The Chief Executive of Live Borders sets our her vision for the future of local services and facilities, which has been shaped by recent consultation and engagement.
In just under a week, Councillors will meet to discuss recommendations on changes to sport, leisure and cultural services and facilities, aimed at reducing growing costs and increasing income.
Influenced by consultation and engagement
The proposals have been heavily shaped by the views and suggestions of more than 5000 people, captured over months of consultation and engagement: local residents, community groups, community centre management committees and other key stakeholders.
Opportunities to do things differently at Live Borders have also been identified by its staff, a refreshed board of trustees and a new Chief Executive Officer, with a positive vision for the future and transformation plan set to be presented to Full Council next week, alongside proposals to reduce and adapt our property estate operated by Live Borders.
Catriona McAllister, CEO of Live Borders
“The volume and quality of the feedback we’ve received from across the whole of the Borders since the end of May has been fantastic. We’ve listened, and we’ve developed a plan for the future accordingly.
“Sport, leisure and culture trusts up and down the country are facing significant challenges in adapting to rising costs and changing patterns of usage, whilst public funds are under ever increasing pressure too.
“Without a doubt, Live Borders can be more efficient and effective in how it operates behind the scenes and in how we deliver services to our customers. That much has been clear to me since I took up my post in July, and we have already made changes, delivering £250,000 of savings, with another £250,000 on track to be delivered.
“Making savings is all well and good, but that can come at the expense of service provision. Our vision at Live Borders is to do more with what we’ve got, and to seek targeted investment from the Council and other sources to make changes to facilities and to services to widen access, to offer new things, bring more activities and events to our communities.
“This one-off investment can help us to drive up usage and income, which has a financial benefit year-after-year and can effectively pay back that initial investment over time. Income we generate stays within the charity, meaning we can use that to invest in other facilities and services in the future, which benefits even more people, and may even help increase income further. Success can breed success.
“There are definitely opportunities to grow our way out of some of the current financial issues, but we also have to tackle some of the underlying pressures, such as property costs. The two go hand in hand, as unless we reduce some of our costs then the funding and investment available to us will not go far enough or will not make as big a positive impact.
“Live Borders is here to make our communities healthier, happier and stronger. I want to deliver on that pledge, as do all those who work for us, whether that is in our libraries, our museums, our visitor attractions or our sport and leisure facilities.
“We can’t do it alone though. We need the Council’s support, and crucially that of our communities too. The feedback from the extensive consultation and engagement exercise was clear – you told us these facilities and services are important to you, so if we retain them, invest in them and programme more activities and events in them, then you must use them. If not, then we can’t continue to grow and even greater change will be required to reduce our costs.”