FALLAGO ENVIRONMENT FUND UPDATE INVESTING IN THE BORDERS ENVIRONMENT Issue 1: Summer 2016 Issue 1:

In this first Fallago Environment Fund (FEF) update, you’ll find village halls and mountain bike trails, iconic Borders Fund Facts & Figures landmarks and innovative new artworks. The Fund has supported over 30 projects throughout the 67 Applications since 2013. Here, we offer a short introduction to some these projects; for more detail please visit tweedforum.org/fallago.

Established by EDF Renewables and Roxburghe Estates, the 33 Projects supported Environment Fund supports local and regional projects within Built Natural Cultural the Scottish Borders area. Designed to help fund a balance of Heritage built, natural and cultural heritage projects, and support those parts of the Borders without access to other community benefit £3.7m value of projects funds, it has, in addition to supporting 33 projects, helped lever in more than £3million of additional funding. That’s an additional £5 for every pound invested by the Fund. Projects are chosen for their contribution to supporting local rural communities (funding some of our excellent local organisations), helping preserve and £591,943 enhance our special landscapes and biodiversity, preserving total Fallago funding and telling the story of our heritage and enhancing the Scottish Borders as a tourism destination.

Fallago Fund Applications September 2013 - 2015

Eyemouth

FEF Application* Scottish Borders Leader Water Duns Main Berwick-upon-Tweed Tweed River Till Melrose Selkirk Kelso Wooler National Park

Ettrick Water

*Some Applications are Borders wide

1 Westruther Village Hall

n Angraflats Plantation n Bowden Common: Access and Habitat Conservation Off-road Cycle Trails Creating a circular walking route around Bowden Common, this project has also restored habitat Kelso Wheelers, above, celebrating the opening for local wildlife. of their new cycle trail on the outskirts of Kelso.

n Westruther Village Hall: Solar Panel Installation Solar photovoltaic panels have been installed at the village hall, reducing CO2 emissions and improving Image courtesy McLean of Colin financial sustainability, as part of a wider initiative Redpath Village Hall to make the hall as environmentally sustainable as possible. n Record, Conserve, Restore: Surveying n Restoration of Redpath Village Hall at Talla & Gameshope Valleys This important historical building has now been Vegetation and biological surveys carried out in 2014, Coldstream Football Club restored, ensuring this facility continues to serve the are the first steps towards ecological restoration of the Redpath community. Talla & Gameshope valleys. n A Son of Kelso on the Somme In this book, the personal letters, photographs and experiences of a Kelso man who survived n Future-Proofing Football three years in the frontline Image © Lawson Wood Image © Lawson Coldstream Football Club, one of the oldest football trenches of World War 1 clubs in , is upgrading Home Park and the are compiled. The book Fund has supported the installation of railings and a preserves an important park gate, as part of a wider plan to improve safety historical legacy as well as and secure the Club’s SFA membership. providing an educational resource for upper n Village Hall n Widows and Bairns Bronze, Eyemouth secondary school age Restoration of this village hall, dating back to 1896, children. A wax model gives a sense of the finished work – a 5 metre-long bronze sculpture -commemorating the has created a modern high-quality venue for the 1881 Eyemouth fishing disaster. community of St Boswells.

2 3 Scottish Borders about the countryside, rural issues and the environment they live in. Over 1200 children attend with the help of nearly 100 volunteers.

n Connect Berwickshire Youth Project n Coldingham Priory Community A core funding award from the Fund has supported Archaeology Project the creation of the Allotment Project in Eyemouth where young people and volunteers can get involved Looking for new sub-soil in planting and maintaining the allotment and evidence of the early, growing their own produce, leading to improved pre-Norman monastic employability, health and well-being. settlement close to Coldingham Priory, n Ellem Fishing Club Museum this project detected The Museum received funding to relocate to a many anomalies, larger room within Paxton House and expand an particularly geomagnetic array of exhibits, wall displays and an interactive anomalies, many of computer system. which are potentially of archaeological interest. n Hawick Saxhorn Band – Sounding Hawick’s Brass Through the purchase of new instruments, the Fund is helping the Band to promote the playing and appreciation of music through education and performance. Founded in 1855, the Band also plays a key part in the annual Hawick celebrations.

n BUAS Countryside Day The Fund is contributing to this annual event, held at the Border Union Showground, where around 50 organisations educate P5 children throughout the

Fallago Environment Fund is administered by Tweed Forum. Please contact us at [email protected], 01896 849723 or visit www.tweedforum.org/fallago

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