New funding success for Borders Buddies!

Outside the Box South-East team are pleased to announce we have been successful with an application to the National Lottery Improving Lives fund to take our Borders Buddies project on to the next phase. 

Borders Buddies: the pilot 

After the first Lockdown, we were hearing from people and workers how difficult it was for some people to make connections in their communities. Some may have experienced poor physical health, some had had a bereavement, or recently moved to a new area. Some felt nervous about going out and about again, whether to do everyday things like shopping or to attend groups or activities. 

Supported by Scottish Borders Community fund for Tweeddale, we set up a project which supported people to ‘get back’ with the help of a ‘buddy’. Every buddy pair was bespoke, we listened to people telling us what they wanted to do and what the obstacles were. We accessed our wide network of contacts and local knowledge to find a suitable buddy. Sometimes the buddies were mutually supporting, each helped the other with ongoing challenges and building confidence. 

Ultimately, the project aimed to support people for as long as they needed it. Although some buddy pairs are still in touch as friends, many have now regained their connections and feel confident to go out and about on their own. 

 

The new project 

Thanks to £86k from the National Lottery, we are now in a position to take this project into outlying areas of Tweeddale as well as the Hawick area. We also have funding to cover the cost of a part-time worker for Hawick, see link to job advert here:

 

Here is what the National Lottery has said about our project: 

National Lottery funding can make amazing things happen in local communities across the country. This project delivered by Outside the Box Development Support Limited, is a great example of community activity in action, showing just what can be achieved when people come together for a common cause or to help others.  National Lottery players can be proud to know that the money they raise is helping to support this vital work and to help communities thrive. 

For more information, contact ruth.n@otbds.org or christine@otbds.org