- Walking Festival: Funded by Leader, Scottish Borders Council, Homecoming Fund, SNH, Awards for All, In-kind). Annual festival in a different Scottish Borders location – 2011 will take place in Hawick. The 2010 event was a great success with 25% increase in participants over last year and 34% increase in walk places sold. (2010).
- Renewable Energy event: Funded by Community Energy Scotland. Ran a renewable energy fair in Galashiels on 21st and 22nd May. The event was a success – although numbers attending were not as high as anticipated.
- Upland Conference: Very successful event held. (2010).
- Watson Bird Centre: Funded by LEADER, SNH, in kind. SUP has been working with Professor Roger Crofts to investigate for the potential for a centre in the Glenkens on the theme of birds and art at the home of the late Donald Watson. Bowles Green consultancy is working with Professor Crofts to undertake feasibility work. The project was granted a minor extension to allow use of some underspend and has now been completed.
- Land Art – Plant: Following discussions with the Scottish Arts Council a re-application was invited for Landart with a much more community focused approach. The LANDART team, Steve Chettle and Charlie Poulsen, felt that the SAC proposal compromised the project they wanted to deliver and declined the opportunity to resubmit on this basis. While we believe that the project has huge potential SUP could not devote any further time to developing the project at present and it will come off the project roster.
- Community Sustainable Energy Facilitators: With the Scottish Borders Sustainable Energy Forum and Community Council Network under the coordination of Berwickshire Community Council Forum Environment, we developed an application to the Climate Challenge Fund which has been rejected. We are considering reapplying. The project would create a number of surveyor posts to audit homes in the Borders and assist with insulation and draft exclusion.
- Ayrshire Red Squirrels. (2008).
- Farm Diversification: Objectives: to work with farming families within or close to National Scenic Areas with the aim of encouraging them to diversify into non-agricultural businesses based on high quality landscape and natural heritage. (2008).
- Red Squirrels in South of Scotland: Funders: SNH, BAGS, HLF, Forestry Commission Scotland, Charitable Trusts/donations. Objective: to maintain red squirrel refuge woodlands where viable populations of reds can persist in the southern Borders and Dumfries & Galloway. This is done by employing an officer who is working with foresters, agencies and the public. (2007).
- Biosphere: Objective: to raise awareness of the potential of Biosphere designation in the Galloway/Ayrshire region and to collect local opinions on the value of applying to UNESCO for Biosphere status. The final report was submitted in October and a DVD of the trip to the Cevennes (which took place in early November 07) is now completed and available to view via the SUP website as is the DVD of the trip. (2007).
- New Communities on the Edge (COTE): Funders: Carnegie UK Trust, Leader, Rural Challenge Fund, Scottish Enterprise, Estates, over three years. (November 2007).
Black Grouse project: Funders: SNH, RSPB, Leader+, BAGS, SBC £1,100) over two years. Objective: to halt the decline in the black grouse in the eastern southern uplands by working with key landowners and agencies and to develop a large scale upland restoration project. (Sept 2007). - Cheviot Hills Access Audit: Funders: SNH, SBC.
- S Scotland Countryside Trails 2: Funder: HLF. Feasibility work on an Annandale Link extension has been completed but the route has turned out to be problematic due to an unstable slope.
- New Rural Apprenticeships: Funders: Borders and S Lanarks L+, SLC, Borders College, SEB, Lantra, BFRS. A Borders/S Lanarks project to commission a study into existing provision for rural skills training in the light of forthcoming changes to rural development support and CAP reform.
- Local procurement of Food: Funders: D&G LA21, SEDG, Hugh Fraser Foundation, Scottish Community Diet Project. Contract awarded to Adam Wellings Consulting & Grassroots Food Network has been completed. The report has been published on the web and circulated to members of SEDG Planning to Succeed farming groups.
- Nature-based tourism: SUP meeting with VisitScotland executives in September to discuss role of NBT in strategy for south of Scotland. NBT has now been mainstreamed as part of VisitScotland strategy.
- Southern Upland Way: A Development Officer post has now been filled and as a result SUP coordination is no longer required.
- S Scotland Countryside Trails: Funders: SoSEP (ERDF Ob2); HLF; SNH; FE; Landfill tax and D&GC. Project now completed.
- SUW21: Funder: SBC, D&GC, SLC, SNH. Celebration of the 21st Birthday continuing – with Catalyst contracted to deliver project. SUW21 website established. Successful Objective 2 grant application will allow a route marketing manager to start work in April. The Scottish Communities Foundation is working on plan to run a challenge event on a part of the SUW in (2007).
- Red Squirrels in South Scotland Phase 2.
- SUW User Survey: Funder: D&GC, SBC, SUW.com, SNH, SLC, SED&G, Leader+. Detailed user survey has been completed by Crichton Tourism Research Centre and circulated. Summary report circulated to 940 businesses along the route and fliers now going out to those requesting them.
