Latest news with #ScottishBorders
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Fears leisure centre closure plan pits 'town against town'
A council has been accused of "setting town against town" as a consultation begins on the future of sport, leisure and cultural facilities in the Scottish Borders. Dozens of sites run by charitable trust Live Borders on the local authority's behalf have been recommended for closure in a report by consultants. Scottish Borders Council leader Euan Jardine stressed that no decisions had been made and they were seeking "constructive input". However, Gill Cooper of Abbey Quilters - a community groups which use the Abbey Row centre in Kelso - said it felt like they were pitting towns and villages against one another in order to see which facilities were retained. Speaking after a meeting with other concerned groups at the site which consultants recommended for closure, she said: "We're absolutely disgusted at the questions they're asking on the consultation to be honest. "All they're asking about is individual spaces and numbers - all they're trying to do is set the hall in Earlston against the hall in Kelso, against the hall in Jedburgh." She said the council should be looking to invest in the cultural life of the region and places like Abbey Row were the "bedrock of that Borders life". "Don't be setting town against town, village against village," she added. "Instead, ask what we need in the Borders - what are we trying to achieve in our communities? "Abbey Row has lots of activity every day, which support disability, mental health, dexterity, the loneliness index – I could go on and on. But they're not interested in that." She said that the council had its priorities wrong if it was not prepared to invest in community life and suggested it could use the money from a 10% increase in council tax. More stories from South Scotland Listen to news for the Scottish Borders on BBC Sounds However, Mr Jardine said they wanted to give everyone a chance to have their say on the way forward. "No decisions have been made, and our conversations with communities, stakeholders and colleagues over the coming months will be vital in building a full picture of priorities, how services and facilities are used, where alternatives exist, and what the impacts of different options might be," he said. "Change is essential to bring Live Borders into a sustainable financial position, but the specific details around services and properties are still up for discussion. "Live Borders is already progressing other actions that could deliver significant savings and when combined with some service and property changes, these will help safeguard the future of sport, leisure, and cultural provision across the region." He said it was important to emphasise any changes would not save the council money but would help Live Borders operate within its budget and make that budget go further. Council to consult on closing libraries and pools
BBC News
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- BBC News
Borders leisure site consultation sets 'town against town'
A council has been accused of "setting town against town" as a consultation begins on the future of sport, leisure and cultural facilities in the Scottish of sites run by charitable trust Live Borders on the local authority's behalf have been recommended for closure in a report by Borders Council leader Euan Jardine stressed that no decisions had been made and they were seeking "constructive input".However, Gill Cooper of Abbey Quilters - a community groups which use the Abbey Row centre in Kelso - said it felt like they were pitting towns and villages against one another in order to see which facilities were retained. Speaking after a meeting with other concerned groups at the site which consultants recommended for closure, she said: "We're absolutely disgusted at the questions they're asking on the consultation to be honest."All they're asking about is individual spaces and numbers - all they're trying to do is set the hall in Earlston against the hall in Kelso, against the hall in Jedburgh."She said the council should be looking to invest in the cultural life of the region and places like Abbey Row were the "bedrock of that Borders life"."Don't be setting town against town, village against village," she added."Instead, ask what we need in the Borders - what are we trying to achieve in our communities?"Abbey Row has lots of activity every day, which support disability, mental health, dexterity, the loneliness index – I could go on and on. But they're not interested in that."She said that the council had its priorities wrong if it was not prepared to invest in community life and suggested it could use the money from a 10% increase in council tax. However, Mr Jardine said they wanted to give everyone a chance to have their say on the way forward."No decisions have been made, and our conversations with communities, stakeholders and colleagues over the coming months will be vital in building a full picture of priorities, how services and facilities are used, where alternatives exist, and what the impacts of different options might be," he said."Change is essential to bring Live Borders into a sustainable financial position, but the specific details around services and properties are still up for discussion."Live Borders is already progressing other actions that could deliver significant savings and when combined with some service and property changes, these will help safeguard the future of sport, leisure, and cultural provision across the region."He said it was important to emphasise any changes would not save the council money but would help Live Borders operate within its budget and make that budget go further.
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Worker caught in bin lorry mechanism by bungee cord in Scottish Borders
A refuse worker in the Scottish Borders has been injured after being caught and dropped by a bin lorry's lifting man was taken to hospital after becoming tangled in a bungee cord attached to a household wheelie bin on a rural Borders Council said the man was later discharged and a full health and safety investigation would be held into the incident on Friday said the use of automated lifting mechanisms would be suspended during the investigation, with bin collections disrupted across the region. It warned of a "significant impact" on waste services due to additional time needed for workers to operate the mechanism council said in a statement: "The extra time required and will most likely result in disruptions and missed collections. "We would like to stress to householders the seriousness of this issue and the importance of not using bungee cords, or any other type of restraint, on their wheelie bin which may put the health and safety of staff in danger."Scottish Borders Council said further updates would be provided when the investigation is complete.
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Farmer's suicide inspires Kelso family prevent further tragedies
In the last months of his life, Neil Stewart's family knew he wasn't in "great fettle" - but he always insisted he was fine. When the 60-year-old cattle farmer took his own life last summer, it was met with shock by the tight-knit agricultural community of the Scottish Borders. Now his widow, Caroline, is leading the family he left behind on a 100-mile memorial walk in a bid to prevent similar tragedies. It comes as new research is undertaken into the causes of the high rate of suicide among farmers in Scotland. Neil's brother Alastair is among those who will be joining the walk along the Kintyre Way to raise awareness of what has been described as farming's silent killer. "We did realise that Neil wasn't in great fettle for the last year of his life, but when you spoke to him, he'd say he was fine," he said."It [his death] was a terrible shock for all of us, as Neil was such a strong guy. "There were signs looking back, but it was not something we ever thought could have happened - and we're all still feeling his loss a year on." There are no up-to-date figures are available for the number of people working within agricultural in Scotland who have either taken, or are suspected of taking, their own Scottish and UK studies, dating back to as early as the 1980s, have suggested that farming had the highest proportion of suicides of all post-pandemic research has found that 88% of young farmers rate poor mental health as the biggest problem of working in Stewart family hope that their walk - in an area where Neil's mother grew up and he enjoyed holidays as a child - will prevent similar deaths. Alastair said: "We're going to have sore knees and ankles at the end of this walk but that is nothing compared to what so many farmers are going through every day."If we can raise awareness of the problem and convince just one person to speak to their partner, their friend or their neighbour, and get the help they need, then it will all be worth it." Although factors such as social isolation, volatile trade markets, turbulent weather and labour shortages are thought to be factors behind the alarming rate of suicides within farming, a comprehensive three-year study has just been commissioned to provide more definitive Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RSABI) and the University of Glasgow will conduct the research across McLaren, CEO of RSABI, said: "Farmers take a huge pride in the job that they do - the way they look after their animals and the way they look after their crops."What they're not so good at doing is looking after themselves."They don't typically reach out and they don't tend to open up - and that's where we get into really challenging territory." As well as RSABI, organisations such as Breathing Space, the Samaritans, the Scottish Association of Mental Health, and Support in Mind Scotland offer free and confidential recent reports suggest there has been a gradual increase in the number of agricultural workers who are picking up the phone or going online for added: "There is help out there and the good news is that more people are now reaching out to organisations such as RSABI."We are hearing more and more from farmers and retired farmers." For more information and support on mental health in agriculture, visit BBC Action Line.
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Golden eagles flying back to northern England
After years of absence, golden eagles are beginning to venture back into England from the south of Scotland, leading to hopes they might nest. Among those crossing the border in 2025 was a young male called enthusiast Ian Glendinning has seen the UK's second biggest bird of prey many times in the Scottish Highlands, but he never expected to encounter one in his home county of Northumberland. "It was the end of March and I was driving in a remote corner of the national park with a couple of friends and the rear passenger suddenly shouted out 'what on earth is that?'," he says. "I looked over to my right and about 30 metres away there he was, sitting on a rocky outcrop."Before I could get my phone out for a photo it glided away, but it was absolutely colossal, there was just no doubting what it was."I would defy anyone not to be impressed seeing such a huge bird at close range." Talla is one of around 50 golden eagles living in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and resurgence is thanks to the work of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project (SSGEP), set up when the population in the region had dropped to a mere to more about the return of golden eagles on BBC SoundsSince 2018, SSGEP has successfully translocated 28 juveniles, collected at six to eight weeks of age, and 15 sub-adult golden eagles between four months and three years from the Scottish Highlands. SSGEP chair Michael Clarke said: "Thanks to our satellite tagging, we can confirm that some are beginning to venture into Northumberland and further afield and these sightings reaffirm the importance of us extending our groundbreaking work."The birds have also visited the North Pennines and the Lake District, even travelling as far as the Forest of Boland in Lancashire and Nidderdale in Yorkshire. "While it is too early to say if they are settling in these areas, it is a potentially exciting and significant milestone," Mr Clarke said. Golden eagles were wiped out in England and Wales by the mid-19th Century, mainly due to persecution by those who saw them as a threat to livestock or game birds. Despite a brief return following the two world wars, when driven shoots largely ceased, numbers gradually declined again with the last resident golden eagle in England disappearing from the Lake District in UK's remaining population was then largely confined to the Scottish Highlands and Islands, particularly in remote, mountainous regions. Dr Cat Barlow, CEO of the charity Restoring Upland Nature, which has taken SSGEP under its wing, said it is not surprising to the birds "exploring in England"."In the first few years of life, the birds will go looking for new territory, looking for a mate, looking for new feeding grounds," she said. "They'll get up high in the sky and head for the areas that look interesting to them, usually those remote upland areas."They create a visual map of where they've been and when they find what they think is a good place, they'll settle there and try and attract a mate." Welcoming a possible move south, she said: "I'm from County Durham myself and I'd love to see them back for good there." It is not yet clear whether a golden eagle population in areas like the Lake District, or the Northumberland Uplands will establish itself without birds being brought from Scotland. "In theory, as available territories fill up in the south of Scotland, eagles will begin to move into England and they have been visiting old nest sites," Dr Barlow Wildlife Trust CEO Mike Pratt said: "They don't see a border and the landscape either side of the borders of England and Scotland is so similar it's not a surprise they're coming south."The sightings are almost like the golden eagles giving their blessing and saying that the landscape can take them." The charity has recently acquired the Rothbury Estate in Northumberland; 9,500 acres of land which include the Simonside Pratt hopes one day golden eagles will be present there. "It won't be a rushed process and we'll be consulting carefully, but the project in the south of Scotland has been such a success, people really love them."I would like to think the same could happen here." Mr Glendinning has seen golden eagles three more times since that first shock sighting in March and feels a sense of "wonderment" each time. "They just fit in perfectly with the landscape, I just felt a real sense of amazement that they are there and I can see them," he said. "It just feels like they belong here." Follow BBC North East on X and Facebook and BBC Cumbria on X and Facebook and both on Nextdoor and Instagram.
