Jedburgh hub opens in iCentre
Once a familiar gateway for visitors to Jedburgh, the former VisitScotland iCentre has been given a new lease of life — reopening its doors as a vibrant community hub for both tourists and townsfolk.
The building, perfectly positioned opposite the Abbey, used to welcome thousands of visitors each summer, but has lain empty since VisitScotland vacated the town in October 2024.
Now the Jedburgh and District Community News Group, has taken on the building as a community hub to offer a warm welcome to tourists and townsfolk alike.
The group is primarily responsible for producing the town’s monthly magazine ‘The Jed Eye’ but has expanded its community offerings in recent years to include a town hub, organising events such as the Christmas Tree Festival and the running of the town’s community lottery.
After two years of running a small ‘hub’ in the town centre, the group, a community interest company, has now dusted off the cobwebs from the old iCentre in Murray’s Green.
The building is offering tourist information and support, shelf space for local independent crafters to sell their creations, a multi-purpose community room, kitchen and amenities for hire to local groups, and a very flexible approach to how the building evolves in the future.
It also provides vital amenities like a Jedburgh Churches Foodbank drop-off point, a ‘bra bank’, free period products, and a ‘town directory’ of local groups and their contact details.
Jedburgh and District Community News Group trustee Dr Simon Watkin said: “Jedburgh really is one of the gateways to Scotland and welcomes tens of thousands of tourists from home and abroad each year.
“After the long remote journey through Northumberland many visitors will make a stop in Jedburgh to take advantage of free parking, local services and businesses before moving on. Many will stay longer and investigate the rich history of Jedburgh and Scotland.
“But tourists are quite seasonal. We want the building and what it is used for to help attract not just tourists, but also local people, and people from all over the Borders and Scotland more generally.
“Jedburgh is a very interesting attractive place and has worked hard to maintain its appearance and facilities when so many towns and High Streets are struggling to do the same.”
The hub is being staffed by a team of volunteers who are keen to provide a friendly and familiar face to locals and a warm, informative welcome to tourists.
Dr Watkin added: “The Jed Eye magazine is already a great source of local community news and information, but we want to do more and this presence in the town makes us even more accessible and gives us a change to provide the welcome and the promotion of Jedburgh’s shops and attractions to visitors which was lost when the iCentre closed.”
The community hub is currently open seven days a week from 10am to 2pm. Its ‘grand
opening’ will take place on Sunday, June 28 at 6pm when Jethart Callant Robbie Thomson will be invited to cut a ribbon to officially open the facility.