Five organisations receive a £850k ‘Levelling Up’ economic boost

Five Borders organisations are to share an £850,000 economic shot in the arm.

The ‘Levelling Up’ investment comes as part of the latest round of the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.

The fund forms part of the Government’s Levelling Up agenda and aims to increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and supporting local business, people and skills.

The fund is managed locally by Scottish Borders Council (SBC).

Trimontium Trust has been awarded £57,861 to help furnish the newly refurbished activity space at the museum in Melrose with virtual reality and digital equipment, designed to enhance the visitor experience.

A Heart for Duns was successful in securing £41,940 to enable the group to undertake further community consultation work and a cost planning exercise which will help to develop ambitious plans to upgrade the Volunteer Hall in Duns.

Borders College has secured £530,400 to enable delivery of bespoke skills and training programmes to help support the green economy and local supply chain for local housing stock. This programme is designed to maximise decarbonisation of current housing stock and upskill the workforce to meet new property requirements.

Re-Tweed based in Eyemouth has secured £79,514 to develop its International Tartan enterprise and offer skills training in bespoke tailoring to more than 30 disadvantaged women and young people.

Tweed Forum was successful in securing £149,755 to recruit a senior project officer and tourism engagement officer to support the delivery of Destination Tweed. This project will deliver a trail from Moffat to Berwick-Upon-Tweed, along with 13 other heritage and environmental related projects along the route of the River Tweed.

Further awards have also been approved to support affordable/energy efficient homes for the future. A full list of successful local applications is available online at www.scotborders.gov.uk/sharedprosperityfund

Councillor Scott Hamilton, SBC’s executive member for Community and Business Development, said: “I am delighted that a number of Borders organisations have been able to benefit from this funding stream and will now be able to progress a variety of projects which supports the area.

“Further funding opportunities are available, so I’d encourage other organisations and community groups with project ideas to submit an expression of interest form to allow us to direct them to the most appropriate funds and support applications where required.”

Community groups interested in funding for new projects can find out more about some of the opportunities available and access a simple expression of interest form at www.scotborders.gov.uk/projectfunding