the community. With the help of a generous contribution from the Fund we have purchased and installed a trim trail in the School grounds which is being well used! The children love it!
The new stage drapes have transformed Duns Players’ ability to take theatre on the road. Lightweight, foldable, and quick to install, they replace heavy backdrops and allow flexible staging in any venue. This mobility brings live performance to new audiences, enriching cultural life across our wider community.
We appeared on the main stage at Duns Play Fest and performed to an audience of about 60 people. It was very well received and the audience remarked upon our professionalism. This confident performance was enhanced by the work of the drama host. we have already been invited back to perform again.
Feedback from Members & Staff
Initially members found the move quite difficult but have now settled in and love coming to their new venue.
“I feel very proud coming to work”
“I love using the kitchen to make a cuppa”
“I sometimes like coming on the bus”
“I like the extra space we have to
We used the funding that we received from BWCF to improve our storage facilities at our warehouse. This has helped to increase our outreach capacity as we were able to accept and store more baby equipment and support more families within our communities.
With support from BWCF, we collaborated with Dunse History Society and Duns & District Business Forum to create a printed and digital tourism map celebrating the town’s rich history. Despite challenges, including post-Covid delays and team changes, the project brought together over 100 local contributors and now forms part of a refreshed Town Trail, helping visitors explore Duns in a meaningful and engaging way.
With support from the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund, the community of Gordon proudly purchased the Gordon Sports Field in February 2023. This new community-owned space is already taking shape, with fencing installed by local volunteers and plans underway to develop it into a vibrant hub for sport and recreation.
Thanks to a £4,000 grant from the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund, ESR planted native woodland trees and installed fencing to protect them from curious hooves. Young people and adults engaged in hands-on planting sessions, gaining skills and confidence outdoors. The project not only inspired individual growth and future ambitions but also supported biodiversity, creating habitats and natural barriers for years to come.
This fund supported the pilot project of a BlackBox Theatre in the Duns Cadet Hall which hosted our creative engagement programme, experimental theatre from early career artists, was a rehearsal venue and hosted the showing of a dance film by local dancer. The new studio theatre gave opportunities to early career artists and producers.
With support from the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund, Reston JAC member Lauren travelled to Canada as part of an international exchange. A highlight of her trip was visiting Richmond Ranch, home to Aberdeen Angus and Limousin cattle. “I had a wonderful time and can’t wait to go back one day,” she shared. “Thank you for helping make this incredible experience possible.”
DunsPlayFest 2022 returned with a hybrid festival—live performances at the Volunteer Hall and a curated online programme available for weeks afterward. With support from the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund, a young filmmaker captured the live shows for digital audiences, and A Heart for Duns received funding for a sign-board for the visually impaired—ensuring accessibility remains at the heart of the festival’s vision.
Formerly known as the EBGR project, the Borders Greenway is progressing thanks to vital early support from the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund. The grant helped establish a well-supported Community Consultation Group and Steering Group, contributing to a full feasibility study commissioned by South of Scotland Enterprise and Scottish Borders Council. Covering the proposed route from Melrose to Eyemouth, the project is now poised to become a major active travel initiative for the region.
With a £3,243 grant from the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund, ParentSpace delivered 91 one-to-one support sessions—exceeding expectations. Sessions were held in-home or by phone, providing flexible support for families across the region. The grant also funded training for two new facilitators, helping expand services, including a new Dads-only course and more planned for the year ahead.
Thanks to support from the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund, Gavinton Village Hall is now equipped with a generator to provide emergency power during outages. The generator is fully insured and maintained, with local volunteers receiving regular refresher training. The project has inspired similar setups in neighbouring communities, strengthening local resilience across the area.
Project Overview:As part of our trade-up activities, ReTweed expanded into International Tartans, offering advanced training courses in tailoring and Tartan skills. These courses aim to provide pathways to employment and
The Berwickshire High School Senior Musical Theatre Group was extremely grateful to receive support from the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund for our production of “Sister Act”. “Sister Act” was the
Back in 2022 we received funding from Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund to repair the roof to the changing rooms. Members had done extensive work at New Hawthorn Park over the
With a £920 grant from the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund, the front of the hall has been transformed with new plants, decorative features, and twinkling lights—making the space more welcoming year-round. All materials were sourced locally, supporting small businesses, and thoughtful touches like bubble wrap insulation help protect the plants through winter. Trustees and the community are delighted with the results.
Held in April 2022 at Duns Castle and the Volunteer Hall, the Robert Hay Seminar brought together international scholars and local audiences to explore the life and legacy of Scottish Egyptologist Robert Hay. With support from the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund, the event featured keynote talks, exhibitions, and cultural activities, while also raising funds for the Red Cross. A truly memorable and collaborative event highlighting Duns’ rich historical ties to Egyptology.
With £5,000 in support from the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund, the Volunteer Hall has been fully refurnished with new tables, chairs, and trolleys—enhancing the space for community events. Despite supply delays and rising costs, the team sourced quality, durable furniture and repurposed what they could. The hall is now better equipped to meet growing post-Covid demand, thanks to a collaborative funding effort.
In January we submitted an application to BWCF and had approval to spend £5,000 of a total of around c. £16,000 on new furniture for the Volunteer Hall. We also
Thank you again (Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund) for awarding us this grant. We have now had the courts repainted and purchased three new nets as can be seen in the
On Friday December 10, Club members were treated to a delicious traditional Christmas Lunch at Duns Golf Club. May Kinghorn, Chairperson, expressed to everyone that this event was made possible
DunsPlayFest in 2022 was held both in the Volunteer Hall, Duns, in the first week of May, and on-line where various shows from the live festival, as well as other
The grant we received back in 2021 really helped us revive the Community Cinema after the Covid epidemic. The number of films shown in 2022 increased from 6 per year
The Whiteadder Whitewater Trust applied to the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund for funding for oars, VHF radios, first aid supplies, booking system, service 2 rescue boats, car park, signage and
BWCF originally granted Duns Primary School £2,768.00 to help fund a residential trip for P7s however due to Covid-19 this trip was cancelled. A request was made to change the
Received funding of £960 for sailing trips. A little goes a long way, originally had planned 1 sailing voyage, which quickly turned into 2. Logistical challenge which had 11 individuals on
In 2019 a grant application to the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund was submitted and successfullyobtained, this amounted to £897 to pay for a further print run of 500 of the
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
Overview The Intergenerational Projects which Borders Youth Theatre began a number ofyears continue to develop. The Projects bring together younger and older membersof communities to meet and talk, share experiences
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.
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
