(Closed) B&Q Galashiels

Westruther community hall serves Westruther and the surrounding remote rural area. It provides a focal point for social gatherings in the community. The regular Winter uses continue for the 2025/6 season with indoor bowling very popular. A special Christmas bowling which is always a fun night is all set for 23rd December. The Santa Visit with procession of Santa in his sleigh ending with gifts for the children was yet again the highlight of The Christmas Fair on 5th December 2025. This year’s event was a HUGE success with a very high turnout of the local community. The children’s Scottish Dance Event on 21st December was once more a lively affair. Other recent events include cooking demos for the kids which are not only fun but provide life skills. On 31st December the community came together for the Family Hogmanay night hosted by the hall which is a particularly lively way of bringing the community together. As ever the hall continues through 2026 to host meetings of the local Community Council, The Women’s Institute and Community meetings. Details of upcoming events are posted on the Westruther Community page on Facebook so please check our link out for hot news!! Regular litter picking with kids involved is always a hoot! A big THANK YOU to all who helped. With no gym hall at the Primary School the Hall continues to work with Scottish Borders Council to provide exercise space for the school. It also hosts Playgroup/Nursery for younger citizens. Vital issues for the community tend to focus within the hall. Due to the village’s remote location with NO public transport and the nearest supermarket many miles away food poverty (and just plain getting to the shops!!) is an ongoing issue for many in the community, particularly the elderly. Throughout 2025 the community has rallied once more to provide a FREE Community resource within the hall comprising not only a desperately needed Food Bank but a resource for toys, games and even clothes with a “pre-loved” rail for School clothes. Contributions from local farmers of produce together with help from Warburtons Bakers and Fairshare Edinburgh have made this work well and the need has not abated. Further sources for food are urgently required. A very welcome donation was received just before the end of the year for our food bank from the Country Food Trust- a whole consignment of individual ready meal packs including free range pheasant curry and turkey casserole. YUMMY. These are particularly valuable since they are vacuum packed and long dated so are easy to store and on days when fresh food donations are low we can still offer a meal. Mid February 2026 and they are still working for us. A HUGE thank you then to the Country Food Trust and to Mark Ewart of the Southern Uplands Moorland Group for organising the donation.

We are a social enterprise aimed at reducing the gap between food waste and food inequality by providing healthy delicious food to people on a Pay What You Can basis ensuring everyone has the opportunity to eat out in a cafe environment. We also want to provide outside catering to community groups and also for private events and parties at low cost for those committed to reducing food waste.

The Innerleithen Swap and Share Shed, a community project free at point of use for anyone who requires. It was set up at the start of 2021 in response to a growing need within the community to help counter food poverty. The project also alleviates landfill, advocates recycling and supports a sense of community. It is situated at the back of the Co op car park in Innerleithen. Occasionally, we publish new projects in the local newspaper, The Peeblesshire. We are currently planning to design and create an extension to the shed with a herb garden, orchard and a seating area covered by an arbour. One of the primary concepts of the Shed is to allow users to use it with complete anonymity. The Shed is run completely by volunteers who collect food excess from Fareshare, Neighbourly and local supermarkets. These goods along with sanitary products, products handed in by members of the community, are placed in the shed for anyone the community, no matter their circumstances. The shed is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day to allow for discretion of users. We also delivered frozen food and ambient boxes to locals in need.