Welcome hosts guarantee a warm reception in Hawick

Visitors to Hawick this summer are guaranteed the warmest of welcomes after a £5,000 funding application was agreed.
Derick Tait of Future Hawick.Derick Tait of Future Hawick.
Derick Tait of Future Hawick.

Over two decades, Hawick Welcome Initiative worked to provide a positive experience for visitors to the town.

Welcome hosts were employed to meet and greet visitors and encourage them to shop and explore the area.

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That organisation has now ceased trading, and the charity Future Hawick agreed to take over its role late last year, while also applying for funding from Hawick common good fund sub-committee in order to retain the service.

Future Hawick chairman Derick Tait told committee members that despite only having a short time to do so, a significant amount of funding had been raised.

Mr Tait, who praised the work of fundraisers such as Majorie McCreadie, said: “The Hawick welcome hosts have been on the go for 20 years but this year is a completely new venture.

“We only took over this venture in December last year, which left us very little time for fundraising.

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“We received a contribution of £900 from the Hawick Welcome Initiative when they closed.

“In addition we have raised £6,500 from brochure advertising and secured a £500 grant from the Scottish Motorhome Association and, we anticipate, a further £2,500 from a future Scocha concert.

“We believe in welcome hosts and we believe they have been and will continue to be a great asset to the town.”

“We wouldn’t accept such a challenge if we thought otherwise”.

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Members agreed a £5,000 grant despite a call by Councillor Davie Paterson, of Hawick and Hermitage, to stand the application down to seek answers over the running and structure of Future Hawick and to examine its financial status.

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