Around 30 young rugby enthusiasts in the school age bracket from P1 to S2 enjoyed a couple of days learning about the game at Melrose RFC’s summer camps.

The BT Premiership champions and BT Cup winners staged a two-day session last week for children aged around 5-10, followed by another two-day gathering for P6s-S2s.

The annual camps are based on games and learning skills in a fun environment, while making the experience as enjoyable for the young devotees as possible.

The coaching is naturally adapted for the big age range, with the youngsters learning about skills-based passing, team play, supporting the player with the ball, getting into defensive positions, and more.

The younger children are taught the importance of rules such as being behind the player in possession, while there’s a little more intensity for the older players, such as reacting to opponents coming towards them and getting passes away.

The youngsters were delighted to receive course certificates from Melrose’s Craig Jackson, BT Premiership player of the season and a member of the Scotland squad for this weekend’s 7s World Cup in San Francisco.

Melrose’s commercial manager David Peace said: “The kids liked seeing someone they recognised who got to the pinnacle, and here he was giving them their certificates.”

There are more camps at the Greenyards this Tuesday/Wednesday (P1-5) and Thursday/Friday (P6-S2).

Former Borders youngster Hannah Stewart has made a remarkable rise in the world of motocross in her adopted home nation of Australia.

Just seven months after clambering on board a two-wheeler bike for the first time, the 14-year-old is sitting in second place in the Western Australian Girls Championship.

Melrose-born Hannah was a pupil at Newtwon St Boswells Primary School until the family emigrated to Perth in 2011.

Mum Tabatha Jones explained: “One of the main reasons I chose to bring my children here was for a better outdoor life without the worry of rain!”

The family now lives in a small suburb 60k north of Perth.

Having ridden quads around the countryside and the beaches near home, Hannah decided she’d like to try riding a two-wheeler bike in December and joined a local club.

“Then in May, I entered her in the Western Australian state round, really just for practice against girls who’ve ridden for over eight years,” explained Tabatha.

“But she actually came second on the podium and is now sitting overall second in Western Australia junior girls’ motocross (MX). This is a huge achievement.

“It’s unheard of in the MX world as, usually, to achieve these results take years of training.

She rides a Kawasaki 250, weighing over 105kilos – and she can’t touch the ground!”

Hannah has sponsors in Australia, plus the committed support from her stepdad and trainer Craig Heard, who trains her three times a week.

Craig is from Selkirk but has lived Down Under for 12 years and his passion for MX helps Hannah achieve brilliant results, added Tabatha.

Her daughter also attends boxing training twice a week with an ex-world champion in Perth, to build up her core strength.

She hopes next year to travel around Australia in the National MX Championships and then eventually to Europe for world events.

Grandparents Anne and Glyn Jones, of Galashiels, are regular visitors to Australia and are amazed at her commitment and determination for the sport she loves.

Tabatha added: “I am so proud of Hannah’s commitment and eagerness to become the best.”

Police in the Borders have charged three men and one woman and seized cannabis during multiple house searches in Hawick yesterday.

Acting on intelligence, specialist departments involving 20 officers carried out five search warrants in the Burnfoot and West End areas on Thursday, July 19.

A quantity of cannabis, along with a three-figure sum of cash, were seized from residential addresses.

Three men aged 28, 49 and 41 and a 20-year-old woman were subsequently charged in connection with these offences and reports will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Detective Sergeant Steven Irvine, who led the operation said: “We are committed to tackling the supply of controlled drugs in the Borders and will use all available resources at our disposal to do this.

“The local community have highlighted the supply and sale of illicit substances as a priority for us, and through this level of activity we are continuing to disrupt and deter illegal drug activity.

“We are very grateful for the community’s help in reporting their concerns of illegal drug use and we will continue to work to remove these substances from our streets.”

Anyone wishing to report concerns over drugs in their area can contact their local community policing team via 101, or make an anonymous report to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Kelso sports coach Derek ‘Pace’ Paterson has been recognised for more than 35 years of service to football in his hometown.

He picked up this year’s citizen award, presented by the Ex-Laddies’ Association, at the Kelso Civic Week installation ceremony last Wednesday.

The former player, who has donned the jersey for all three of the town’s teams, was joint manager of Kelso Thistle at just 25 years old, served on Kelso Football Club’s committee for 25 years and, alongside Steven Tait, has been coaching youth football at Woodside Park for more than 20 years.

In 2012 he was the Scottish FA’s best volunteer at its Grassroots Awards and in 2014 he was nominated to carry the Commonwealth Games baton.

Derek said: “I’ve been lucky in all my years in football to have met some great folk including Kenny Dalglish and I have worked and played with some top people as well. “But the years I’ve been involved with junior football have definitely been the highlight for me. It’s been great fun working with all ages of kids and I’d like to thank them all and their parents for committing themselves to Friday night football.

“Being born and bred in Kelso, civic week was always a big thing and being here and receiving this award is up there with everything else I’ve done. 
“This award is all about team work for me. It’s for everyone I’ve worked with and for everyone at Kelso Football Club.”

Further awards were presented to Jim Hogarth, this year’s golden jubilee laddie, and silver jubilee laddie Michael Ballantyne.

A former member of the SAS from Scotland has spoken about his own experiences in the army ... to help raise awareness of veteran suicides.

Colin Maclachlan (44) is backing a Johnston Press Investigation calling on the Scottish and Westminster Governments to reveal the suicide statistics.

It’s a subject Colin, sadly, knows far too much about.

For along with Calum MacLeod, a former King’s Own Scottish Borderers veteran, he set up the charity Who Dares Cares in 2016 to help veterans and members of the emergency services who are struggling with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

They did so because they were continually talking to veterans or chatting to them on Facebook and social media, only later to discover they had taken their own lives.

READ MORE: Hidden epidemic of veteran suicides smacks of cover up

Colin said he had lost count of the number of veterans who had committed suicide.

“We have literary hundreds of veteran suicides every year which don’t make the news,” he said.

“Me and Cammy were getting affected. We couldn’t cope with the amount of people.

“We would be talking to seven or eight a day – individuals and mutual friends, clubs and societies, and then finding out that one had committed suicide.

“There are too many veterans committing suicide for it not to be related to PTSD and veterans who’ve seen traumatic service.

“It only seems to be when it involves a celebrity that it makes the news though.”

Colin joined the Royal Scots when he was 15 and completed 18 years’ service, including seven in the SAS.

He said he felt suited to the SAS as it was “about 80 per cent mental robustness and 20 per cent strength”.

In his first year he was involved in a hijacking at London’s Stansted airport and a jungle rescue in Sierra Leone in West Africa.

But in 2004 an incident occurred in Iraq which affected him deeply.

“We were dropping intelligence officers off in Kuwait and on the way back our car broke down just outside the city in Basra,” he said. “I hijacked a taxi but we got blocked in.

“We were stripped, handcuffed, badly beaten, put against a wall and subjected to mock executions.

“We were taken to a police station. They tried to get us out and later in the day the army rescued us.

“After it was all over there was no real decompression or debriefing.

“I went to Baghdad and cracked on with the rest of the guys. Some of the signs of PTSD, such as being hyper-vigilant and not sleeping well, were there but you just thought you were normal because everyone was going through the same.”

After Colin left the SAS, it was his partner Amanda who recognised his symptoms.

He said: “It sometimes takes an outsider to see it.

“I wasn’t sleeping well. I had to sit with my back to the wall, facing exits, and didn’t want to be in crowds.”

Colin attended Veterans’ First Point, which has centres across Scotland, to get help.

He later completed a degree in history at the University of Edinburgh and now works as a motivational speaker.

In 2015, he also emerged as the star of Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins television series.

Colin added: “The Government writes a cheque when we go to war, they should cash it in when we return and do something for veterans.”

To find out more about the charity he set up, visit who-dares-cares.com.

An Asian street food van has been granted a licence to trade from a car park alongside Gunknowe Loch in Tweedbank despite opposition from a nearby restaurant.

Kowloon Kitchen, run by Chia Lok Lee and his partner Zhu, had applied for an extension to its current street trader’s licence to enable it to operate beside the loch twice a week.

However, the owners of the nearby Herges on the Loch restaurant had voiced objections to the application on the grounds that it might take business away from them by reducing the number of parking spaces available for customers.

Owners Karen and Sandy Craig wrote to Scottish Borders Council officers saying: “Our grounds of objection relate to the close proximity to our business. We are enclosing a plan of our boundary and wish to stress that the car park in question is not 100m from our boundary.

“Our planning permission was granted on the grounds that this car park would be used as part-requirement for car-parking spaces on our planning application.

“To comply with the regulations, this trailer has to be attached to the towing vehicle, and that takes up five parking spaces alone.

“On a personal note, we think that this detracts from the lovely scenery and tourist attraction that Gunknowe Loch is. Perhaps there are other sites in Tweedbank which may be suitable.”

However, the council’s civic government licensing committee was not swayed by their arguments and voted to grant the Lees their licence, subject to planning permission.

The new licence will allow Kowloon Kitchen to operate from the Tweedbank Drive car park on Thursdays and Fridays, Netherdale Industrial Estate in Galashiels on Mondays and Saturdays and Stow on Sundays.

As the van will be stationary for over four hours at each location, the business will still need approval from the council’s planning department before it can proceed.

Speaking after yesterday’s committee meeting, Hawick and Hermitage councillor George Turnbull said: “It was felt by the committee that because it was offering a different type of food it wasn’t really competing with Herges.

“There’s still a procedure to get through with planning because there may be future retail units nearby.

“Our legal advice was that although the 100-metre rule exists, it has been successfully challenged in Scotland.

“There were a number of options for where the van could be situated in the car park, and we chose the one which provided the most shielding from the view at Herges.

“Hopefully, we’ve found a compromise in a suitable area.”

A woman has admitted assaulting two police officers during a disturbance last weekend.

Lisa McGowan, 24, of Ramsay Road, Hawick, appeared from custody at Selkirk Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to biting a constable’s wrist, kicking him in the groin and butting his chest to his injury.

She also admitted scratching another officer’s arm to his injury and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

Those offences were committed in Northcote Street in Hawick on Saturday.

Sheriff Peter Paterson expressed concern that McGowan was appearing in court for the second time in a short period of time.

Sentence was deferred until August 20 for the production of background reports.

A woman has admitted several offences after repeatedly causing trouble for hospital workers and pub staff.

Kellie Marie Carter, 41, of Fisher Avenue, Hawick, pleaded guilty at Selkirk Sheriff Court to causing disturbances and obstructing staff at the Borders General Hospital in Melrose on December 17 and February 24.

She also admitted refusing to leave the Gluepot pub in Galashiels on January 2 and struggling violently with staff there.

Sentence has been deferred until August 13 for the production of background reports.

A man has admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at Gala Park in Galashiels and at the Borders General Hospital at Melrose on June 18.

Corrie Stanners, of Cherry Park, Tweedbank, also pleaded guilty to breaking two glass panels.

The 23-year-old pleaded not guilty to a third charge of assaulting a man by seizing his hand and pulling his arm through a broken glass door panel.

A trial date has been fixed for Selkirk Sheriff Court on August 14, and sentence was deferred on the other two offences until that date.

A 39-year-old man involved in a bust-up with his partner has been ordered to carry out 50 hours’ unpaid work at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

Andrew Wood, of Gala Park, Galashiels, pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at a house in Summerfield, Earlston, on March 15.

Background reports have been ordered on a 34-year-old woman after she admitted stealing make-up products from a Kelso shop.

Elizabeth Steven pleaded guilty to committing that offence at Roxburgh Street’s Semi-Chem store on May 10.

Mark Keane, prosecuting, told Selkirk Sheriff Court that a staff member saw Steven taking the products, valued at around £10, from a display and leaving the shop without paying.

That theft was reported to police, and officers were sent round to Steven’s former home in Kelso, but after being cautioned and charged, she replied: “I can’t remember.”

Defence lawyer Stephanie Clinkscale said: “She was going through a difficult relationship with her husband.

“It was a cry for help in the hope that she would be caught.”

Sentence was deferred on Steven, now living in Hawick, until August 20 at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

Being found in possession of a class-A drug has resulted in a £200 fine for a Galashiels man.

Stuart Moffett, 26, pleaded guilty to possessing heroin with intent to supply at his home in Glendinning Terrace on May 11.

Depute fiscal Mark Keane told Selkirk Sheriff Court that police executing a search warrant found 6.8 grammes of heroin and drug-related equipment there.

The drugs seized had a value of between £200 and £250, the court heard.

A row over a salmon-fishing permit notice led to a 62-year-old assaulting a leisure centre worker.

Derek Brown pleaded guilty to committing that offence at the Gytes Leisure Centre in Peebles on April 30.

Depute fiscal Mark Keane told Selkirk Sheriff Court how the dispute arose at around 2.15pm after Brown went into the reception area of the Walkershaugh centre to ask about a fishing permit.

He became agitated and argumentative with the staff member and started shouting that he was going to get the worker sacked, appearing to be under the influence of alcohol, the court heard.

Brown then tried to buy a drink but the dispensing machine was not working, prompting him to become more abusive.

Mr Keane said: “He was asked to stop swearing, but he went up behind the staff member and punched him to the right side of the torso.

“He was not injured but walked into the office and phoned the police.”

Brown drove off in a Ford Focus after that assault, and when police caught up with him, he was found to have neither insurance nor a driving licence.

Brown, of George Terrace in Peebles, was fined a total of £320 and ordered to pay £50 compensation to the leisure centre worker.

In addition, he had six penalty points placed on any future licence for the insurance offence.

A woman has been banned from the road for 16 months at Selkirk Sheriff Court after admitting driving while more than five times the legal alcohol limit.

Julie Dennison, 53, had pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to driving with a breath-alcohol count of 113 microgrammes, the legal limit being 22, on the A72 Galashiels-Hamilton road between Cardrona and Innerleithen on Monday, June 3, and was back for sentencing after reports.

She also admitted a dangerous driving charge.

Depute fiscal Mark Keane explained that the incident began at around 11.40am when a couple travelling eastwards along the A72 came up behind the accused’s car.

He said: “She was driving very slowly and was swerving into the other lane and back and hitting a grass verge.

“The driver of the car behind felt the safest thing to do was overtake the Peugeot, but the accused became annoyed at this and began to tailgate the other car and was flashing her lights.

“When the driver got into the 30mph zone in Peebles Road, Innerleithen, he pulled over to let the accused past, but she pulled over and got out of the car.

“She appeared to be drunk and unsteady on her feet.

“The police were contacted. The accused attempted to get back into the car but was prevented from doing so.”

Police officers attended at around midday and found Dennison to be under the influence of alcohol.

Defence lawyer Ed Hulme said his client was under a great deal of stress at the time of the offences.

He said she had consumed some alcohol after the incident but accepted she was over the limit at the time of driving.

In addition to a 16-month disqualification, Dennison, of Cardrona, was ordered to carry out 80 hours’ unpaid work in the community.

Selkirk biotech company Ryboquin has taken over English partner operation Nanogenic Solutions to form a new product and platform firm to be renamed Nanogenics.

Ryboquin raised £4.45m to bankroll that acquisition by securing a third round of funding from new and existing shareholders.

The combined company hopes to revolutionise gene therapy by pioneering safe, efficacious and regular dosing of all its forms.

Currently, viruses and liposomes are used in that process, but they have limited applications and severe side-effects and also pose expensive technical problems.

Nanogenics is developing LipTide, an artificial virus, to act as a delivery system able to be modified to target different cell types.

Alan Walker, chief executive officer of Nanogenics, said: “I am thrilled we have been able to combine these two businesses.

“It will offer real hope to those millions of patients living with diseases who have been unable to benefit from the advances in gene therapy because, until now, it has been so difficult to safely deliver the correct gene therapy to the right target.

“That can now change, and we are already working with six major biotech companies who want to access this exciting delivery mechanism.”

Nanogenics is also developing its own product pipeline to take advantage of the breakthrough afforded by LipTide, and a clinical trial is planned at the Christie Hospital Manchester in 2020.

Paul Murray, executive chairman of the Dunsdale Road firm, added: “We have worked hard and convinced investors of the huge potential of LipTide, and we plan to grow the company quickly to a stage where we can take it public as soon as that is feasible.

“This is a great opportunity to generate real value by offsetting the high-risk, high-return of product development with the amazing potential for multiple licence deals for the revolutionary LipTide platform.”

“It is very rewarding to be involved in the cutting edge of medical science.”

Business leaders have welcomed plans to boost trade in Hawick and Galashiels town centres by relaxing planning regulations.

Scottish Borders Council’s planning and building standards committee has agreed to no longer restrict the types of business allowed to open in Hawick’s High Street for a one-year trial period.

In Galashiels, however, the committee agreed to retain restrictions on the types of business permitted to open in Channel Street and Bank Street, but it did agree to take a more flexible approach allowing previously-barred businesses to trade there.

The impact made by those changes will be assessed over the next year, and if the pilot project is judged a success, it will be tried out in the region’s other towns too.

The Federation of Small Businesses has welcomed that move.

Garry Clark, its development manager for the east of Scotland, said: “The nature of retail is changing right across the country, and the Borders is no exception to current trends.

“The demise of large retailers and moves to out-of-town and online retail – driven by customer demand – are all putting pressure on our town centres.

“Councils need to be imaginative and agile in their response to this, and that is exactly what Scottish Borders Council has done.

“These changes could, for example, make it easier for a struggling shop to be turned into a thriving café.

“We have long called for greater flexibility of planning rules to enable a quicker and smoother transition from one type of business to another in our town centres.

“As the need for large retail space diminishes, our towns must adapt or decline.

“Our future high streets must embrace a broader variety of retail, commercial and residential uses if we are to retain their character at the centre of our communities.

“Scottish Borders Council is to be congratulated for making it easier to do business in town centres like Hawick and Galashiels, and we hope that this enlightened attitude will open the door to new opportunities for local businesses.”

Galashiels retailer Naomi Harrod, boss of the Wool Shop in High Street since last month, has also given the plans the thumbs-up.

She said: “I’m fully supportive of this. If you go around the town centre, there are currently 26 empty premises, and I’d much rather see those shops open and creating footfall.

“It’s all about a variety of premises, and to have those empty shops filled would be amazing. It’s definitely a good idea.”

Last week’s rethink of planning rules in the hope of reviving Hawick and Galashiels’ high streets has been welcomed by councillors in the two towns.

Scottish Borders Council’s planning and building standards committee has agreed to no longer restrict the types of business allowed to open in Hawick’s High Street for a one-year trial period.

In Galashiels, restrictions will be retained on the types of business permitted to open in Channel Street and Bank Street, but the committee did agree to take a more flexible approach allowing previously-barred businesses to operate there.

The impact made by those changes in regulations for both towns’ retail hubs will be assessed over the next year, and if the pilot project is judged to be a success, it will be tried out in the region’s other towns too.

Galashiels councillor Harry Smith said: “I’m generally in favour of the plans as long as the changes will allow businesses to open which will bring people into the town centre.

“Big-chain retail businesses are seeking to close shops rather than open them and are looking more and more to do business online.

“Many of the big retail chains see towns in the Borders as being too small to support the level of business they deem to be profitable, so we need to rethink the strategy.

“Nothing will happen overnight, but initiatives like the city deal and Borderlands deal, which will bring much-needed investment into the Borders, will hopefully ignite a regeneration of our town centres, along with the proposed relaxation of the planning rules.”

Judith Cleghorn, chairwoman of Galashiels Community Council, is also in favour, saying: “I’d welcome anything that increases footfall into Galashiels, but I think we’re in a slightly different position to Hawick because of the Great Tapestry of Scotland, which I think will be an amazing asset and attract businesses to the town and increase footfall.”

Hawick and Denholm councillor Stuart Marshall is even more positive, saying: “I’m absolutely delighted that planning rules around our town centre are to be changed, and with this pilot scheme being trialled in Hawick, I’m certainly of the opinion that such change can only serve to tackle some of the main issues that our High Street and town centre are facing at the moment.

“Everyone is well aware of how retail and shopping habits have changed in recent years, and this, in turn, has sparked an increase in vacancy rates as well as a downturn in footfall, so it’s only right that planning policies also react to such change.

“Hopefully, the removal of so many rules and restrictions will, in turn, complement the other pieces of work that are currently under way in order to breathe new life into our High Street and town centre.”

Fellow Hawick and Denholm councillor Clair Ramage, a member of the planning committee, added: “I am only too aware of the changes that we have seen on Hawick High Street over the years.

“When I first moved to Hawick 40 years ago, the High Street had garages, hotels and was a vibrant shopping centre.

“There was a variety of shops – toyshops and shoe shops etc – but with the changes to shopping habits, we have seen the demise of high streets across the country.

“By bringing in these changes, and a more versatile approach, it is hoped that we will see more varied businesses and encourage more footfall.

“Empty shops define the High Street, creating a sense of dereliction, and hopefully with this more flexible approach, it will change the fortunes of our town centre.”

Also cautiously supportive is Hawick and Hermitage councillor Davie Paterson.

He said: “Everyone wants to see our high streets busy again, but we have to be sure that we are putting in the correct type of business so that they complement their upstairs neighbours.”

“If you just consider it, there are a lot of people that live in the High Street above some of the shops. There seems to be an abundance of café-type businesses on the High Street and nice places to have a meal, but if there were a lot more, would it be sustainable?

“I recently put in an objection on behalf of several constituents who were unhappy at the prospect of having a grill below them and fears of house prices plummeting if the wrong business was going in to vacant premises.

“Let’s not forget that the houseowners that live on the High Street are living there 24/7. How much consultation took place with them?

“After chatting to a constituent, I am keen to push the idea of a High Street residents’ association.”

A teenager has appeared in private at Selkirk Sheriff Court charged with rape.

Oran O’Neill, 19, of Gordon in Berwickshire, is accused of committing that offence in Galashiels.

He made no plea, and the case was continued for further examination.

O’Neill was released on bail until the case returns to court.

No date has yet been given for his next appearance before a sheriff.

Three Borders towns are in with a chance of being named the most beautiful in Scotland.

Kelso, Melrose and Peebles have been been shortlisted for that title for 2018 by online tourist information centre Hidden Scotland.

They are among 35 contenders, and the winner of this inaugural competition will be announced on Friday, August 10.

The other finalists include Oban in Argyll and Bute, Fort Augustus in Boleskine and Abertarff, Findhorn in Moray, Anstruther in Fife, Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire, Pittenweem, Crieff, Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway, Tobermory on the Isle of Mull and Pitlochry in Perthshire.

The winner will be the one that has most votes for it cast online at hiddenscotland.co/scotlands-most-beautiful-town

Jack Cairney, founder of Hidden Scotland in 2015, said: “I’m excited to start our search for Scotland’s most beautiful town or village, our audience have picked some of the most charming and picturesque places you can visit in Scotland, and it’s a delight to be able to showcase some of these places.

“Everyone has a town or village that has a special place in their hearts, each with a valid reason why it’s the best, so now is the time to crown the most beautiful.”

“Each finalist in the running for the title has its own unique character which makes it stand out from the rest.”

Plans to set up a training centre in Hawick for textile industry workers and expand the town’s Borders College campus as part of a near £7.7m funding package have been welcomed by councillors there.

As reported in last week’s Southern, that money is to be paid out over two years by the South of Scotland Economic Partnership, a forerunner to a regional enterprise agency being launched in 2020.

The aim of the planned centre for excellence for textile workers is to tackle what Scottish Borders Council describes as a critical skills shortage hampering companies’ efforts to boost their productivity.

Awarded funding of £610,00, it is one of four enterprise projects intended to reinvigorate the south of Scotland’s economy.

The partnership is handing out £7.68m altogether, and £6.6m of that will be split between Borders College and Dumfries and Galloway College to create a physical and digital hub network to provide better access to training in health and social care, renewable energy, engineering and construction.

Hawick’s Borders College campus in Buccleuch Road will be reconfigured to accommodate a science, technology, engineering and mathematics hub offering training for seeking employment in construction or renewables.

The bill for that work is expected to come to about £1.2m, bringing the amount of investment lined up for Hawick to £1.8m-plus, accounting for almost a quarter of the partnership’s spending spree.

College chief executive officer Angela Cox said: “I am delighted that the partnership recognises the importance of skills in supporting our businesses to improve productivity.

“This project gives us a platform to transform how we provide learning opportunities for everyone within the Borders.”

The multi-million-pound funding package announced for the Borders yesterday by Scottish Government rural secretary Fergus Ewing has been welcomed by councillors here.

Mid Berwickshire councillor Mark Rowley, the council’s executive member for business and economic development, said: “The partnership was only formed earlier this year, so the speed with which this significant funding announcement has come about bodes extremely well for the south of Scotland enterprise agency in the longer term.

“This is an exciting announcement that will support projects across the south of Scotland and the Borders, and I’m delighted that Scottish Borders Council has been working with our South of Scotland Economic Partnership colleagues to deliver these initiatives quickly.

“The Borders textiles and knitwear industries are exceptional, often with world-renowned reputations.

“Creating a dedicated centre of excellence in the iconic setting of Hawick demonstrates a commitment to provide industry-specific training to enable our outstanding textile firms to link with skilled young people to take up the opportunities that are available.

“This is a great way to support the sector and builds on the international reputation of the Borders for textiles, exemplified by the reputation of the great brands and institutions like Heriot-Watt University’s campus in Galashiels.

“Access to learning is a critical issue across the Borders, so starting to deliver a real opportunity for young people to study and learn locally, particularly in skills that are needed here, either in growing business sectors or hard-to-recruit areas, is absolutely vital to the future of the south of Scotland.

“This is a great first step in getting real access to learning out to our dispersed communities.”

Hawick and Denholm councillor Stuart Marshall agrees, saying: “This is just fantastic news for Hawick.

“I’m thrilled that we are to receive financial assistance to create such a facility in the home of knitwear and textiles.

“Our knitwear industry is home to a very highly-skilled workforce producing outstanding products for world-famous fashion houses, but workforces do retire and technology is changing all the time.

“Therefore it is equally important to keep up with such changes, and now we have a real opportunity to develop our skills within this sector, and this, in turn, will, I’m sure, future proof the industry within our town.”

Hawick and Hermitage councillor Watson McAteer said: “This is really good news for the Borders, and I am delighted that the new centre of excellence in textiles will be based in Hawick, the home of textiles.

“This creates a real opportunity for our established world-class knitwear industry to maintain a flow of a highly-skilled and well-trained workforce.

“The Borders’ share of the skills and learning network is also very welcome and creates a real opportunity to grow the wealth of our residents, create new jobs and improve quality of life.

“While the devil is, of course, in the detail and I know renewables is an emotive issue in the Borders, the overall message is that this is fantastic news for Hawick and the Borders.

“I am delighted to hear that over £1m is to be invested in the Borders College campus in Hawick.

“The investment in construction skills and training has a very real potential for increasing job opportunities for our young people.

“This type of investment is exactly what Hawick needs and helps resolve the problem of youngsters who have no wish to follow a university career and want to remain living and working in their home town or community.”

Fellow Hawick and Hermitage councillor George Turnbull added: “It’s absolutely fantastic news that the Hawick is going to benefit from the first of hopefully many significant amounts of investment to help regenerate the economy of the Borders.

“The new South of Scotland Economic Partnership is certainly getting off to a great start in addressing major issues of training skills over several sectors, and I am particularly excited about the new textiles training centre, which should go a long way to ease the pressure for the knitwear sector to be able to recruit individuals skilled and ready to be involved in our high-quality textile sector.

“£610.000 over two years will go a long way to address the industry’s critical skills issue, and I am confident that it will deliver the appropriate training skills required by our local textile companies.

“I am looking forward to further important news as the partnership, alongside the Borderlands inclusive growth deal, develops other major projects to deliver a real injection into our economy to create greater opportunities for our businesses to grow to their full potential and create more employment throughout the Borders.”

Funding of almost £221,000 is also being set aside to pay for seven community projects intended to be money-spinners for their host towns and villages, three of them being in the Borders – at Peebles, Newlands and Tweedsmuir.

“The initiative to trial funding for community development support in Peebles, Newlands and Tweedsmuir will be welcomed by many communities,” added Mr Rowley.

“This is us giving communities the resources to deliver for themselves.”

“Too often, communities have great vision, drive and enthusiasm but often lack the practical support to deliver their dreams.

“This model could see community-supported schemes become much more practical to deliver across the Borders and see much closer engagement between communities, founders and private-sector and public agencies.”

Mr Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, said: “This is a clear statement of the Scottish Government’s intent to grow and regenerate the economy in the south of Scotland.”

“Earlier this year, we brought together experts from the public and private sectors to create a new, dedicated partnership, in advance of the new enterprise agency, to drive forward that regeneration.

“The partnership has now identified four projects that are sure to bring long-term social and economic benefits to the area. Of course, these are major projects which will take time to be worked up and delivered.

“It’s great to see the South of Scotland Economic Partnership injecting fresh impetus into the area’s economy.

“I’m certain that, with the dedicated focus and expertise it provides, backed up by significant levels of Scottish Government funding, we will see a tangible strengthening of the economic environment in one of Scotland’s most important regions.”

Partnership chairman Russel Griggs added: “This funding announcement is exciting news and confirms our ambition and commitment to make the south the thriving economy we know it can be.

“There is a huge amount of work under way in the partnership to support and develop projects which will deliver long-term social and economic benefits. We will make further funding announcements shortly.

“Our recent engagement exercise, with 26 events and over 500 people attending, gave a valuable insight into what we require to do.

“Better opportunities for training and supporting communities were key priorities. The announcement of funding today demonstrates our commitment to address these priorities immediately.”