Duns Senior Citizens Club
Funding
The funding has transformed the way we are able to serve our community. Before receiving this support, our team often struggled to meet the growing demand for our services. Thanks to the grant, we were able to expand both our capacity and our impact.
As an organisation, we advocate for mental health and wellbeing and this funding has ensured our staff have been able to access Creating Hope training in person to ensure we are providing the best mental health support.
Most importantly, the grant gave us the stability to plan ahead rather than operate in crisis mode. This stability has helped us strengthen partnerships, grow our reach, and ensure that more people benefit from our mission.
The funding has not only increased the number of people we can help, but also deepened the quality of that help. It has given us the capacity to make a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve.
The funding has had a meaningful impact on the individuals and communities we serve. As an example, two people were able to access bereavement counselling, which provided them with tailored emotional support at a very difficult time in their lives. Both have shared that this has helped them feel less isolated and more able to cope with their grief. The counsellor noted a significant positive change in both of their wellbeing scores at their final sessions.
“I feel I can now handle stress in healthy way”
50 people have benefited from participating in cultural trips to Blackpool and Glasgow. These experiences not only offered opportunities for social connection and enjoyment, but also helped participants to broaden their horizons, strengthen community bonds, and reduce feelings of loneliness. A participant on the trip to Blackpool told us:
“Summer holiday time can be stressful if you haven’t got any trips booked. Today has been a great day out, sometimes you just need to get away for a day. I have chatted to people today that I haven’t seen for so long”
Exercise groups remain popular, and all spaces were filled within a day of advertising the classes. (12 spaces per class). One participant told us:
“There is nothing to do in this village if you don’t want to go to the pub. It is nice to have some time to yourself, and I feel so much better after doing it”
However, people also show concern that the classes would come to an end:
“I am starting to see and feel the benefits now and I would be gutted if the classes stop. Or if they fill up before I get a chance to join”
Many participants expressed that these trips gave them a renewed sense of belonging.
Overall, the funding has contributed to improving wellbeing, building resilience, and fostering stronger community connections.
Recruiting volunteers in this current climate remains a challenge, however the opportunity for more people to engage with NDCT and see what can be offered has given many a renewed sense of belonging. One person who attended some of the Art classes then volunteered a Pickleball session with our youth group in the summer holidays. Another person who wishes to gain experience within the hospitality industry has requested to volunteer for some of our Warm and Well sessions later this year to support food preparation.
One volunteer is now working through a food hygiene course through Alison Online courses and plans to support our classes starting in November.
With this funding, we have been able to strengthen and expand the support we provide to our service users. The consistency of our programmes has allowed participants to build meaningful connections with one another, with many enjoying regular groups such as singing, art, and walking. These activities not only offer creative and social outlets but also foster a sense of community, with members celebrating birthdays, achievements, and simply the opportunity to connect and spend time together.
We have also expanded our services by welcoming a professional counsellor to deliver bereavement counselling for clients referred by our local GP surgery, ensuring tailored support is available for those in need. In addition, we held our first menopause information session in partnership with Healthy Working Lives. While this initial event took place during the day, participant feedback highlighted a preference for evening sessions. We have responded to this insight and plan to schedule the next session accordingly as part of the next phase of our project.
Staff have been given the opportunity to understand “The 6 ways to be Well” in the Scottish borders and are confidently implementing this into their practice.
Through this funding, we have been able to build and strengthen key partnerships that are creating lasting benefits for our community. One of the most significant has been with Newcastleton Medical Centre. We now host bereavement counselling sessions delivered by a professional counsellor in our wellbeing room at Buccleuch House and the medical centre refer patients to our counsellor. By offering this support locally, clients can access vital services without the burden of travel, and the surgery continues to make referrals after seeing the positive impact on patient wellbeing. One client stated that they feel they have hugely benefited from being able to talk to someone neutral and not be judged by family/friends.
This partnership has laid the foundation for an ongoing referral pathway, ensuring that access to support can be sustained into the future.
We have also collaborated with Healthy Working Lives to deliver a menopause information session, benefitting from their expertise, resources, and encouragement. Their continued involvement is enabling us to plan future sessions tailored to community needs, with adjustments such as offering evening events in response to participant feedback. This ongoing relationship strengthens our ability to deliver high-quality, relevant information and support on important health topics.
Together, these partnerships demonstrate not only immediate impact but also the potential for sustainable collaboration that will continue to enhance community wellbeing well beyond the lifetime of this funding.
Funding has been transformational for our organisation. It has allowed us to move beyond short-term, reactive support and begin embedding services that will bring lasting benefits to the community. With this stability, we are now able to plan strategically and expand our offer in ways that directly respond to local needs.
Our future plans include:
All of these services are supported by NDCT staff, trained volunteers, and professional partners, ensuring both quality and continuity.
In the long term, this approach will promote equal access to essential services, cultural activities, and fitness opportunities for everyone in the community, regardless of age, mobility, or income. Most importantly, it will help ensure that Newcastleton remains a place where residents of all ages — including the most vulnerable — feel connected, supported, and able to thrive within their own community.
We found the funding application process clear and manageable, with guidance notes that were easy to follow and questions that allowed us to demonstrate the impact of our work. The reporting requirements have been proportionate to the level of funding, which we value, as it means we can focus our time and energy on delivery rather than administration.
BCA staff remained supportive throughout the process and their knowledge and guidance is appreciated.
Our experience has been positive, and we appreciate that the funder’s processes are designed to balance accountability with accessibility. Any steps that further reduce the administrative burden would help small organisations like ours devote even more of our limited capacity to supporting the community direct.
Like many organisations in the third sector, we are navigating a very challenging funding environment. Continued support would enable us to remain a reliable and consistent lifeline for our remote rural community, ensuring that people continue to have access to vital opportunities for connection, wellbeing, and tailored support close to home.
In addition to financial investment, access to training and resources for our staff and volunteers would strengthen our capacity to deliver high-quality services and respond to emerging community needs. With this support, we could build resilience within our organisation, empower our team to make an even greater impact, and ensure our services remain sustainable for the future.
By strengthening partnerships, implementing a sustainable financial strategy, and expanding our volunteer network, we aim to reduce reliance on grant funding and move steadily towards long-term self-sufficiency.
