Please join us for this symposium on developing sustainable district heating in rural Scotland.

Scotland Beyond Net Zero - Rural District Heating Symposium Tickets, Wed, Apr 2, 2025 at 9:30 AM | Eventbrite

Please join us for this symposium on developing sustainable district heating in rural Scotland.

Join Changeworks and Greener Melrose for this information sharing event.

The event will be held at the Corn Exchange, 12-4pm on Sat 29th March.  Changeworks  aim to help people feel more confident with their energy bills through helping people to understand their bills and to save energy at home. Changeworks advisers will be there giving an information talk every half hour and are able to answer individual questions in between times.  Advisers can also make follow up appointments to talk to people privately after the event.

If anyone needs help to get to the event they can email or phone Changeworks for support.

The event is free and we'll be providing tea, coffee and biscuits.

Join us and CAN - Circular Arts Network on 15th March at Little Art Hub Galashiels for the Circular Arts Network Sharing Event. A chance to grab some free art supplies, in a sustainable way! Bring and swap paint, paper, tools, fabric and everything else!

There will be an info sharing event on 12th Feb online where you can hear a bit more about the fantastic work CAN do and there may also be the chance to request materials for the 15th March..

Find out more here and book your FREE ticket: Circular Arts Network Sharing Event Tickets, Sat, Mar 15, 2025 at 11:00 AM | Eventbrite

A talk by Apithanny Bourne on our wildflower meadows and the wildlife they support.

Tweeddale Society presents a talk with Tony Lightley.

Looking to the skies in March and April each year and wondering why were all these Ospreys passing through the area to breed much further North when the habitat was perfect for them the Scottish Borders. Plentiful fishing opportunities in productive clean rivers, lochs and game fisheries  numerous forested areas for nesting sites and very little recreational and agricultural disturbance at that time. The talk will explain how we attracted the birds to the area, the effects of the birds being here and where we are now with the population. 

Join Transform Arts CIC at Little Art Hub, for a day of fun and free art making for all ages.  

Help create a second giant artwork inspired by the idea that all living things on Earth Share the same Air.

The artwork will celebrate the wonder of the air on our planet, and inspire us all to think of more ways to look after the air and minimise our impact on climate change and air quality. 

The artwork will form part of a large window display for the Little Art Hub.

Suitable for all ages.  Just drop in no need to book, parents must accompany children

Our next project will be on Saturday 01 March, 10 am - noon. We will be removing rubbish from the left bank of the River Tweed near the Sewage Works. Meet at 10 am at the green barrier at the end of the lane that runs adjacent to the Scottish WATER depot off Winston Road, TD1 2DA (What three words: villa.washing.serenade). Please wear gloves and boots or wellies. For more information contact 07763 850087 or e-mail galawaterways@gmail.com

Come along to the Open Day at the Coldstream Larder Community Garden!

Join The coldstream larder on Thursday, February 27th, from 2-4pm for a chance to explore their award-winning garden and see how they grow fresh produce for the community!

This project has been supported by our Act for Change programme running through February.

In collaboration with the National Museums Scotland, the Great Tapestry of Scotland are delighted to be hosting these free workshops. Inspired by the panels of the Great Tapestry of Scotland, this is your chance to make your mark on a large scale art project, where you can make your own small felt/textile panel, which will be made into a quilt and be exhibited as part of a wider scale national project!

In collaboration with the National Museums Scotland, The Great Tapestry of Scotland are delighted to be hosting these free workshops. Inspired by the panels of the Great Tapestry of Scotland, this is your chance to make your mark on a large scale art project, where you can make your own small felt/textile panel, which will be made into a quilt and be exhibited as part of a wider scale national project!

In collaboration with the National Museums Scotland, The Great Tapestry of Scotland in Galashiels are delighted to be hosting these free workshops. Inspired by the panels of the Great Tapestry of Scotland, this is your chance to make your mark on a large scale art project, where you can make your own small felt/textile panel, which will be made into a quilt and be exhibited as part of a wider scale national project! Further dates include: 21st and 22nd February

Peelham Farm is organic and Pasture for Life certified, featuring an on-farm butchery and direct sales of meat and charcuterie through their online shop and farmers' markets. Denise Walton and her husband Chris, first-generation farmers, have managed Peelham for 30 years. Their son Angus, who grew up on the farm, is now a principal partner and livestock manager. Over the past 20 years, the Waltons have planted 18 km of multi-species hedgerows to enhance biodiversity.

Megan Gimber, hedgerow expert from the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), will join us to share her insights on all things hedges.

The workshop will explore:

• The benefits of hedgerows for wildlife and biodiversity

• The historical significance of hedgerows in the landscape

• Best practices for hedgerow management, focusing on planting, rejuvenation, and newly planted hedges

• The Healthy Hedgerows survey app: how it works, what it does, and its ease of use

• Available funding for hedge planting and hedge-laying

After lunch, we'll head outdoors to examine real-life hedges. You'll tour Peelham Farm to see practical examples and learn how to integrate hedgerow management at a farm scale.

Tickets are £10 for members and £20 for non-members. For your membership discount code, check the January newsletter (out on 23/1) or contact Rachael Cratchley (rachael.cratchley@nffn.org.uk).

In partnership with People’s Trust for Endangered Species.

Join us in the woodland for a Spring tidy up and to plant bulbs and trees. Bring trowels, gloves, secateurs, spades if you have them, but equipment will be there to borrow if you don't. Everyone welcome, children must be supervised.

Come and find out a bit more about our event on 15th March with Circular Arts Network. Hear more about what they do and also a chance to request materials you are after for 15th March!

Link to join!

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZmIxNmVhODktY2ZkMi00NWYwLTk0OGItZGJmODdhNDgwMmY0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22ae924e29-f653-45a2-be70-3ca23d58228b%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22ed9fdb29-8169-4cc6-9eb5-ea24a3cdc0ff%22%7d

Neidpath Farms – Nature and Profitability Workshop Tickets, Thu 6 Feb 2025 at 10:00 | Eventbrite

Are you a farmer interested in promoting nature and profitability? If so, this is the workshop for you!

Winter Keeping Safe and Warm Event - Burnfoot Community Hub Wed 5th Feb (10 am to 2 pm)

Tuesday 4th February

Duns Volunteer Hall

7.30pm

Hopefully see you there!

As part of our ongoing programme to provide free creative workshops for children, we’re excited to announce an Eco Art Competition, where participants will create artworks using recycled materials.

📅 When: Saturday, 1st February
📍 Where: The Great Tapestry of Scotland, Galashiels. 

This is a wonderful opportunity for children to explore their creativity while learning about sustainability and the importance of recycling, made possible due to funding from Borders Act for Change. 

Don’t Bin It! Fix It in Duns!

A broken zip? A hoover that needs mending? A misbehaving mobile?

Free help will shortly be at hand in the shape of Duns’ new Repair Café, which opens to the public on Saturday 1st February.

The town-centre drop-in facility at 15 Murray Street will this month offer sewing repairs, plus repairs to small electrical appliances and household goods, solutions to basic computer and mobile-phone issues and repairs to sewing machines.

Set up by local community group Greener Duns, the aim is to help people save money and support the environment by fixing broken items for free, rather than throwing them away and buying new ones.

“Our slogan is Don’t Bin It! Fix It!” explained Greener Duns’ Chair, Eloner Crawford. “Mending items instead of throwing them away helps to reduce landfill and cut emissions from manufacturing new products, while saving you time and money. Some of the items repaired may even be cherished family treasures which are irreplaceable. 

“We’re lucky to have a staff of willing volunteers who are skilled in all kinds of repair work, and we hope to run the Café on the first Saturday of every month. Many thanks to Scottish Borders Climate Action Network (SBCAN) for kindly providing the funding for our first session through its ‘Borders Act For Change’ campaign, which runs throughout February.”

Duns Repair Café will open on Saturday 1 February from 10am – 1pm at the Fair Share Building, 15 Murray St, Duns TD11 3DE. Repairs to sewing machines on that day must be pre-booked in advance by emailing info@greenerduns.org.uk

No pre-booking is required for sewing repairs, small IT and phone issues or repairs to small electrical appliances and household items: Just walk in! Repairs are free of charge, but donations are always welcome. Refreshments will be available.

For more information, please visit greenerduns.org.uk or see Greener Duns’ Facebook page.

We will be pruning willow trees on the riverbank of the Gala Water downstream of the Skinworks Cauld, using ladders for access. Please wear boots or wellies, and bring loppers if you have them. For more information contact 07763 850087 or e-mail galawaterways@gmail.com