Community

SKIRLING COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN

Skirling’s Community Action Plan (CAP) was compiled over a period of engagement with Skirling residents in 2023 to summarise community views about:

Skirling now, and how it is changing
The vision for the future of Skirling
The issues that matter most to the community
Priorities for projects and actions

The plan will be our guide for what we – as a community – try to make happen over the next 5 years. Download a copy of the CAP by clicking here.

COMMUNITY GROUPS

There are several community groups within the village, which include Skirling Community Council, the Village Hall Committee, Resilient Skirling and Skirling Kirk.

All of these groups are keen to welcome involvement from villagers and more information and contact details can be found below.

Skirling Community Council

Skirling Community Council is here to help – to advise, petition, influence and advocate village matters on behalf of the community. It provides a link between our community, our councillors and Scottish Borders Council officers.

The council meets five times a year to discuss village matters including village maintenance, local planning and funds available for the community and is linked to other community councils within the Tweeddale Area Partnership, meeting regularly to discuss matters of common interest. Click here to read about Community Councils in the Scottish Borders.

Meetings are held in the village hall on the last Thursday in the months of January, March, May, September and November – they start at 7.30pm and all residents are more than welcome to attend.

For the latest approved minutes for the community council, please click here.

Following the latest elections in 2022, your community councillors are:
Andrew Clark, Esther Daborn, Isobel Hunter, Ross McIntyre and Robert Laird. Co-opted members include Paul Barlow, Katy Miller and Sara van der Vat. Acting as Minutes Secretary is Alison Leite.

Contact Details

To have your say and tell us about any village maintenance issues, local planning or other issues you wish to bring to our attention – contact us via email at secretaryskirlingcc@gmail.com.

Village Hall Committee

Skirling Village Hall (1903) is owned and run by Skirling village itself – it belongs to the villagers. Day to day management is by a committee of volunteers, who are responsible for maintenance of the building, hiring out the hall and running village social events.

For the latest approved minutes for the village hall committee, please click here.

The hall is available for hire to villagers at a minimal cost per hour. Please click here for the booking form.

Contact Details

Please contact Katy Miller for more information (01899 860 252).

Resilient Skirling

If you need any assistance at all when times are hard, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Resilient Skirling. They can help with shopping, collections, dog walks and company and can also offer financial help where needed – with funds provided by the Pauline Fund, SBC and the Clyde Valley and Glenkerie Windfarm Funds.

Contact Details

Tel: 860274 (Bob & Isobel Hunter) | 860252 (Katy Miller). Email: ResilientSkirling@gmail.com

Skirling Kirk

Every Sunday morning at 11.30 people gather for worship in Skirling Kirk under the banner of the Church of Scotland, maintaining a long tradition of Christianity ‘up the hill’. Every third week worship is lead by our Minister Rev Dr Foley and other weeks services are ably led by teaching elders. We have organists to lead the singing and our little church has a great acoustic making for a cheerful sound even with limited numbers! After the service everyone gathers for coffee and biscuits and a good catchup. Our church family is always happy to welcome visitors whether seeking spiritual sustenance, community or just curious.

Skirling is now part of the United Parish of Upper Tweeddale along with Broughton and Tweedsmuir, which itself is part of the West Tweeddale linking with Carlops, Newlands and St. Andrew’s West Linton, six churches, six congregations, six services every Sunday… so you can understand why the Minister can only be here every third week! The Skirling Lunch Club, Broughton Primary Breakfast Club and the Skirling Green Christian Aid Car Boot Sale are all Parish of Upper Tweeddale projects, and the very first Village Clean Up was organised by the church before being taken on by the Community Council. There are many more examples of outreach within West Tweeddale.

Contact Details

Minister: Rev Dr Tony Foley. Tel: 07793 294000 | Email: tfoley@churchofscotland.org.co
Listening Hour: every 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday between 10.30 and 11.30 Tony can be found at the Laurel Bank café in Broughton if you would like to speak with him.

Session Clerk: Isobel Hunter. Tel: 01899 860 274 | Email: isobel@skirlinghouse.com

Websites: www.uppertweeddale.org.uk or www.westtweeddale.org.uk. Facebook @parishofuppertweeddale.

Charity No. SCO 04728