Council sets deadline to take back control of some sport services from charity Live Borders

ITV Border's Isla Todd went to the meeting to hear about the future of Live Borders

Scottish Borders Council is taking back control of some sport services from Live Borders, the charity delivering sport, leisure and cultural services on the authority's behalf.

The council have set a deadline of the end of September to regain control of the services.

The charity has been experiencing financial problems since the Covid pandemic. At a meeting on 27 July 2024, elected members decided that the Active Schools and sports development services will return under council control.

A further report in September will look at the future of cultural facilities like libraries, museums, and visitor attractions.

The return of all services to the council was also considered.

Alison Moore, chair of Live Borders, added: “I and my fellow Trustees accept today’s decision by elected members to seek to change the governance of Live Borders

"We will work with Council colleagues to ensure that this transition is orderly and takes place as quickly as possible.

"The Trust remains firmly committed to delivering on our vision of supporting a healthier, happier and stronger Scottish Borders."

Live Borders has been operating since 2016 but in the last few years has experienced financial issues, relying on handouts from SBC to keep it afloat.

The charity has faced unprecedented challenges, including the Covid pandemic, cost of living and changes in customer trends.

The charity says it has invested millions of pounds from its financial reserves into sustaining services, facilities and equipment.

They have also recieved millions of pounds of funding from the Council to keep services running.

David Robertson, Chief Executive of Scottish Borders Council, said: "It was clear prior to the joint review that changes were required to help Live Borders get on a sustainable footing and protect the continued delivery of key services to our residents and visitors.

"We are committed to working closely with the Live Borders board and our colleagues to ensure a seamless transition to the new operating model.

"We will continue to work with Live Borders on the joint transformational change programme to ensure that together we are able to deliver the changes that are essential to us being able to meet the needs of our communities in an affordable and sustainable way across all sport, leisure and culture services."

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