Friends and family of Kelso resident John Laidlaw this month gathered to celebrate his 101st birthday.

Mr Laidlaw was the subject of a feature on his life in The Southern a year ago when he reached his century.

Formerly of Springwood Bank in Kelso, Mr Laidlaw has been a resident at Queen’s House Residential Home since February this year.

To celebrate his 101st birthday, a party was held on March 15 in The Cross Keys Hotel in Kelso.

A total of 53 people attended to wish Mr Laidlaw many happy returns, including six nephews and nieces; eight great-nephews and nieces – one of whom flew in from Vancouver in Canada – and three great-great-nephews and nieces.

Also attending and giving great support were 11 members of the Kelso & District Probus Club, of which Mr Laidlaw is a past president.

A poem about Mr Laidlaw had been written by a member of Probus and read out by Veronica Saunders, the present Lady President of the Kelso Probus Club.

The party was also attended by members of Kelso North Parish Church.

Mr Laidlaw still attends Probus meetings, church services and enjoys regular Sunday lunches at The Cross Keys Hotel.

I was delighted to be able to attend the launch of Kelso Youth Project at the town’s Abbey Row Community Centre.

Set up by Cheviot Youth, it aims to address the previous lack of voluntary youth work service provision in Kelso.

Its plans look very exciting and promise to offer opportunities for peer engagement through running a number of evening drop-in sessions and after-school clubs throughout the year.

It is clear from talking to those running the project just how enthusiastic they are about engaging with young people in the area. With activities ranging from film-making to how to be a DJ, I have no doubt that this project will prove to be popular with youngsters in the area.

BROADBAND

Research conducted by property search website Rightmove found that a home’s broadband connection is ranked more important than transport links or nearby schools.

Experts such as the BBC’s Henry Pryor have said that poor internet connections can affect the price of a property by as much as 20 per cent – and with many parts of the Borders having poor internet speeds, there are concerns that house prices could suffer.

It is just another factor that highlights our need for faster internet connections and every effort must be made to achieve this as soon as possible.

BED BLOCKING

Official figures have shown that the problem of bed blocking in the Borders is getting worse.

Statistics released by ISD Scotland reveal that between October and December last year, a total of 2,091 bed days were taken up by delayed-discharge NHS Borders patients. Delayed-discharge occurs when a patient is fit and able to leave hospital, but has nowhere to go, such as a care home or supported living accommodation.

This can cause distress among patients, who instead of being allowed to leave hospital are forced to stay longer than necessary. It also leads to problems for hospital managers who are having beds taken up when there are sick patients in need of care.

It is unacceptable to leave these individuals languishing in hospital. Whatever way you look at these figures, they paint a picture of a Scottish Government that is letting the situation get out of control.

MARIE CURIE CANCER CARE

This month has seen the Great Daffodil Campaign, an initiative run by Marie Curie Cancer Care which each year raises funds that allow continued provision of free care for those with terminal illnesses.

Millions across the UK support this event by giving a small donation to purchase and wear a daffodil pin, helping ensure that patients get the best end-of-life care possible.

Union officials hold a meeting in the Borders next week to find out the views of farm tenants on the Agricultural Holdings Review.

The local meeting at The Lodge, Carfraemill, on Monday night (7pm) is one of several across Scotland and will be chaired by Stow farmer and NFU Scotland president Nigel Miller.

He said: “Our aim is listen to members’ priorities. With calving and lambing under way on many farms and with sowing started there are pressures building on members.

“However with an April deadline on the horizon, it is important to test out the union’s position with members and expose gaps in our thinking before we feed our views into the Agricultural Holdings Review Group.

“We hope members can give us time despite growing workloads as this review can create the future operating environment for tenants.

“We have an opportunity now to breathe new life into the sector and into Scottish farming.

“The union will be looking to provide a positive platform for the future of farming as well as safeguarding established tenants, creating opportunities for a new generation and designing a regulatory framework, which encourages owners to let land and enter into agreements that allow the positive development of holdings.”

Anyone unable to attend should make their views known to Gemma Thomson on gemma.thomson@nfus.org.uk or on 0131 472 4018.

There is a union meeting for landlord and owner occupiers to express their views at Lanark Mart on April 7 at 12.30pm.

Borderers have raised thousands of pounds for Sport Relief.

Check out our slideshow.

Michael Moore has been re-selected by the Liberal Democrats in the Borders to be their candidate to fight the 2015 general election.

The Borders MP has been elected on four previous occasions, since winning the party’s nomination in 1995 to succeed David Steel.

Lord Steel was on hand in Selkirk’s Victoria hall to propose Michael’s candidacy, which was given unanimous approval at the meeting.

Mr Moore will defend a majority of 5,675 over the Conservative candidate Johm Lamont at the election in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk.

“It is a real privilege to represent the Borders in Parliament,” said Mr Moore. “This is a very special part of the country which I am proud to call my home.

“I will continue to work hard on behalf of my constituents in the months ahead and look forward to the election campaign next year.

“Nationally the Liberal Democrats are campaigning to build a ‘stronger economy and a fairer society’ which fits very closely with the approach I have always taken in the Borders.

“Jobs, particularly for young people locally, communication and transport links and support for people on low incomes remain key priorities for me and my constituents. My campaigning on these issues will continue.”

Lord Steel said: “Michael has proved a highly effective MP for the Borders over many years now and brought credit to the area when he was Secretary of State for Scotland.

“As we approach the 50th anniversary of my successful by-election in the Borders, Michael remains the right candidate to continue to fly the Liberal Democrat flag for the Borders in the House of Commons.”

RADICAL changes in the budget in relation to the benefits which can be taken from pension policies bring into greater focus the advantages of holding business premises in the pension fund of the business owners.

Instead of being owned by the business or rented from the business owner, it is in some circumstances possible for commercial property to be held in a pension scheme.

The business rents the property from the pension and obtains tax relief on the rent. The pension scheme receives the rent tax-free. Similarly, any increase in the value of the property accrues tax free within the pension fund.

If the business owner has existing pension funds and owns the business premises, a useful way of freeing up cash funds to the business is to use the pension fund to buy the premises. The business owner in effect exchanges the premises for cash funds.

A new commercial property could perhaps be acquired by consolidating and using existing pension funds. The pension scheme may borrow funds to make the purchase up to certain limits.

Alternatively, a new property could be funded from a pension scheme as a mechanism to obtain tax relief on the cost. Tax relief on the structural cost of new buildings will be limited.

A tax efficient alternative may be for a company to pay pension contributions to a pension fund for the business owner, which can then pay for the property. In the appropriate circumstances, tax relief may be available to the company on the contributions.

There are tax and other implications of transferring and holding property within a pension scheme and advice should be sought and it will be necessary to involve a specialist advisor.

Contact mark.thompson@renniewelch.co.uk or 01573 224391 for more information.

The Royal Bank of Scotland has announced that branches in Greelaw, Chirnside and Newtown St Boswells will close in June.

The bank says the decision has been made following a drop in customer numbers, and promises to work with local Post Offices and a new mobile van in an attempt to limit the effect to customers.

Branches in Chirnside and Greenlaw will close on June 18, with the branch in Newtown St Boswells closing on June 25.

An RBS spokesperson said: “We have taken the difficult decision to close the RBS Chirnside and Greenlaw branches on 18th June 2014 and the Newtown St Boswells branch on 25th June 2014.

“We are taking a number of steps to ensure our customers are still served in the communities affected, including working with local Post Offices (where customers will be able to pay money in, take money out, check their balances and pay bills) and we are also introducing a new mobile van with the routes arranged with local councils.”

RBS says its Chirnside branch, currently open for 9.25 hours a week, is only used by 19 customers on a regular basis.

“For customers who have basic bank accounts we will lift restrictions currently in place which will allow them to use ATMs from other banks,” said an RBS spokesperson. “The number of customers using this branch has dropped by more than 20% since 2011 as more and more of them use alternative ways of banking with us. This includes by phone, in Post Offices, by app and online.”

The bank says the Greenlaw branch, also open for 9.5 hours a week, is used by 20 customers on a regular basis. It says the number of people using the branch has dropped by 20% since 2011.

However, local politicians John Lamont and Michael Moore have both raised concerns about the bank’s decision. Both have asked for a meeting with the bank’s management to raise their concerns.

John Lamont MSP said: “This is very concerning news and I am deeply disappointed that RBS have chosen to shut these three branches. This move will see these communities lose a key service, in addition to putting the jobs of those who work there under threat.

“I know that the RBS branches in Chirnside, Greenlaw and Newtown are all highly valued by those in the community who use them, and many of these customers will be angered to hear this news.

“Although the bank says that customer numbers have been falling, I know that many of these branches are used by local businesses and the branch in Newtown sees a lot of transactions due to its proximity to the local market.

“While RBS might be trying to move many of their customers to online banking, for many residents this is simply not an option as they might not have either the technology to use it or a reliable internet connection. There are also some services that cannot be done online and for which having access to a branch is essential.”

Mr Lamont added: “There is no doubt that these closures will adversely affect RBS customers in the Borders, and that is why I have asked for a meeting with the bank’s senior management to discuss the issue. They need to understand just how damaging these closures could be to these communities and I look forward to making the case for keeping these branches open.”

Borders MP Michael Moore said: “These branch closures raise serious issues about access to banking facilities by my constituents and I am concerned to understand the alternative arrangements being put in place. I have arranged to meet with RBS to discuss these serious issues.

“What is not clear is if this is the start of something much bigger for branches across the Borders. The bank needs to be more open about their wider plans and how older and more vulnerable bank customers will get their bank services in the future.

“I understand that banking is changing and the way people want to use their banks is changing, with more flexibility about mobile banking and online banking, but until we have both the broadband and mobile signal reception issues sorted out in the Borders, people need to be provided with alternative ways of accessing their banking facilities, and this is the important role that are our local branches fulfil.”

Youth Borders won the‘Innovative Practice – Team of the Year’ Award at the YouthLink Scotland awards.

Pictured are Avril McIntyre, Rowland’s (Selkirk); Sian Snowdon, Escape Youth Café (Hawick); SBC Community Learning & Development Youth Work Team – Ceri Hunter; Bridie Ashrowan and Jemma Laidlaw, YouthBorders; Susan law, Earlston Voluntary Youth Work Services.

Borders sheep farmers were urged to seize the lamb production opportunities before them by one of the speakers at a meeting at Carfraemill.

Borders farmer Andrew Elliot, who is based at Blackhaugh near Galashiels, said working together would be a key factor in the successful future of the Scottish sheep industry.

“The fact is that there are 15,000 farmers, 20 processors and just five or six main retailers marketing 70 per cent of our lamb. It’s not hard to see where the balance of power lies and it’s a no-brainer to me to see that there needs to be more farmers involved in marketing groups,” said Mr Elliott, who employs Farm Stock (Scotland) Ltd to market the lambs from his four hill and upland units.

“The reality is that we’re seeing our sheep population continue to fall – having reduced by 16 per cent in the past 10 years.

“However, the Borders has one sixth of Scotland’s total ewe flock and we produce around 19 per cent of the lambs in Scotland. We have perfect terrain for producing top-quality lamb and it is important we make the most of the opportunity we have to do so.”

Talking through the background to his own farm business at one of the pack-out meetings, Mr Elliot said every farmer makes his or her own choice regarding the system they use. At Blackhaugh Mr Elliot has 2,000 acres which extend up to 1,650 feet above sea level on pretty stoney ground, with a short grazing season.

“My choice of system and breed has taken about 15-20 years to evolve, but we now have a profitable, low input system, with low labour requirement, centred on the Chevease, a wool-shedding cross between the Cheviot and Easycare breeds,” he said.

All the 1600 ewes and 400 hoggs are lambed outside –the number of lambs averaging 155 per cent last year. The first batch of lambs is ready to go by the end of July off grass, with the later lambs finished on forage crops, with all lambs sold averaging approximately 19 kilos weight through the season.

Mr Elliot was one of the speakers – including processors, hauliers, retailers and industry experts – at the series of free producer workshops designed to look at ways to add value, reduce waste and develop a more competitive, profitable Scottish sheep sector.

The practical and interactive workshops are being held in three regions and funded by Quality Meat Scotland, Farm Stock (Scotland) Ltd, and the Scottish Government Skills Development Scheme. The meetings are facilitated by SAC Consulting and aim to enhance collaboration and communication in the supply chain, and improve productivity and profitability at all levels.

The workshops are expanding on key findings from a project undertaken during the 2012/13 lamb marketing season which identified that every link of the supply chain – from farmers to hauliers, processors and retailers – is struggling to make a margin due to the absence of an integrated, collaborative supply chain.

For more information on forthcoming meetings, or to download a copy of the full report, visit www.qmscotland.co.uk

It has been exactly one year since the Scottish Government launched two pilot projects to look at how a land use strategy might work, writes Dr Derek Robeson, Tweed Forum.

The Borders along with Aberdeenshire, are the chosen areas, tasked with developing a pilot Land Use Framework.

The aim is to develop a map-based evaluation tool that may help land managers make more informed decisions The need for such a framework has arisen in recognition of the increasing pressure the land is under for things such as housing, food production and forest cover.

At the same time, people value places where they can enjoy wildlife and landscapes but recognise that the land is a working countryside that rural businesses depend on for sustainable economic growth.

The framework is very much stakeholder focused and the delivery team of Scottish Borders Council, Tweed Forum with support from mapping specialists Environment Systems, has been encouraged by the level of public engagement. The early phase saw dozens of data sets being utilised to produce maps of natural capital.

These maps highlight where potential land use could happen to deliver ecosystem services but, importantly, not necessarily where it should happen. Because the strategy framework is non statutory and non regulatory, it will be left to individual land management planners and land owners to make these decisions. The maps are there simply to inform, not control.

Fourteen workshops took place across the Borders between January and March, and there was a general realisation that public funding is going to become more restricted. The Land Use Strategy pilot could be viewed as a tool to help inform where some of that public money could be spent.

Land needs to be managed sustainably, but there is increasing debate as to what and where the best land use should be in an area, if societal, business and environmental needs are to be accommodated. It is in the area of multi-functional land use that the strategy framework may have a real and practical benefit, specially if used to inform future rural development programmes.

For more information visit tweedforum.org.

This week, tubs. No, no, no, no. Not Tubbs with a capital t and two bs, he of the extremely wide-shouldered, pastel suits who used to hang around with Don Johnson, he who was also a fan of the extremely wide-shouldered, pastel suits.

Neither, of course, are to be confused with Alexis Colby and Krystle Carrington, who also wore extremely wide-shouldered suits. Alexis and Krystle were, like Crockett and Tubbs, stars of 1980s TV programmes. However, that is where the resemblance ends. Unlike Crockett and Tubbs, their suits came with skirts not trousers, usually navy blue encrusted with rhinestones/sequins (Alexis) and silver encrusted with sequins/rhinestones (Krystle), if my memory serves me right. Not a pastel shade in sight.

I hope that, for anyone born in the 1960s or 1970s, this little trip down memory lane doesn’t cause you nightmares about your 1980s youth, such as that bad per or wearing stone-washed jeans.

Aaaaah, stone-washed jeans. There’s a look that just can’t ever be allowed to make a comeback.

No, it’s tubs with a lower case t that I’m talking about. The kind that you put outside yer hoose stuffed with gorgeous flowers, or herbs, or even potato plants. Mine usually have a mix of all of these.

The flowery ones are out front to impress visitors, and (it transpires) to act as a ‘dog toilet’. Late at night, our mutts pop out to pay a last call of nature and, too lazy to trot any further, cock their legs up my tubs. Groan.

A couple of months after I first lovingly planted them and placed them proudly out front, the flowers began to suffer from major die-back. Then they just died, full stop. As a result, all my tubs now sit on drab breeze blocks. Very attractive, and the reason why I grow lots of nasturtiums to trail down over them from my lovely tubs.

Anyhoo, the reason for mentioning my tubs was this. In the last week or so, I planted some seeds in the greenhouse, as I do every year, in order to grow the lovely nasturtiums, marigold, cosmos, lobelia, alyssum which I then plant out in my tubs.

Last Friday, my friend Yvette and I were admiring their lush, new green growth as the seedlings poked their wee heads up through the (homemade) compost. The next morning I went to water them and their lovely, lush wee heads were gone. Mice!

Time to employ the secret weapon – Jock the Patterdale, more teeth than a lumberjack’s saw. Or maybe I should just print out some pictures of Crockett and Tubbs in all their pastel, triangular-shouldered, dentally-corrected finery and stick them on the staging. An equally potent weapon, methinks.

It was once a place where you could buy anything from a curtain rail and glue, to lightbulbs or, famously, just one nail if that was all that was needed.

But seven years on after being acquired for a local youth project following the death of its owner, Rowland Tait, the former hardware shop at the top of Selkirk’s West Port is once again a vital and intergral part of life in the royal burgh.

The shop was acquired on behalf of the Selkirk Dry Bar Association, a local charity originally set up many years previously on the initiative of concerned parents, professionals, and church members to provide an alcohol and drug-free drop-in centre for young people.

Up until 2007, the dry bar association had led a pretty peripatetic life, making use of several premises dotted about the royal burgh.

But all that changed in 2007, thanks to the generosity of the Tait family and donations from local people and businesses, which meant the association was able to obtain the present premises and the flat above it.

It now acts as a permanent base, rechristened Rowland’s, providing a community hub for young people, complete with cafe, computer suite, pool table, juke box and choice of comfy sofas.

Rowland’s provides a safe and secure haven for anyone aged 11/12 and about to leave primary school up to 18 years old and who want to chat, chill out with their mates or study.

A registered charity, as well as company limited by guarantee, Rowland’s success has only been possible thanks to its part-time staff and volunteers.

As well as its Monday and Friday classic drop-in nights, there are regular events like its homework club. Rowland’s staff and volunteers also help young people with a range array of activities and projects, from film making to smoking cessation sessions and driving theory.

This month also sees Rowland’s open from 4-7pm every Saturday for Rowland’s Bistro.

“It means young people can come in on a Saturday and basically have their tea with their pals,” added project manager, Avril McIntyre.

And Rowland’s is also just about to embark on a six-week course working with primary seven pupils at Philiphaugh and Lilliesleaf schools, helping them get ready to make the looming move up to secondary school.

But Avril says that with hundreds of local young people now using Rowland’s, more volunteers are badly needed.

“We’ve got so much on offer, we’re now struggling to run it all because we just don’t have the manpower needed.

“We can offer lots of training to volunteers, who can even often go on to find paid employment or enhance their CVs as a result.”

Last year, Rowland’s became the first youth provision in Scotland to gain the new ‘volunteer friendly’ award; something which everyone involved with the project was delighted about.

“It’s important to have a really good mix of volunteers, of varying ages and with different life experiences, because young people gravitate towards different people for different things,” Avril said.

“Young people are just as much a part of our community as adults and we need to remember that.”

Like a number of youth work projects in the Borders, Rowland’s also has a youth committee which has an integral role in the running of the project.

Avril explained: “A lot of people still have this perception that young people aren’t interested in much and just want to sit about or stand at street corners.

“But the truth is that young people are keen to have a go at pretty much any activities we put on.

“But with only three part-time staff, we need more volunteers so we can offer all these great opportunities and activities to many more young people.”

Rowland’s benefits from the generosity of a number of sponsors, including Spark Energy which covers gas and electricity costs and Office Specialities which donates all the charity’s office supplies needs.

“That sort of help has been a massive boost for us and we’re so grateful for the help we get from all our sponsors,” added Avril.

l “If you are interested in volunteering, or would like to find out more about the variety of volunteering opportunities near to you.

Please call Kai on 07585825974, or email kai@youthborders.org.uk”

Development of a timber drying facility utilising heat generated by the council’s waste treatment facility is viable, councillors have been told.

However SBC are set to make a technical report on the potential business opportunity available to the private sector.

Members of the economic development group at the council discussed the conclusion of the report at a meeting last Thursday.

The report’s authors produced business models for six options based on the production of dried wood chips or logs or both, using heat from the planned waste treatment plant at Easter Langlee or heat from a separate biomass boiler, which could be located anywhere in the Borders.

It found that most scenarios would produce a viable business, including those not connected to the local heat network to be created at Easter Langlee.

Councillor Stuart Bell, executive member for economic development, said: “This is a gift to businesses as the council itself is not able to pursue it.”

Mr Bell added that it would now by up to businesses to examine the report and put together a business case and “drive the initiative forward”.

The report, which includes detailed financial projections, will be made available to businesses and the council will organise a seminar to enable interested firms to discuss the proposals with the report’s authors.

The lack of suitable timber drying facilities in the Borders has been identified as a key constraint on the local forestry sector.

At last week’s meeting councillors were told that forests take up almost a fifth of the Borders’ land area, but it is the only region in the south of Scotland and north of England without a drying and processing facility.

Mr Bell said that a facility within the region would bring greater benefits to the Borders than the current practice where timber and waste wood is transported out of the area to be dried and processed.

Councillors were also told that such a drying facility could open up the potential for the production of more ‘high specification’ timber products such as cladding, flooring and joinery products in the area.

Victims of domestic violence received a boost this week when the Big Lottery announced it is giving nearly £600,000 to help them.

Scottish Borders Council will use the £598,000 for a new five-year initiative – STEPS – to tackle the housing and emotional needs of those affected by domestic abuse and their families.

Violence against women coordinator, Safe Communities’ Andrea Beavon said: “In too many cases, the only way victims and their children can be safe is to leave the family home, their friends, families and pets, and this makes a really difficult time even more emotional and stressful. STEPS will work with landlords, victims, police and fire services to assess alternatives to victims moving home, and provide home security measures to enable them to stay safe in their own homes. We can only achieve this by working in partnership.”

The money will go to paying for specialist housing support, home security installations and emergency pet accommodation (to ensure that victims do not have to stay in abusive homes for fear of pets being harmed).

SBC and partner agencies – NHS Borders, Police Scotland, Fire Scotland, Borders Housing Network – developed the bid to Big Lottery by looking at the gaps in victims’ housing needs and the challenges they faced seeking support.

Andrea said the need for the STEPS project had been identified by speaking to service providers, victims and their children and that their feedback had been invaluable, playing a key role in the funding success.

The council says STEPS will help 200 families to remain in a home of their choice and provide 50 emergency pet accommodation places locally. A total of 30 homes will have fire safety measures installed by partner agency Fire Scotland, and a further 170 homes will have home security measures installed.

And officials expect the project will support an additional 500 victims and their families over its five year period.

The Domestic Abuse Advocacy Support (DAAS) helped over 500 victims last year, with many ending up having to find alternative accommodation, move away, or into refuge.

DAAS service manager Anna Smith, said: “The (Lottery) funding will increase the safety of individuals experiencing abuse; make perpetrators’ behaviour more visible, and increase inter-agency partnership working. It is a hugely welcome addition to the ongoing campaign to address domestic abuse in the Borders.”

Cash will also go to risk assessment, safety planning and crisis intervention for people having problems accessing mainstream services such as those with disabilities, living in rural isolation, from the ethnic minority groups or using drugs and alcohol to cope said SBC.

Saturday, April 5 – Linear walk from Traquair to Peebles via Southern Upland Way and Old Drove Road (SNT8). 10 miles Grade B+. Start at 9.30am. Take packed lunch and coffee. Contact leader Helen Todd on 07736 944413 to register interest in walk and car sharing, and for start location.

Saturday, April 19 – Linear walk from Peebles to West Linton via Old Drove Rd/Stewarton/Greenknowe (SNT9). 11.5 miles Grade B+. Start at 9.30am. Take coffee and packed lunch. Contact walk Leader David Langworth by emailing david@maps.myzen.co.uk to register interest in walk and car sharing, and for start location.

Environmental charity Borders Forest Trust (BFT) is to hold a planting and family day at Corehead Farm, near Moffat, to mark the end of tree planting season.

As well as tree planting, there will be den building, bug hunts, pond dipping and other activities taking place at the farm on Saturday, April 5, from 10am to 3pm.

And scarecrows, created by Moffat Academy pupils to protect seed in the wild bird cover crop, will be judged on the Friday night.

Volunteers will be planting broadleaved trees along a riverside to help stabilised the banks and provide habitat for wildlife.

BFT’s Anna Craigen said: “This event is our way of saying thank you to all the volunteers who have helped us at Corehead this tree planting season and provides a great opportunity for families to come and have fun exploring Corehead and helping the environment.”

Parking is limited at the site so a mini-bus will take visitors to Corehead Farm from the Ram Monument in Moffat at 9.45am and 12.50pm. Booking is essential. Bring sturdy footwear, waterproofs, and a packed lunch. To book, or for more information, contact anna@bordersforesttrust.org

The event is part of the Natural Connections project funded by Scottish Natural Heritage.

For more information on Borders Forest Trust, visit www.bordersforesttrust.org.

Learning how to change a lightbulb or cashing up a tuckshop till are not the first things that spring to mind when it comes to youth clubs.

But then Hawick’s Escape Youth Cafe is about as far removed as you could get from the 1980s stereotype of youth clubs as just a place to get young people off the streets for a few hours, with the odd Friday night disco thrown in.

Set up as a drop-in facility in 2005, following a ‘youth summit’, the cafe in the town’s Commercial Road opens its doors five nights a week – including Saturdays – plus on Wednesdays at lunchtime.

During the evenings, the P6/7 age group use the cafe on Wednesdays from 6.30-8.30pm, while the S1 up age group are in on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9.30pm and on Fridays from 7-10pm.

Saturdays see all those in the age group from P7 upwards able to use the cafe from 7-10pm.

The cafe gives young people the chance not only to be involved and consulted on what activities they want to see, but to also take part fully in the management and growth of the establishment.

The 156 members come from Hawick and the surrounding area and, as well as having their own space to meet and socialise with friends, the cafe also creates opportunities, supports development and maintenance of social, domestic and educational skills, and promotes healthy lifestyles and leisure pursuits.

Members pay 20p per night, after which everything – except obviously food from the tuckshop – is free, including the use of computers, pool tables, air hockey game, Playstation and X-Box games.

These are the things that draw young people in, but once through the doors they find a world of opportunities opening up to them.

Outreach work, residential trips and creative media workshops in music, poetry, film and drama are all avilable, as are various sports, crafts and other activities.

Sian Snowdon is the Voluntary Youth Work Services Manager at the cafe and is supported by part-time senior youth worker Wendy Fiddes and nine volunteer staff.

“We want the young people to see this as their project and involve them as much as possible in the decision-making process about what is offered and how the place is run,” Sian explained.

“Whether they want to do football, craft work, any other kind of sport – anything they can come up with, we will look at if the resources are there.”

Although young people can come and go as they please to the cafe, Sian and her staff usually find that once inside, the young people tend to stay for the majority of that evening’s session.

“Each session is usually two-and-a-half to three hours and we offer at least one activity they can opt into if they want.

“It is up to the young people, but it’s our role as staff to try to encourage them to try new things they’ve never done before and to engage in new experiences.”

In the summer months, the cafe even organises outdoor activities and trips, while workshops were held last year on such diverse subjects, such as graffiti art and cookery.

Cafe staff have also performed valuable work with young people experiencing attendance issues at school, as well as with local primary seven classes, helping them prepare for the move up to the town’s secondary.

With Hawick being a very sports-orientated town, there are those youngsters who come to the cafe because they want something different.

“We get a mixture. We tend to get the sporty ones more in the winter when the weather is not so great, and their attendances tend to taper off as the weather gets better in the summer,” said Wendy

“But we also get young people who don’t access sport for a variety of reasons, including a lack of money, disability or because they’re just not interested.”

And it’s not just young people who are benefitting from the cafe’s existence.

Those offering their services as volunteers often find that it leads to new qualifications, improved CVs and even employment in the youth work sector.

Youngsters also have already found that their experience at the cafe of working a till and being responsible for handling money can open doors, with several obtaining part-time jobs as a result.

“We’ve even had a session on how to change a lightbulb because someone asked about that!” added Wendy.

A tax bungle could cost Scottish Borders Council a six-figure bill from Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

Since April 2013, under a new tax system called Real Time Information, employers must declare how much they pay their employees, whether it’s weekly, monthly or quarterly, and pay PAYE to HMRC by a deadline.

The Southern understands a routine audit by HMRC identified discrepancies in SBC’s compliance with the new tax legislation, among 50 other employers in the TD postcode,

As a consequence, SBC could be liable to pay not only the PAYE tax due, but also interest since it should have been paid, plus a surcharge for paying late.

HMRC has not yet confirmed the size of the back tax, interest and penalty, but The Southern believes SBC estimates place it in six figures, around £160,000.

The council said: “We are currently engaged with HMRC as part of a compliance review. To date we have had no formal response from HMRC that indicates that there will be any fine imposed on the council.”

Councillor Michelle Ballantyne, who heads SBC’s audit body, told us: “Taxpayers have been let down again as interest payments and surcharges just suck money away from service delivery. This appears to be a failure to get contracts right and it raises questions about the accountability of those whose responsibility it is.”

It is the turn of the Borders to host Scotland’s biennial national sheep event, NSA Scotsheep, with thousands of sheep farmers from throughout the country are expected to descend on Quixwood Farm, Grantshouse, on Wednesday, June 4.

Quixwood, farmed by John Macfarlane and his son, Iain, is widely recognised as one of the best managed upland beef and sheep farms in the Borders, and is situated just off the A1 between Grantshouse and Duns.

Organised by the Scottish region of the National Sheep Association, with Bank of Scotland as main sponsor, Scotsheep is the main event for the sheep industry in Scotland.

“We have an excellent committee of local farmers working with the office-bearers of the NSA in Scotland in planning this large-scale on-farm event,” said organising committee chairman, David Leggat, executive chairman of Stirling-based auctioneers, UA.

“We can look forward to a first-class day of interest to sheep farmers and everyone in the supply chain. It is an event which no-one with an interest in sheep farming can afford to miss.”

The trade stand area is already a sell-out, with around 150 exhibitors demonstrating their products and services, along with more than 30 breed societies.

“Reform of the CAP is causing considerable uncertainty in the industry and NSA Scotsheep will provide an opportunity for sheep farmers to catch up with the latest developments and technology to help them plan ahead for a profitable future,” said Mr Leggat.

A comprehensive seminar programme offering advice and opinions on a range of topical issues from leading figures in the industry is likely to prove a major attraction.

The farm tour is always one of the most popular aspects of Scotsheep and visitors will be transported by tractor and trailer to view the farm and stock, with stop-off points where experts from SRUC will be on hand to discuss various aspects of the management of the farm.

Selkirk clubs and societies are being offered the unique opportunity to hear from leading breast cancer charity, Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

It is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to stopping women getting, and dying from, the disease.

A spokesperson said: “Breast cancer has become the most common cancer amongst women in Scotland, and each year we lose 1,000 mothers, daughters, sisters and friends to the disease. The charity recognises that this is a disease which affects communities on a very local level.

“Following a recent recruitment drive, the charity has announced a new army of supporters, known as Community Ambassadors.

“They aim to be the charity’s soldiers on the ground, out and about speaking to people in the Selkirk community. Talks can cover a range of interesting topics depending on the audience, including breast awareness, fundraising opportunities and the research work that Breakthrough Breast Cancer carries out here in Scotland.”

For further information on how to book a free speaker for local events, call Vicki on 0131 226 0761, or if you are interested in become a Community Ambassador, get in touch.