New training workshops aimed at helping Scottish Borders’ small and medium enterprises (SMEs) adopt digital technology have been launched.

The DigitalBoost events have been developed by Business Gateway, Scottish Enterprise and Highland & Islands Enterprise on behalf of Digital Scotland. The free seminars, which take place in Ettrick Riverside, Selkirk, include: Digital Marketing Strategy – Tuesday, March 1, 1.30pm to 4.30pm; Data Analytics – Tuesday, March 15, 1.30pm to 4.20pm; Back Office Systems – Tuesday, March 29, 1.30pm to 4.30pm.

As well as the local workshop programme, one to one adviser sessions with digital specialists will also be available to eligible businesses who need extra support on digital topics.

Online guides to all of the workshop themes will be available. For more information, call 01835 818315 or visit www.bgateway.com/events

The Saltire Society has launched its search this week for Scotland’s next top engineering and construction projects for its annual Civil Engineering Awards.

And nominations are invited for the Borders’ most innovative projects completed in 2015/16.

The recently completed Borders railway line was commended at last year’s awards for demonstrating an exceptional commitment to collaboration, coordination and communication, while the overall winner was the £25million redevelopment of Haymarket Station in Edinburgh, which joined the ranks of previous winners such as The Helix Park and Kelpies at Falkirk, and the M80 Stepps to Haggs motorway.

The deadline for nominations is the end of April.

The awards aim to shine a light on the vital contribution civil engineers make to Scottish life, but are not only reserved for large-scale projects.

In this, the society’s 80th year, there are six brand new categories, including the project that most beneficially impacts the people of Scotland and an ‘infrastructure’ award which recognises excellence in the design and construction of transport, ground or water engineering, energy, waste or regeneration projects.

There is also the ability to confer special awards, which will be awarded at the discretion of the judging panel, recognising excellence in buildings, environmental improvements and projects designed by Scottish-based teams but constructed abroad.

As well as techical achievement, projects in each category are assessed on their contribution to the sustainable creation, improvement and nurturing of the physical and social environment.

Flooding, storm damage and road and bridge closures in recent months have hit the headlines, increasing public awareness of transport, flooding and energy networks and their importance to the Scottish economy and the quality of our daily lives. Many of the problems are resolved by civil engineers.

Saltire Society and Institution of Civil Engineers’ (ICE) Presidents will join an audience of over 150 senior figures from Scotland’s construction and built environment industries at the awards ceremony in Edinburgh on the evening of Tuesday, October 25.

Saltire Society President Magnus Linklater said: “This is a special year for the Saltire Society as we celebrate our 80th year.

“It’s also an important year for the built environment in Scotland, being Scotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design.

“We look forward to a wide variety of civil engineering projects from across Scotland at our special awards ceremony in October.”

Following a weekend of “exceptional pressure on bed availability” at the Borders General Hospital (BGH), the public have responded well to requests to only use the A&E department for emergencies.

Susan Manion, chief officer for health and social care integration thanked the public, saying: “The public response to our reminder that you should only go to A&E if you are an emergency was extremely supportive and we were able to maintain our focus on the safe discharge of patients to give us as much space as possible.

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

However, as wintry weather continues, that pressure on beds is not expected to ease any time soon.

Manion added: “We anticipate the continuation of high demand for beds in the BGH and Community Hospitals this week, with icy conditions making slips, trips and falls more likely.”

Also, ward 12 at the BGH is currently closed to admissions as a precaution due to a number of patients experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms.

Manion stated: “Visitors to Ward 12 are strongly discouraged at this time, and relatives and carers are asked to carefully consider their visits to the hospital. The general advice is to stay away from any hospital ward if you or anyone in your family has experienced symptoms of diarrhoea and/or vomiting in the past 48 hours.

“Please remember that your community pharmacists are available to provide expert advice and treatment for a range of common illnesses and ailments, and to give advice about your medicines.

“If you or someone you care for is unwell and your GP surgery is closed, contact the NHS 24 helpline on 111. If the condition is immediately life threatening, dial 999 for an emergency ambulance.”

For further updates please visit www.nhsborders.scot.nhs.uk

z Norovirus is one of the commonest causes of diarrhoea and vomiting illness and spreads through communities just like the flu does. Outbreaks can start abruptly and spread quickly, but the public can take action to help minimise the impact.

You should try to avoid going to hospital or any other healthcare facility if you or other members of your family have had diarrhoea or vomiting within the past 48 hours.

Hand washing with soap and water is essential after contact with people with diarrhoea symptoms in hospital and at home.

Common symptoms of Norovirus are diarrhoea and/or vomiting generally lasting for 12-72 hours.

Other symptoms can include headache, fever and muscle aches.

Treatment in most cases requires drinking more fluids than usual and resting to give your body a chance to fight the infection. Because it is a virus, antibiotics will not help.

If you are worried, you should call NHS 24 on 111 or your local health clinic or GP.

Police have confirmed that William Notley has been found in a rural area near his hometown of Jedburgh this afternoon (Monday, February 15).

They said: “The 58-year-old has been transferred to Borders General Hospital where he is currently being assessed.

“William was reported missing to police on Monday, February 8, after he left his home address in Bongate Gardens prompting an extensive search of the area.

“We thank everyone who assisted with our appeal.”

A 31-year-old man was found dead in a Galashiels retail park in the early hours of this morning.

The area was taped off and enquiries are continuing.

A spokesman for Police Scotland said: “Police in the Scottish Borders were called to Gala Water Retail Park in Galashiels at 4.40am on Monday, February 15, following a report of concern for a man.

“The 31-year-old was taken to Borders General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

“The death is currently being treated as unexplained pending further enquiries.”

Hawick wing Darcy Graham is confident that his Scotland team can still challenge for pole position in the Under-20s Six Nations despite being edged in Colwyn Bay on Saturday.

John Dalziel’s men suffered an agonising defeat at the hands of their Welsh counterparts, as replacement Billy McBryde kicked a match-winning penalty in the last minute of the game.

But 18-year-old Graham believes his team are good enough to cause an unprecedented upset.

“We went out there believing we could win and we almost did,” he said.

“We now have to keep that determination up and keep believing in ourselves.”

Following on from their historic victory over England in the first round, Scotland under-20 were on the cusp of another momentous triumph, in being the first under-20 team to claim victory in Wales, however it was not to be.

The young Scots took the lead with a Rory Hutchinson penalty in the 22nd minute, and held it until McBryde’s penalty goal with less than a minute left on the clock.

Scotland went into the half-time interval with a 15-5 lead thanks to tries from Matt Smith and Murray McCallum, and five points from the boot of Hutchinson. Wales came back after the restart and the scores were level until McBryde struck his one-and-only penalty of the game to see the home side claim the spoils.

There’s something deeply amiss in the countryside in this week’s big DVD release. We’re taking a look at the 
eminently stylish and largely enjoyable horror Crimson Peak.

Director Guillermo del Toro’s latest feature transports us back to 1901 New York and the life of the aspiring novelist Edith, played by Mia Wasikowska.

The daughter of a wealthy industrialist, Edith’s pretty glum after her first book has been dismissed by publishers but it isn’t long before her mind is elsewhere.

The arrival of the debonair English aristocrat Sir Thomas Sharpe and his aloof sister Lucille, a suave Tom Hiddlestone and haughty Jessica Chastain, causes a big stir in high society and an even bigger one in Edith’s life.

Within no time Edith and Sir Thomas are married and the couple are heading back to England and the imposingly named Crimson Peak, a forbidding country estate so named for the rich blood-coloured clay which lies under the bleak landscape.

It isn’t long until ghostly presences are making themselves known. Edith faces a very real threat as she struggles to uncover the deadly secret at the heart of the creepy home and its equally odd inhabitants.

It’s a classic bit of gothic horror that could have come across as ludicrously camp if not for the assured filmmaking and stylish eye of del Toro. The Mexican director creates, not for the first time, a sumptuously dark and creaking landscape, laden with implied threat.

The cast’s contribution is also notable in saving the film from coming across as too silly. Roles which could have easily fallen victim 
to hammy overacting are saved by a number of strong performances, particularly from the young star Wasikowska.

The ghosts themselves are less convincing, looking more garish than ghoulish, and there are problems too with the story which sometimes feels derivative and obvious.

Still, the power of the film remains in the imagery and action of the film and Crimson Peak has got that in spades.

The Scottish Government is taking action to ease cash flow issues in Scottish agriculture after criticism of long waits for payments.

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has announced a scheme – backed by £20 million in Scottish Government funding - to enable more farmers and crofters to access loans while waiting for their Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments.

Speaking at the National Farmers Union of Scotland (NFUS) annual conference in St Andrews this week, Mr Lochhead confirmed more than 7,300 payments have now been authorised, which equates to about 40 per cent of the eligible claims.

He also stressed the Scottish Government continues to do everything in its power make payments as soon as possible against the challenge of difficult CAP reforms.

The Rural Affairs Secretary said: “I fully recognise the cash flow issues facing Scottish agriculture as a result of difficult market and weather conditions coinciding with the biggest CAP reform ever.

“The Scottish Government continues to do everything in our power to get first instalments out to as many people as we can by the end of March and the balance of payments as soon as possible after that.

“We are making progress. However the extreme complexity of the policy we agreed with industry in Scotland – which is being delivered by a brand new IT system that we are constantly working to improve - means it is taking longer than expected to process applications – and I am aware that as a result some farmers and crofters are facing hardship.

“We will work with NFUS, banks and others to finalise the detail of the scheme and ensure it is available as quickly as possible and simple to access.”

The news came after stinging criticism of the payment process, including calls from local Conservative MSP John Lamont for Mr Lochhead to “come clean” over the situation.

Mr Lamont said: “Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead should come clean to farmers about when they are going to receive this much needed money, which was of course due in full in December.

“In England and Wales, over 75% of farmers have received full payments, yet under the SNP the majority of farmers are yet to get a single penny.

“The Minister would have been better to hold his hands up from the beginning to say that payments would be late instead of constantly promising money would come on time and then being forced to delay the timetable.”

The NHS Borders Board will meet in Newstead next Thursday, 25 February, for its public board meeting.

As the name suggests, the meeting is open to members of the public and will take place in the NHS Borders Boardroom in Newstead, from 10am to noon.

NHS Borders Board meets in public every two months to discuss current business, as well as receive updates on the business of the NHS Borders’ committees.

The board is responsible for providing health care services to protect and improve Borderers’ health.

John Raine, chair of NHS Borders, said: “Our public board meetings are an important opportunity, not only for the board to discuss current business and performance, but for local communities to be informed and involved in what we do.”

He added: “NHS Borders continues to work hard to achieve its targets.

“This is essential as we continue to ensure health care is safe, high quality and best value, and that the health of Borders people is improving.”

The incredible achievements of Borders athletes with a disability will be highlighted at this year’s Celebration of Sport Awards.

The winner of the 2016 Disability Sports Award sponsored by Borders.co.uk will be announced at the presentation dinner on March 4 and, with over 25 clubs across the Scottish Borders now including regular members with a disability, competition is tougher than ever.

Changes in the provision of facilities for disability sport have taken place in the region over the last three years following the appointment of development officer Alan Oliver in 2012.

“The response I have received from sporting organisations and clubs to improving access to sport for those with a disability has been magnificent,” said Oliver, who’s prowess on the international badminton scene earned him the award last year.

“The benefits are not only clear to see in the number of people now regularly participating in sport but also in the achievements of our athletes who have been competing and winning at regional, national and international levels.”

Darren Rogerson from Borders.co.uk added: “Borders.co.uk is an innovative new initiative to help to promote all organisations and businesses in the region.

“We are proud to support the award and are excited to discover who will win this year and be acknowledged for their part in flying the flag for disability sport.”

The A1 is currently closed has been closed to traffic after two lorries were overturned by high winds.

The incident happened on the southbound A1 near Torness power station in East Lothian at 11.25am on Tuesday.

One of the HGV overturned and caused a blockage on the lane. The other ended up on the side of the road.

No one was injured in the incident.

As a result of the incident, the southbound route has been closed while emergency services deal with the vehicles.

The road is expected to reopen at 2.30pm.

Motorists are being urged to drive with care as warnings for high winds have been put in place for bridges across the country.

Kelso Racecourse has came out tops in terms of attendance in Scottish Racing’s annual review which was published on Tuesday.

The average footfall at the 13 fixtures hosted at the Roxburgh venue rose by 12.6% last year, the largest increase among the five Scottish racecourses while the attendances at all five – Ayr, Hamilton Park, Kelso, Musselburgh and Perth - increased during the year with 308,000 visitors in total, the largest for seven years.

The country’s second most popular spectator sport, which benefits the Scottish economy to the tune of an estimated £173 million annually, thrived during 2015 with prize-money paid out to successful owners reaching a record £6.7 million, while the courses themselves won a series of national accolades.

Sir Ian Good, Chairman of Scottish Racing, said: “During 2015 the horseracing industry in Scotland continued to make a considerable contribution to the wider economy.

“Direct annual expenditure has been estimated at £55 million, with a wider economic benefit of approximately £173 million. The sport itself helps to maintain a total of some 870 full-time equivalent employees, both directly and indirectly, playing its part in a buoyant leisure market.

“The racecourses are being rewarded with increased attendances through their brilliant promotion of the sport.”

The advances being made by horseracing in Scotland were also welcomed by the ruling body of the sport in Britain.

Nick Rust, Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority, who attended his first race meeting at Kelso when he was a boy, said: “The great strength of horseracing in Scotland is the united approach adopted by the racecourses. While the sport is in such capable hands, the future is bright for horseracing in Scotland.”

The Annual Review also turned the spotlight trainers such as Sandy Thomson, from Greenlaw, were also commended for competing at the highest level.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Right Hon Theresa Villiers MP visited potato producer Greenvale, in Duns, with local MSP John Lamont this week.

As part of a visit to the Scottish Borders, the Secretary of State toured fresh potato and seed potato producer Greenvale, a Borders based company which employs up to 1,500 people across 9 UK sites.

The visit was an opportunity to discuss what further steps the UK Government can take to support local businesses.

John Lamont MSP said: “I was very pleased to be able to welcome Theresa Villiers MP to Berwickshire and to pay a visit to Greenvale. This company is one of many which highlight the fantastic produce we get here in the Borders.

“They are also a key provider of much needed apprenticeships, which are key to a skilled and motivated workforce. That is why I support Scottish Conservative plans to create 10,000 new apprenticeships a year in the next Parliament.

“Theresa is a good friend of the Borders and has visited a number of times. It is always really helpful to have a UK Government Minister visit and see for themselves the positives and challenges businesses face here.”

Following the visit, Theresa Villiers MP said: “It was a pleasure to pay a visit to such a successful Berwickshire business. It is firms like this which provide growth and local jobs which is why the UK Government is backing small businesses across the United Kingdom by cutting business and jobs taxes. I enjoyed seeing the work that goes on in Greenvale and listening to what more the UK Government can do to support the Borders economy.”

Procurement Director at Greenvale, Douglas Bell said: “It was great to have Theresa Villiers MP visit Berwickshire and to show her around the Greenvale factory with local MSP John Lamont. It was an opportunity to discuss how the UK Government can further help local businesses and local jobs.

“Keeping businesses taxes as low as possible and investment in transport links and broadband are really important to Greenvale and it was useful to be able to stress this with a UK Government Minister.”

The fundraising efforts to bring an independent lifeboat to St Abbs are continuing with two major events in the past week.

Firstly, an auction in aid of the charity raised £10,450.

This was later nearly matched by a grant of £10,000 from the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation.

Organisers took to Facebook after the massively successful auction, hosted by Scotland rugby star Sean Lineen, to thank everyone who helped and who made bids.

“What an evening on Saturday,” they posted.

“We sold 160 tickets,which was a lot more than we could have imagined,but the numbers helped to create a fantastic atmosphere.

“The auction was a huge success,thanks in no small part to the efforts of Scotland rugby legend Sean Lineen as auctioneer. He definitely got the crowd into the spirit.”

“It gives us great pleasure to announce that the amazing sum of £100,450 was raised for St Abbs Lifeboat on the nigh. The fact that everyone said they’d had a great night was the icing on the cake. Thanks everyone.”

Meanwhile, the SFF gave £10,000, after the removal of the RNLI’s boat from the village.

Concerned by the removal of the Atlantic 75 boat and the resultant downgrade in cover for fishermen along Berwickshire’s stretch of coastline,the federation are very pleased that inshore lifeboat cover for their members will once again be improved and upgraded when St Abbs Independent Lifeboat is launched.

St Abbs Atlantic 75 lifeboat was the only inshore lifeboat on the south-east coast of Scotland,and far along the Northumberland coast,that could operate beyond Force 4/5 and in sea conditions beyond Moderate. The village has been without a lifeboat since September.

The charitable group representing Muslims living, working and studying in the Borders is planning to create an Islamic Centre in Galashiels.

The search for suitable accommodation by the Borders Islamic Society (BIS) was confirmed this week by its secretary Hamad Mustafa.

“The building will be a place of prayer and worship, but we also want the centre to be used for social and educational purposes, thus reaching out to and engaging with the wider community,” said Mr Mustafa, a surgeon at the Borders General Hospital.

At present, up to 30 Muslims gather for afternoon prayers on their Friday holy day in the Focus Centre in Galashiels.

“A prayer room is rented at the Focus, but it’s not really a satisfactory situation going forward and a more permanent home is what we want, although our plans are still at an early stage and all options are being considered.

“We have been in touch with the equality and diversity group at Scottish Borders Council and they have been most supportive of our aspirations.

“Ideally, we want to find a base in Galashiels: a town which is both central and well-connected and best serves our professional and student members.”

The society’s plans were welcomed by George Higgs, chair of the Scottish Borders Equality Forum.

“The society has done a tremendous amount to foster diversity in the Borders by giving talks in our schools and a permanent home will allow them to further develop that positive relationship,” said Mr Higgs.

Founded as a charity in 2007, the BIS will next month launch its own website with details of activities and services.

Mr Mustafa also revealed that arrangements were under way to hold an open day in the Langlee Community Centre, Galashiels on a date to be confirmed.

“In a spirit of friendship and co-operation, we want people from all sections of society to come and find out more about us,” he added.

Kelso racecourse stages arguably the richest and best National Hunt mid-week race day in Northern England & Scotland, with over £78,000 prize money on the Morebattle Hurdle Day card tomorrow (Thursday).

Under orders at 1.20pm, with gates open at 11.20am, the fixture should provide useful pointers for Cheltenham’s prestigious National Hunt Festival in March.

Course racecard printers Timeform sponsor for the fifth year, backing the Champion Hurdle trial for the third time. Nicky Henderson views this as a prep-race for his Champion Hurdle entry Top Notch, beaten just a neck in the 2015 Triumph Hurdle. He also has Barry Geraghty booked to ride Hargam. The Seven Barrows trainer has saddled six winners from just nine runners in the past five seasons at Kelso which returns a handsome strike-rate of 67%. Southern trainers are strongly represented with Paul Nicholls holding two entries, Oxfordshire based Ben Case has entered Croco Bay for Lady Jane Grosvenor, and the in-form Dan Skelton is represented by Pain Au Chocolat.

Ivan Straker, instrumental in saving the Grand National, has the three-mile handicap chase run in his memory, sponsored by his wife, Tizzy. Highlights of the race include 2013 when Gold Cup winning Long Run was chased up the Kelso straight by Knockara Beau in a nail biting finish. It was won last year by Jonjo O’Neill’s Holywell, who went on to finish fourth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Nicky Henderson has entered Triolo D’Alene who holds entries in this year’s Gold Cup and Crabbie’s Grand National. Other trainers eyeing the race include Greenlaw’s Sandy Thomson for two-time Borders National hero Neptune Equester, Paul Nicholls has three entries and David Pipe and Jonjo O’Neill each have one.

A new sponsor to Kelso Races is Scott Hume who runs the Border Hotel in Kirk Yetholm - South East Scotland Pub of the Year for a third year - who generously sponsor the handicap chase.

The racecourse’s top class catererers Peter and Gillian Allan sponsor the open hunter chase. Galashiels-based Katie Scott won this last year with Douglas Julian and it could be an option for Damien’s Dilemma, trained at Selkirk by Lesley Coltherd. Wind Of Hope, normally ridden by Selkirk jockey Rachael McDonald, is another possible.

Kelso’s annual members provide the funding for two races on the card.

The first of the Annual Members’ races is the novice hurdle. Nick Alexander has entered Road To Gold who won on Kelso’s Scottish Borders National day card in December and the Kinneston raider has since finished a decent second at Wetherby. Another one to keep an eye on is the Gordon Elliott trained Water Sprite - the Irish trainer’s only entry, with Champion Jockey elect Richard Johnson down to ride.

The second of the Annual Member’ races is a Handicap Hurdle which sees two David Pipe prospects, Mount Haven and Pilgrims Bay, and Michael Scudamore’s Dan Emmett amongst the 18 entries.

Border curler Amy Bryce has been enjoying an experience of a lifetime this week while representing Great Britain at the Youth Olympic Games.

The 17-year-old event management student is just one of 16 athletes from Great Britain to be taking part in the winter games which are currently underway in Lillehammer, Norway.

The vision of this event is to inspire young people around the world to participate in sport and live by the Olympic values. There are 1,100 young athletes, aged between 15 and 18 from 70 nations competing in 70 medal events. This year sees the fourth Youth Olympics, and the second winter edition following on from Innsbruck in 2012.

All the countries have a mixed curling team which is compulsory under competition rules and Amy is playing third and is also the vice skip, with her fellow team mates being Mili Smith and Callum Kinnear who are both from Perth and Ross Whyte from Dumfries. In total 16 teams are taking part in the curling event, with each country playing seven round robin games to try a secure a place in the quarter-finals.

The opening ceremony of the games took place last Friday, but before they could enjoy that, Amy and co had a curling match to win.

First up was a game against Korea, and despite a slightly nervous start the Brits raced away in the second half of the game to record their opening win.

The next day the team had two games against competition favourites Canada and Brazil. In the morning session the match against the Canadians was all square going down the last end, but despite having the last stone advantage, the Canadians managed to steal two shots to win the match. However Team GB bounced back with wins over Brazil, Norway, Sweden, Estonia and the Czech Republic to secure qualification.

Playing Russia in the quarter-finals Team GB trailed 3 shots to 1 after two ends before upping their game to close the gap to just one shot going into the final end. Having to play a tactical game GB gave their opponents plenty to think about with some good shot making, but the Russian skip played a great last stone to take three shots for the victory.

However, it’s not quite over yet. The Great Britain curlers have another chance of a medal in the mixed doubles competition, a new format of the game which will make its Winter Olympic debut in South Korea in 2018. Each curler will be drawn to play with another curler from a competing nation over three days of competition to highlight the unique nature and spirit of the sport.

Before jetting out to Norway, Amy competed at the Scottish Junior championships in Aberdeen where she finished, like her elder brother Cameron, just one win away from qualifying for the knockout stages. However her younger brother Angus made it all the way to the men’s final, where he and his team mates lost out to the defending champions.

This week Cameron is competing at the Scottish championships in Perth for a place at the World championships in Switzerland in April.

With the lambing season approaching and reports of dog attacks on sheep increasing, dog owners are being urged to take extra care.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) and SSPCA have teamed up to issue a joint plea to dog owners to be more responsible.

Every year sheep are killed, maimed and miscarry because of being chased and attacked by dogs.

This is a serious animal welfare concern and also caused a great deal of emotional stress and financial cost to sheep farmers around the country.

Phil Stocker, NSA chief executive, says: “A growing number of our members continue to give us reports of some horrendous attacks they have suffered to their livestock.

“It is not only the harrowing injuries which out of control dogs have inflicted, but also the losses they have suffered as a result of dogs simply chasing livestock.

“The risk of heavily pregnant ewes aborting is extremely high after suffering the stress of having been chased by dogs, not to mention the risk of young lambs becoming separated from their mother at a critical early bonding stage.

“Lambs will die from starvation or hypothermia when they become separated from their mother and fail to find her again.”

NSA has been collecting evidence of sheep worrying incidents for several years now, with case after case highlighting the damage a pet can inflict when it is left unsupervised.

Both NSA and SSPCA want to reiterate to dog owners that there is there is a very simple way to stop these attacks – keep your dog on a lead around livestock.

NSA can supply sheep farming members with free hardwearing plastic dog control signs.

Ettrick Forest Archers are just weeks away from opening their brand new clubhouse thanks to support from both home and away.

Ground works started last week at Thirladean on the Philiphaugh Estate where the Selkirk based longbow club shoot by kind permission of Sir Michael Strang Steel.

With over 50 members the club, which started about ten years ago with half a dozen or so enthusiasts intent on reviving the traditions of the archers of Ettrick Forest, has now grown to one of the largest Longbow Clubs affiliated to the British Longbow Society.

When their current storage facilities of three dilapidated horse box trailers were deemed no longer fit for purpose Sir Michael kindly offered to lease the club a piece of land on which they could erect a Log Cabin storage and shelter. The Cabin supplied and erected by Alba Cabins is some 14m X 5m and will house the club’s archery, ground maintenance and safety equipment, as well as providing a shelter for members to store their gear while out on the field shooting.

The facility is funded by investment of £12,044 from sportscotland’s Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund which aims to provide a lasting legacy for grass roots sport from the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Other major funding groups are SBC’s Communities Grants Scheme, The Selkirk Common Good Fund, Club Sports Ettrick and Lauderdale, as well as the Club’s own members and a donation from the flood prevention contractors R J McLeod.

Club Chair Dougie Anderson said: “The start of this work is the culmination of a great deal of work and effort by previous administrations of the club as well as the current one.

“It has taken us a long time to reach this point and I am thrilled we have finally got here.

“Our equipment was beginning to be damaged by weather and vermin and when the unit is completed we will have a great facility to enable us to continue to bring traditional archery to the community.”

Stewart Harris, Chief Executive of sportscotland, said: “Communities right across Scotland have benefitted from the Glasgow Games and through projects like the improvements here in Selkirk, will help provide more and better opportunities for people to take part in and progress in a wide range of sports and physical activities.”

The work is expected to be finished by the end of March.

News that local Muslims want to open an Islamic centre in Galashiels is a sign of this region’s growing diversity.

And what is particularly refreshing is that the Borders Islamic Society (BIS) appears to be bending over backwards to engage with the wider community.

“In a spirit of friendship and co-operation, we want people from all sections of society to come and find out more about us,” said BIS secretary Hamad Mustafa, referring to an open day his organisation is planning to run at Langlee Community Centre.

We have become all too familiar via television of atrocities committed – according to the perpetrators of these evil acts – in the name of Islam. Actions, quite rightly, condemned by the vast majority of Muslims worldwide.

The Borders Islamic Society is offering non-Muslims the chance to learn for themselves the values of this religion, what it stands for and its attitudes to other members of society, perhaps dispelling a few myths in the process.

Members of the wider community should take up the BIS invitation.