What we do
We have a high profile in the community, working with the Community
Council (see their website at
), the schools, nurseries, etc. Consultation with the community
occurs through various mediums.
Primarily, we respond to requests
from both individuals and local groups who ask us to take forward
suggestions or project ideas, such as the Orchard Town Project.
Earlston Community Day
We organise a day each year, to
provide an opportunity for all the
community groups in Earlston to come together and share information
about their particular group, its activities and future plans.
The
day provides the whole community with the chance to see what is
going on in the village, get involved in new groups and discuss
future developments for our village.
Each year community groups
provide information, recruit new members and fundraise, and we have
managed to secure funding to put on various activities from crazy
golf to climbing walls and everyone comes out in force to enjoy the
day.
Orchard Town Project
This project started in 2011 with the aim of planting fruit trees
and bushes across Earlston transforming the town into an orchard.
The project aims to provide free fruit for all and develop a series
of initiatives such as community harvests, fruit pressing days and
the production of fruit products such as jams, chutneys and juices.
To date we have planted over 350 trees and fruit bushes in publicly
accessible places, established two nurseries growing our own supply
of local fruit trees, held fruit pressing days and own a community
juicer, pasteuriser and drier that the community can use.
Community Facility
One of our main long term
objectives is to create a community
centre, owned and led by the community of Earlston. This would
provide a central, physical space where people can access a range of
services, meet and find out more about local activities.
There would
be space for community groups to meet and deliver services, a venue
to host events/presentations/exhibitions/ parties and the potential
to create other amenities.
Play Park Cooperation
Along with the Community Council we
upgraded the Play Park at East
Green.
Cycling in Earlston
As elsewhere along the corridor of
the Tweed Valley, Earlston
embraces the bicycle and all the health benefits that come with its
use for recreation and leisure.
To that end the ECDT organise a
‘riding of the marches’ style bike ride as part of their annual
Community Days for those members of the community, young or old, who
wish to join in.
When they return from the ride around the town they
can then take part in more cycling activities by participating in
some grass track racing or attempt to ride around the skills course.
For the last two years we have also organised an Easter bike racing
event at the Cauldie Mill Meadow to encourage friendly competition
between riders of all ages.
There are plans in the pipeline to build
Earlston its very own pump track and to reinvigorate the Leader Bike
Club that had at least one National Downhill champion amongst its
members!
Earlston also benefits from being one of the towns to be
targeted by the Live Borders Cycle Skools program, at which primary
school aged youngsters can develop skills and abilities under the
guidance of qualified British Cyling coaches.
The sessions culminate
with the opportunity to compete against riders from other local
towns in a cyclo-cross style race in Galashiels.
For the
recreational cyclist Earlston is perfectly situated for fairly flat
road rides to Kelso, the Northumberland National Park just across
the English Border and even Berwick itself.
For the mountain bike
enthusiast there are lots of natural trails in the nearby Lammermuir
Hills or more challenging runs at Innerleithen and Glentress further
up the Tweed Valley.