e NEWSLETTER
Principal’s Update
Hello everyone, I hope everyone who had time off over Easter was able to make the best of the intermittent good weather!
I’m very conscious, however, that while some of us are on leave, others continue to work throughout holiday periods. This includes considerable work on our estates plans, as the summer works schedule is put into place. Kirsty outlined much of this back in February
– look out for a more detailed article in next month’s newsletter.
One activity that took place over easter and that I would like to highlight was the development session attended by our Executive Team and members of our Regional Board. A particularly thought-provoking session delivered by Edinburgh University covered some philanthropic opportunities that may be available to the College. Noting that we are already beneficiaries of such activity – through sponsorship, grant-funding from trusts, gifts of materials, or simply people giving us some of their time – we did consider there is more we can do. Firstly, we would
like to recognise philanthropy where it takes place, and I have asked our SLT to ensure teams highlight this so we can record our thanks. But secondly, we also want to consider new and emerging opportunities that can benefit our student experience or the College more generally. Board members and SLT will be looking at this further, but can I also ask that, should you have ideas of your own, you bring them to the attention of an SLT member.
I look forward to hearing from you further.
Principal & CEO
Pete Smith
Staff embrace e-bike scheme for greener travel
Since Borders College relaunched its free e-bike loan scheme for staff in April, many colleagues have been swapping car journeys for an e-bike and cycling for short everyday journeys instead.
By taking part, employees have not only reduced their environmental footprint but also saved money they would otherwise spend on fuel, while enjoying the health and wellbeing benefits that come with cycling regularly. Read more here.
News from the People Services Department
Upcoming Pay Dates
Friday 29th May 2026
Welcome to
Konrad Moller –Supply Lecturer –Electrical Engineering
Tuesday 30th June 2026
Lynn Murray – Interim Vice Principal Finance and Corporate Resources
Sustainability Calendar
1st31st May
No Mow May https://www. plantlife.org.uk/ campaigns/no mowmay/?gad_ source=1&gad_ campaignid=218 60632282&gclid =EAIaIQobChMI9Xq2_e-jwMVT0 dBAh2Srwf0EA AYASAAEgLyIfD _BwEnature/nomow-may
20th May World Bee Day https://www. un.org/en/ observances/ bee-day/ background
Plantlife:
Friday 31st July 2026
Goodbye and Good Luck to
Ian Bell – Facilities Assistant
Leighann Crawley –DYW
Lesley Grant – Tutor Assessor
Carol Corcoran – IT & Digital
Wayne Gillam –Supply Lecturer – ACE
Job Evaluation – NNC Communications
A joint communication on the status of Job Evaluation has been added to the Latest News section on the NNC website.
Encourages landowners to not mow lawns and verges throughout May, to provide food and habitat for bees and other wildlife.
“Every Flower Counts” survey at end of May to discover how many bees the UK’s lawns can feed.
UN:
To raise awareness of the importance of bees and beekeeping, inform the public of major beekeeping events around the world and celebrate World Bee Day.
Occupational Health
Occupational Health are retained by the College to offer you support. You can selfrefer by giving them a call – their number is 01896 825982. This service is totally
https://www. worldbeeday. org/en/ toolkit.html
https://www. fao.org/worldbee-day/en/
confidential and no information is shared with the College unless you ask them to.
Debbie Kerr – Director of People Services
Equalities Update
Show Racism the Red Card (SRTRC)
A massive thank you and well done to all the teams who participated in the SRTRC campaign. This was a crosscollege initiative organised by CDNs Equalities Network. The official campaign materials will be out this month but here are some pictures of our contributions. Home - Show Racism the Red Card
Mental Health Week 11-17th May
We will be participating in Mental Health Week next month, the theme is ‘Take Action’ – more info to come. As we have done the last few years we are encouraging everyone to wear something green on Thursday 14th of May to raise awareness, show our support and talk about mental health.
Mental Health Awareness Week | Mental Health Foundation
Mental Health Awareness Week 2026
Items for inclusion in the eNewsletter should be submitted to your Senior Leadership Team staff member two weeks prior to the end of the month.
Borders travel blog
Save Money, Get Active and Travel
More Sustainably –Is Now the Time to Change How You Travel to College?
With petrol and diesel prices continuing to rise, and brighter spring weather on the way, now could be a great time for students and staff to rethink how they travel to College – especially if they currently drive to campus.
Fuel costs have risen sharply across the Scottish Borders, with petrol increasing by around 14-16% and diesel by 25-30% in recent months. Experts have even suggested diesel prices in the UK could soon reach £2 per litre, making driving an increasingly expensive option.
Choosing to walk/wheel, cycle or use public transport can help save money while also improving your health and wellbeing. Cycling, in particular, is one of the most efficient ways to travel and offers both physical and
mental health benefits.
Borders College supports active and sustainable travel with cycle parking, showers, lockers and changing facilities available on campus. Other schemes to help budding cyclists get started, including a Cycle to Work scheme for staff, second-hand bikes available from local bike shops and support from Cycling UK for anyone who struggles to afford buying a bike.
More information on the College’s facilities, the support available, general tips and advice can be found on the College website HERE
Of course, walking/wheeling or cycling to campus isn’t practical for everyone and a more appropriate alternative might be to explore public transport, including buses and trains. Students can often access significant discounts, making these cheaper than driving. For example, students under 22 years old could qualify for a free bus pass, as well as discounted rail travel through a 16–24 Railcard. The Borders Railway stops just
1.2 miles from the Galashiels campus and 0.3 miles from the Tweedbank campus, making it easy to walk or cycle the final stretch.
More information on the different ways to travel to campus can be found on the College website HERE.
Rory Hill, Borders College’s Sustainability Project Manager, said:
“I am lucky enough to travel to the Galashiels campus by train and then either walk or cycle the last part of my journey. Getting some fresh air in the morning really helps me to feel ready for the College day and I always find cycling to be more fun than driving – while I can use my time on the train to get some work done. I would encourage students and staff to see whether they could travel to campus by public transport or by active means – you might be surprised by how enjoyable it can be and it could save you money too!”.
Gemma achieves milestone qualification
A healthcare support worker from Hawick is celebrating a significant career achievement after successfully completing her SVQ Level 3
Healthcare Support Clinical Award at Borders College.
Gemma Smail, who works at Hawick Health Centre within NHS Borders Podiatry, has reached this important milestone following a period of dedicated study alongside her role in healthcare.
Read more here
