Tower Mill cinema goes digital
Cinema-goers at the Tower Mill cinema in the Heart of Hawick are enjoying an enhanced viewing experience thanks to the installation of state-of-the-art digital projection equipment.
The result is a slicker system with a projection and sound platform, which throws more light onto the screen, provides enhanced sound capability and means that films, adverts, trailers and any associated presentations such as PowerPoint, web clips, TV and DVDs can now all be shown in both vibrant colour and sound.
The new system means that the team is able to do more, have earlier access to films, run more efficiently and keep experimenting with the film programme and with programme times.
For more information go to www.heartofhawick.co.uk/towermill
Peebles Contact Centre opened
The new joint Scottish Borders Council and VisitScotland Contact Centre in Peebles has been officially opened by Captain David Younger LVO, Lord-Lieutenant of Tweeddale.
The facility is part of an investment by the Council in the Chambers Institution building. It was designed by the Council’s in-house team of architects. The work also saw improvements to disabled access between the library and museum and the refurbishment of ground floor office space.
The Peebles and District Citizen’s Advice Bureau has been operating from these offices since July.
Crucial message about safety
The Borders Crucial Crew event, which is now in its 19th year, attracted more than 1250 children when it took place from 20 September to 7 October.
Crucial Crew is targeted at all Primary 7 children. It is designed to help them avoid becoming victims of crime and understand the roles of the emergency services and other agencies.
The Police and others with a concern for public safety, including Scottish Power, Royal Highland Education Trust, Borders Sport and Leisure Trust and Lothian & Borders Fire and Rescue Service, contributed to a series of events at Eildon Mill, Tweedbank.
Workshops for future drivers
Future young drivers from high schools across the Borders recently attended Driving into the Future road shows designed to raise awareness of their responsibilities as new drivers.
The workshops were run by Lothian and Borders Police; Momentum, the head injury trust; the Speed Camera Partnership; the Fire and Ambulance services; and a local garage.
Safe T in the Park success
Kelso race course was the venue for the ninth Safe T in the Park event.
The emphasis of the event was to support young people through the challenges they will encounter as they move into their adult lives.
Teams of fifth-year students from nine high schools explored how to deal with stress, the legal issues surrounding drugs and alcohol, motoring, health and personal safety.
The workshops at the event were run by Face2 face; Lothian and Borders Police; Citizens Advice; Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service; NHS Borders; British Red Cross; and Scottish Borders Council.
For more information, contact prichardson@scotborders.gov.uk
Award-winning catering staff
Burnfoot Community School in Hawick and their cook, Sheila Clyne, have won a UK national award in the 2011 EDUcatering Excellence Awards. Sheila was presented with her ‘Working in Partnership’ award at a ceremony in London on 17 October.
The award is for ‘working in partnership’ with the kitchen where just about everything that can be recycled in the school is. This has cut down on waste going to landfill, and is saving the school money by not having to buy storage containers for example. Catering staff were also successful as runner-up for the second year running in September for the Association for Public Service Excellence Catering Service of the Year 2011.
At the same event, the Council was also shortlisted in three additional categories, the only Council to have more than one nomination and the only representative from Scotland.
The three other shortlisted nominations were for Marketing (Susan Serjent), Specialist Manager (Karen Rodgerson) and High School of the Year - Eyemouth (Angela Goodwin).
Healthy helping hand from parents
Pupils at Yarrow Primary, a small rural school with a current roll of 17, have been eating healthy food thanks to a very supportive Parent Council – the Friends of Yarrow.
The Parent Council has successfully introduced an initiative to encourage all pupils to eat fruit at breaks rather than other snacks.
Parents take it in turns to purchase fruit on a weekly rota, which is then prepared for all children at break time, and there is no need for them to bring other snacks to school.
Last year, the Co-op in Selkirk kindly donated fruit each week to help with this initiative and this year Sainsbury’s in Selkirk has agreed to provide fruit for the pupils on a weekly basis.
Any costs over and above the sponsorship from Sainsbury’s is covered by Parent Council funds.
Grand opening for Halyrude
Halyrude RC Primary School in Peebles was officially opened recently by the Council’s Executive Member for Education, Councillor George Turnbull, who unveiled a commemorative plaque.
His Eminence, Keith Patrick Cardinal O’ Brien, blessed the St Joseph’s Centre, a large open space in the centre of the building. This is the heart of the school where congregational activity takes place.
The £2.1m refurbishment of the former Kingsland Primary School was managed by the Council’s in-house team of architects. It has transformed the Grade B-listed building into a modern, flexible space. The ceremony also saw P6 pupils Alexander Brophy and Liam Morrison, along with Sophie Ward-Murray from P5 and Callum Thornley from P4, sharing their feelings about the new school.
Libraries support Dyslexia Week
Libraries in the Borders supported Dyslexia Awareness Week from Monday 31 October to Friday 4 November.
Dyslexia is thought to affect one in ten people and some Borders libraries held special exhibitions of books, websites and software available to help anyone with dyslexia or who is concerned about it.
Hawick and Jedburgh libraries held dyslexia awareness exhibitions of books and information during the week, which highlighted ways to help with dyslexia.
Computer sessions also took place in Hawick Library where staff demonstrated the Dyslexia Scotland website (www.dyslexiascotland.org.uk) and other useful websites.
Jedburgh Library had an Adult Learning Worker on hand to demonstrate the use of colour-overlay screening and software which will help those with dyslexia to access computers more easily.
The Library Service aims to support learning in the community for people of all ages. All libraries in the Borders can provide assistance in finding materials on dyslexia.
Visit www.scotborders.gov.uk/libraries for more information.
Share your time to help others
Would you like to offer your experiences, enthusiasm and commitment to provide short breaks for a few hours a day or overnight to a person who has care needs? If so, the Shared Lives scheme could be for you.
Shared Lives is a new community-based short breaks scheme where older people, people with a learning disability or people with health issues are given the opportunity to spend time with a Shared Lives carer.
Carers can be anyone with a genuine interest in sharing everyday experiences with others. You can be living on your own or with a family and either in a town or a rural area.
The aim is to match you with a person who shares your interests and who would benefit from a short break. Training and support will be provided and you will be engaged on a self-employed basis.
For more information, contact Fiona Marynicz or Dorothy Lamb on 01835 825080.
New format for child protection
The Scottish Borders online child protection procedures have a new format.
The new format complies with the Equality Act, which came into force in October 2010, replacing the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
The procedures can be accessed via the CPC website at www.onlineborders.org.uk/community/cpc
Don't be conned by the scammers
Follow these tips to avoid getting tricked out of your money:
- Be sceptical – beware of extravagant promises. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Take your time – scammers don’t like to give you time to think. They will try to pressure you that if you don’t act now, you’ll miss out.
- Know who you’re dealing with – be suspicious if you’re contacted out of the blue by someone you’ve never heard of.
- Don’t be fooled by official- looking websites and marketing materials.
Never give out your bank account details and passwords to someone you don’t know.
For more tips and to report scams go to www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/scams
Delphinus group launched
A partnership has been formed within the Scottish Borders which is looking at how we can be fully prepared for any potential terrorist activity.
The group has representation from Education, Social Work, Fire & Rescue Service, NHS Borders, Lothian & Borders Police, Scottish Water and Further Education, and will be chaired by Superintendent Andrew Allan.
All of the partners are involved in delivering training to their employees to raise their awareness of suspicious activity and how to report this and a number of events have already taken place.
Eildon explorer to benefit all
A revised package of bus services around the Eildons is being undertaken by Scottish Borders Council’s new ‘Eildon Explorer’ bus.
The bus serves the Maxton, Newtown St Boswells, Bowden, Melrose, Gattonside and Lilliesleaf areas. A number of journeys will also extend to Galashiels, Selkirk or Hawick for shopping trips. The new bus also provides a Selkirk town service on a Wednesday at 10.50am and 11.50am.
Some of the busier journeys are timetabled, with others on an on-demand basis. These can be booked in advance by calling 01835 826753. Timetables are available from www.travelinescotland.com/timetableplanner
New safety plan published
The Council has published its new Road Safety Plan which covers the period 2010 to 2020.
The Plan sets road safety in the Borders in the wider context, explores accidents and casualty data and presents historic and emerging trends and patterns.
Its publication follows that of Scotland’s National Framework for Road Safety, which covers the same period and introduces a set of casualty reduction targets based on the average numbers of casualties in the Borders from 2004-08.
Organisations with a key role in casualty reduction are represented in the Scottish Borders Road Safety Working Group, which meets every two months. The group discusses and agrees an Action Plan with the various strands of road safety, including engineering, education and enforcement. Everyone works together to ensure maximum effect in reducing the number of casualties.
The Action Plan provides a snapshot of road safety activities which are under way at the time of publication. The document is regularly revised to reflect current activities. The full Road Safety Plan is available from www.scotborders.gov.uk
For more information, contact robbie.yates@scotborders.gov.uk
Annual health report published
Dr Eric Baijal has just published his second Annual Report since his appointment as Joint Director of Public Health for NHS Borders and Scottish Borders Council.
This report for 2010/11, Borderline Health, includes a review of the implementation of the recommendations made in last year’s report, particularly those relating to the health of children and young people in the more disadvantaged areas of the Borders.
The report describes how the Healthy Living Network has worked with Community Learning and Development, Social Work and the voluntary sector to develop initiatives which have improved the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.
Initiatives have included lunch clubs for older people, allotment projects, walking groups and literacy projects. Schools have been involved in supporting healthy eating through breakfast clubs and cookery classes.
The report can be found at www.nhsborders.org.uk/news/director-of-public-health-annual-report-201011
Bus services to be subsidised
Bus users in the Kelso, Jedburgh and Hawick areas will have noticed changes to service 20.
The Council has agreed to subsidise a number of journeys which operator First has deregistered.
Most of these are operated by Munro’s of Jedburgh, with a teatime journey operated by Peter Hogg.
First decided to operate the whole service on a commercial basis, with no public subsidy money from May 2011.
However, the firm recently advised that some of the journeys were not profitable and that they would stop operating them from mid-October.
These are generally the late evening journeys and all of the Sunday journeys.
Timetables are available from www.travelinescotland.com/timeplanner
Chance to get your skis on
Want to get involved in skiing? Now’s your chance!
A series of evening classes for beginners and improvers are running on various dates between now and March 2012.
The evening classes are provided in blocks of four and will be held on Thursday evenings from 7pm to 9pm at Jedburgh Artificial Ski Slope.
The cost for each block of four sessions is £32 per adult and £22 per child.
So enrol now and don’t miss out on these fun sessions.
For further details or to enrol, please contact Julie Watson on 01835 825160 or visit www.scotborders.gov.uk
Swimming coaches hit the right mark
Children on the learn-to-swim scheme at Kelso Swimming Pool were called up for official duty recently when they were asked to present some of Borders Sport and Leisure Trust’s Swimming Coordinators with their swiMark accreditation - the industry benchmark for swim club schemes issued by Scottish Swimming.
To achieve swiMark, BSLT had to meet criteria relating to teaching and training, administration and management, equity in sport and effective partnerships.
Chief Executive Ewan Jackson said: “We are delighted to achieve swiMark.
“Swim Borders has gone from strength to strength and it is great to have the efforts recognised by Swimming Scotland.”
Netherdale's 3G arena open soon
Work on the first ‘third generation’ (3G) synthetic pitch in the Borders is well under way in Galashiels and is due for completion by the end of this year.
The new £850,000 arena includes a full-size synthetic 3G pitch and a five-a-side pitch. 3G provides an all-weather surface and the pitch meets the highest football and rugby standards, being both FIFA 2-star rated and IRB-22 compliant.
The project is jointly funded by the Council, CashBack for Communities through sportscotland and the RS Hayward Trust. A photo diary of the works is online at www.sportborders.org.uk
Contact Dougie Anderson on 01896 759579 or email danderson@bslt.org
A big splash at your local pool
Borders Sport and Leisure Trust are inspiring Borderers to get down to their local swimming pool and join in the Big Splash campaign over the coming months in preparation for the main Big Splash weekend on 24 and 25 March 2012.
Big Splash is a national campaign aimed at getting more people swimming or swimming more often. However, it’s not as mammoth as swimming for eight days in the Tweed or Teviot, like the great feat achieved by David Walliams in the Thames – the challenge is to swim 40 lengths in the local pool.
If 40 lengths sounds a lot, don’t worry as you can be part of a team to take part in the challenge. In fact, you could get a team of 20 and only swim two lengths each if you like! The Big Splash is about getting into the pool and taking part.
All BSLT pools will hold Big Splash open days, when swimming will be free of charge, so why not make a Big Splash over the coming months?
The campaign is a partnership between the BBC, Sports Relief and British Swimming.
Keep informed
Public transport is often affected during severe weather.
The Council is working closely with local bus operators to make sure information about any service disruption is communicated swiftly through local radio, as well as both the Council’s and the operators’ websites.
The information will also be found at traveline, the Scotland-wide information system and passengers can phone them on 0871 2002233. The number is shown at all bus stops.
How are the roads treated
Whenever freezing weather or snow is forecast, main roads are treated with salt or a salt/grit mixture to stop ice.
Salt also melts away existing ice and makes snow easier to clear.
Depending on the forecast, the Council carries out pre-treatment in the early evening, ‘call-outs’ as required overnight and undertakes patrols and checks in the morning.
The Borders’ road network is 2,947km long, 1,270 km of this is currently primary salting routes.
These routes are generally ‘A’ and ‘B’ roads so they are prioritised because they carry significant traffic, are essential for emergency services or are, in some cases, school bus routes.
Where ice or snow persist, treatments will progressively extend into the remaining road networks.
It’s impossible to treat all roads at once, so we adopt a sensible order of priority. If conditions are severe, all resources concentrate on main roads.
The map shows the network of the Council’s 33 primary routes in red, which will be gritted as a priority by the Council early in the morning. The trunk roads (in green) are gritted by BEAR Scotland.
If your road does not get ploughed or salted, remember that main roads are kept open so that vital services can maintain access to hospitals, fire stations and other facilities.
Contacting us about roads
The Council would appreciate if all calls to 0300 100 1800 were restricted to essential or emergency enquiries on Council roads only. For legal reasons, the Council is unable to offer advice on trunk roads.
Any query regarding Trunk Road Winter Service on the A1, A68, A7 (south of Galashiels), A6091 and A702 should be directed to BEAR on 0800 138 9903 or visit www.se.bearscot.com
Snippets
- The Council has 16 primary footways in the main towns and villages which are prioritised.
- The Council provides 830 salt bins in towns, villages and rural areas. If you notice a salt bin which requires filling, during the winter season, please contact 0300 100 1800 with its location. Please remember salt bins are for public use only. If you see anyone misusing salt bins, please call us on the above number.
- The Council has increased its salt stock this year, with all eight salt storage facilities at Newtown, Peebles, Hawick, Gala, Duns, Kelso, Jedburgh and Lauder at full capacity at the start of winter.
- Additional snow-clearing equipment has been purchased, which includes hopper gritters for five existing tractors.
Are you prepared
You should make sure you have essential items in your car. Your winter emergency kit should include:
- An ice-scraper and de-icer
- A torch and spare batteries
- A shovel for snow
- Tow rope
- Warm clothes, boots and a blanket
- Some food and a warm drink
- A first aid kit
- Battery jump leads
- A map for any unplanned diversions
- Reflective warning sign
- Sunglasses – the glare off the snow can be dazzling.
Is your vehicle ready to tackle winter driving
Carrying out the following checks before driving will mean you are better prepared for winter driving and could save you a lot of trouble later:
Lights: Make sure they are working as they should.
Wiper blades: Severe weather puts more demands on your blades so make sure they are in good condition before the winter starts.
Windscreen washer: Make sure your washer is working properly and is full of liquid. Consider adding anti-freeze to the bottle.
Battery: Winter starting puts more strain on a battery so check that yours is ready for the season. Keep the top of the battery clean and dry and make sure the terminals are tight and free from corrosion. Ensure that the battery is mounted securely in its tray. If a battery is more than three years old check it yourself or ask your local retailer to check it for you.
Tyres: Check your treads are within the legal tread limit of 3mm. Waiting for snow or freezing conditions may be too late to switch to winter tyres.
Top tyre tips
Check in three places, as they may wear differently
- Use a tread depth gauge, or a 20p coin to check depth
- Place the gauge or 20p coin in the groove of the tyre, if you can see the edge of the coin, your tread depth is less than 3mm, and the tyre should be replaced
- If you are unsure, visit your local retailer and they will check them for you
- Summer tyre performance drops away at 7 degrees Celsius
- Winter tyres can be fitted from October to March each year for safety
- Winter tyres wear up to 20 per cent less than their summer equivalentsn
- The braking distance of a winter tyre in cold conditions is up to 10 per cent shorter than a normal tyre. This is equivalent to two vehicle lengths.
Source: Tyresafe
Get involved in Twitter - it's easy
Scottish Borders Council has launched a Twitter feed to keep residents up to date with the latest news and events in the area.
Want to get involved but not sure how? Here’s a handy guide to Twitter:
- What is Twitter? Twitter is a micro-blogging social network where users can post ‘tweets’ of up to 140 characters. Tweets can contain links to other content such as website pages and photographs.
- Why use it? Some people find it useful to contribute their own Tweets, but the real magic of Twitter lies in absorbing real-time information that matters to you. If you are registered with Twitter, you can choose to ‘follow’ certain people or organisations who are already registered. By following a person/organisation you are interested in, you will be able to see their Tweets on your homepage for you to read as soon as they send them.
- How do I get started? You will need to visit Twitter.com and register. Once you’ve registered, you can then begin your journey by finding and following other Twitter accounts you’re interested in. Messages from those you follow will show up in a readable stream on the left hand side of your homepage timeline. Once you’ve followed a few people, you’ll have a new page of information to read each time you log in.
- Can I get tweets from those I follow to my phone? Yes, Twitter is portable, which means you can connect your account to your mobile phone or download a Twitter application to begin reading Tweets on the go. Using Twitter via SMS allows you to pick and choose which updates you want from those you follow, so you can get mobile updates from the accounts that matter most to your life on-the-go.
People who do not already have a Twitter account can find out more about it and sign up for free at Twitter.com/about Follow Scottish Borders Council on Twitter @scotborders
Keep up to date with us
Website: The council website is updated regularly with important advice and information.
Simply visit www.scotborders.gov.uk/winter.
Twitter: Follow the Council on Twitter @scotborders for real-time news and information.
You can also enable your mobile to receive the Council tweets via SMS (see above for Twitter advice).
Local press and radio: Every effort will be made to keep the general public updated via local press and radio so please listen out for updates.
Radio Borders (96.8-103.4FM) provides regular up-to-date information during the winter weather conditions.
BBC Radio Scotland (92-95FM) also provides information during their local bulletins.
Other handy websites: