Page 19 - Borders General News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Education in the Borders is failing those in greatest need. Audit Scotland tells us that the gap in achievement between children from different economic backgrounds here is the widest in Scotland, is growing wider and that the achievement of our young people from the poorest homes is among the worst in Scotland. At the same time, Borders General has the worst waiting time figures in Scotland, with less than 75 per cent of A&E patients being seen in 4 hours or less. In the last year, the Borders has consistently been below the Scottish average and has never reached the Scottish Governmen...

THE Borders could get an 'empty homes officer' in an attempt to bring vacant properties in the region back into use. Members of Scottish Borders Council will discuss the role, which 22 local authorities in Scotland now have, at the executive committee meeting on Tuesday (April 20). Councillors on the committee will be asked to approve the use of £40,000 to fund the full-time role for 24 months. Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, funded by the Scottish Government, will also contribute £40,000 towards the position for the two years. READ MORE: A council paper, set to be discussed on ...

A MAJOR event scheduled for Peeblesshire could bring in £1.5 million, according to council papers. Members of Scottish Borders Council’s executive committee are due to meet on Tuesday (April 20) and will be asked to approve funding for the Enduro World Series (EWS) mountain biking event. Thousands of people are expected to visit Innerleithen and Peebles for the event in the autumn. Council papers state that the biking spectacle could have an “economic impact of £1.5m for the area”. READ MORE: “One of the key events for the Tweed Valley over the next few years is the Enduro...

The maternity service at NHS Borders has been awarded a gold award through Unicef's Baby Friendly Initiative. Photo: Sandra Seitamaa/Unsplash THE maternity service at NHS Borders has struck gold by achieving the top award in Unicef UK's Baby Friendly Initiative. The accreditation scheme helps health services provide safe spaces for new parents to breastfeed and build relationships with their babies. The initiative was introduced in the UK in 1994, and 91 per cent of maternity units in the UK are working towards their accreditation. In a video posted on NHS Borders’ Facebook page, Id...

AN INTERACTIVE map reveals which areas of the Borders have been least affected by coronavirus in recent days. The Public Health Scotland tool shows the number of cases per 100,000 population, over a seven-day period. The Borders figures are broken down into 30 neighbourhoods. And it shows that 11 communities have recorded between zero and two cases in the most recent seven-day period (January 17-23). They are: Tweeddale East; Peebles South; Peebles North; Lauder; Kelso South; Galashiels West; Ettrick, Yarrow and Lilliesleaf; Coldstream; Chirnside; Cheviot West and Berwickshire Centr...