Hall Refurbishments Aim for Economic Benefit

Nine public halls across the Borders are set for renovation and upgrading with councillors approving 218-thousand pounds of funding, in order to improve the region’s event offering.

The work includes 80-thousand pounds for new seating, carpeting and decor for the Tait Hall in Kelso, along with 40-thousand pounds for similar improvements at Selkirk’s Victoria Hall, and 45-thousand pounds for the Volunteer Hall in Galashiels. Other buildings to benefit are the Corn Exchange in Melrose, Hawick Town Hall, the Heart of Hawick, Innerleithen’s Memorial Hall, Old Gala House, and Stow Town Hall, with new PA systems being installed in many.

Scottish Borders Council leader Euan Jardine believes the funding and upgrading work will make these halls more attractive, usable and commercially beneficial to the local economy.

He stated: “These are key civic spaces that deliver real tangible outputs for our communities with the events they run themselves, from musicals, comedies, dramas and live music to events like our common ridings, but we’re looking at how we can expand their use to being wedding venues, for example, and enable people to hold other events in the Borders.

“That generates vital income for the council, for Live Borders but also for local businesses who can work with us to improve the Borders-wide event offering.

“We haven’t just decided to throw a lick of paint on an old hall. These are community halls and valuable community spaces so we have a responsibility to keep them up to a good standard, but we have been looking strategically at what these facilities really need, what have people been telling us they need to be able to realise potential, and what impact each one can deliver.

“So, we’re working with a lot of people internally across the council, with our Live Borders colleagues and with businesses across the Borders to understand what benefit each can bring to our communities, and our economy as a whole, and how that key investment can bring that benefit.”