September community engagement in Tealing. Exploring the future for Tealing village

The conversations and ideas keep flowing in Tealing. We have had conversations and chats with many people at different local activities.   In early September we were at the Family BBQ in Tealing Hall. And last week we held a very popular, activity afternoon for older people, with 30 people coming along.  We have also met…

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This is an update for people who have taken part in or supported the Borders Buddies project in Tweeddale over the last months. As you may know, this project was kindly funded by Scottish Borders Council Community Fund for one year. Although this funding stream has now ended, we have a few offshoots and partnership…

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Hello and welcome to our latest Outside the Box South-East Newsletter. Where has the year gone, it is flying by. It has been great being able to get out and see people in person again, it really does feel like some sort of ‘normality’ is returning. As always, we have been very busy here in…

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By leaves we live

By leaves we live Creating community in a green world ‘How many people think twice about a leaf? Yet the leaf is the chief product and phenomenon of Life: this is a green world, with animals comparatively few and small, and all dependent upon the leaves.’ This quote from Sir Patrick Geddes (1854-1932) is equally,…

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Outside the Box South East Team newsletter winter 2021

It has been a challenging year for many, however we have also had lots of positives to take away from 2021. Like everyone, we have continued to find new and creative ways of working and connecting with people. We have met new partners and explored some new opportunities which our flexible approach has helped us…

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Cartoon of a woman at a desk, video calling

In the Scottish Borders, we have the exciting role of coordinating the sharing of learning among the various Creating Better Lives projects funded by the Life Changes Trust in the Scottish Borders. Each of these groups is unique and has a different model, but all share in common the fact they are supporting people living with…

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Last week Jan and I spent the afternoon in Newcastleton learning to play the ukulele along with a group of local older people as part of our Flourishing Borders project.  Jim Benton-Evans a ukulele player from Peebles made the trip south to help us run the session. When Jim, Jan & I arrived at the…

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Two issues close to our hearts here at Outside the Box were raised in a recent episode of the BBC’s Countryfile:  Dementia and Rural Communities. The episode looked at dementia and how this affects people living in the rural farming communities. They highlighted a piece of research – Rural Dementia – We Need To Talk – which…

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As part of Eyemouth’s very first Wellness Week we held our own very first Happiness Habits Café. We ran this through our new Flourishing Borders project – encouraging good mental health and wellbeing among older people in the Scottish Borders. We were a little apprehensive in the run up to the first Café – would anyone…

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5 Tips to make eating more enjoyable As people age, their interest in eating and mealtime enjoyment can change. Some older adults find that their senses of taste or smell decrease, making food seem less appealing than it did in the past. Others eat less because of difficulties chewing or digesting as they get older.…

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