August 2026
No 79
STAFF
eNEWSLETTER Your College, Your Future
Principal’s Update mentioned in the Welcome Back presentation, it really is worth your time to go and visit the new spaces at Scottish Borders Campus, including the Student Advice Centre, the Learning Support area, and the Study. And, of course, our Reception area has also been upgraded. Welcome back! Last year was another really successful one for Borders College, both in terms of student numbers and outcomes and, with applications for 2026-27 at a similar level to 2025-26, we look to be incredibly busy again. I write this between presenting at student welcome sessions; it really is fantastic to see the College buzzing again. Of course, a huge amount of work has actually gone on over the summer. As Lynn
As always at this time of year there have also been a number of staff changes and I’d like to express my sincere thanks to those who have departed or will be doing so soon. The years and, in many cases, decades that our team members give to supporting our students really is inspiring. And to our new team members – welcome! – I am sure you will find this to be an incredibly rewarding sector to work in and I look forward to meeting you personally. One consequence of staff changes is that our Senior
Team has slimmed down again but that doesn’t mean we will be any less diligent in representing our College and Region externally as we engage with our external partners, businesses and the Scottish Government as the new Holyrood administration takes forward its programme for government. MAR 2026-MAR 2027 UK
Closer to home, next month of course will see the highlight of our College year – Graduation – and I look forward to seeing many of you there as we celebrate the success of so many of our students and recognise the amazing work from our staff. Best wishes,
Principal & CEO Pete Smith
Borders College named a UK’s Best Workplaces for Women™ 2026! The 2026 UK’s Best Workplaces for Women™ has officially recognised Borders College, placing them 55th out of 100 large-sized organisations The 2026 UK’s Best Workplaces for Women list is made up of employers whose people have told Great Place To Work® UK they work for a place that is inclusive and equitable
for all. The 350 companies on the list are committed to ensuring a reasonable balance of women and men across the organisation; removing barriers to women’s career advancement; and creating workplaces where all employees, regardless of gender, can flourish. Read the full story here. Your College, Your Future
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News from the People Services Department Upcoming Pay Dates Friday 28th August 2026
Wednesday 30th September 2026
Friday 30th October 2026
Welcome to
Scott Daley – Supply Lecturer – Computing
Fiona Gardiner – Lecturer – Health & Social Care (Maternity Cover) Mark Gregory – Temporary Financial Accountant Paul Doogan – Supply Electrical Engineering Lecturer
Nicole Baxter – DYW School Coordinator (Hawick)
Pamela Drysdale – Work Placement Officer – Health & Social Care (Maternity Cover)
Sarah Petrie – Tutor/ Assessor – Social Services Healthcare
Congratulations to
Goodbye and Good Luck to
Davie Lowe – Interim Vice Principal Student Experience
Angela Ferns – Tutor/ Assessor Health and Social Care
Greg Steel – Acting Assistant Principal Gillian Macdonald – Additional Needs Assistant
Robert Hewitt – Director of Estates Emma Holdsworth – DYW Kirsten Park – Business Support Assistant
Katherine Rudkin – Additional Needs Assistant Tosca Oldfield – Classroom Assistant Mark Easson – Acting Head of Sector – Applied Construction and Engineering
Kirsty Robb – Vice Principal Finance and Corporate Services Erin Scott – Business Support Assistant Anne-Marie Sturrock – Vice Principal Student Experience
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
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confidential and no information is shared with the College unless you ask them to.
Debbie Kerr – Director of People Services
Your College, Your Future
The Batch Lady Suzanne to receive prestigious Honorary Fellowship from Borders College Suzanne Mulholland, the entrepreneur, author and television presenter behind The Batch Lady, will receive an Honorary Fellowship from Borders College during its annual Graduation Ceremony in September 2026. Suzanne has built a career helping individuals and families save time, reduce food waste and manage household budgets through practical approaches to cooking and organisation. Suzanne studied at the University of Aberdeen, graduating with an MA in Entrepreneurial and Management Studies. It was during her studies that she developed an interest in time management and organisation, skills that would later become central to her career. Read more here.
A fond farewell... Dear Colleagues,
Choosing to take early retirement was a decision that I was fortunate enough to be able to make. I know that not everyone has that opportunity, and I hope that when the time is right, you will also be able to make that choice, if it is what you want. I would also like to say how overwhelmed I have been by the many kind messages, cards and thoughtful gifts I have received since leaving the College. Your generosity and good wishes have meant a great deal to me, and I am
truly grateful to every one of you. I look forward to dropping in from time to time for a coffee, and seeing some of the exciting developments that are currently underway. It will be lovely to catch up with familiar faces and to see how the College continues to grow. Until then, I wish you all every success and happiness for the future. Thank you once again for your kindness, friendship and support over the years. Kind regards, Cameron
STAFF
eNEWSLETTER 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.
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Borders College shortlisted for prestigious Green Gown Award
Borders College has been shortlisted for a prestigious Green Gown Award, recognising its commitment to embedding sustainability across every aspect of college life. The shortlist acknowledges the College’s work in developing and implementing its Sustainability Strategy 2026-2030, which builds on the success of its previous sector-leading sustainability strategy and aligns closely with the ambitions set out in Vision 2030.
Rather than focusing solely on reducing carbon emissions, the College has adopted a whole-organisation approach that places sustainability at the heart of decision-making, operations, learning and teaching. The strategy sets out clear and realistic targets while expanding its focus to include climate change adaptation and the skills required to support a just transition to a more sustainable future. Read more here.
Aaron builds confidence through Facilities placement completing an 18‑month placement with the college’s Facilities team as part of the Skills for Learning and Work course.
Student Aaron Johnstone is celebrating success after 4
Aaron began working weekly with Facilities team member Judi Dixon, developing key employability skills such as communication, teamwork and responsibility. Throughout his placement, Aaron showed a strong commitment to his role, taking pride in completing tasks and Your College, Your Future
responding positively to support and encouragement from his mentors. Over the course of the placement, Aaron has grown significantly in confidence, building valuable workplace skills and becoming an active member of the team. Aaron’s journey highlights the positive impact of supported work placements in preparing students for employment. Read more here.
The Andrew Johnson Award When I took up the position of HoS, I suggested to the team that I wished to recognise the long service given by my predecessor. Often this occurs posthumously, but I felt this should not be the default.
and Rural Skills activity every Friday, with kind permission of the Grants at Riddell Estate. The time spent on the programme enhanced not only the understanding of the environment and farming, but helped to develop transferable skills for future life and good citizenship.
I therefore created the Andrew Johnson Award, for someone within the agriculture cohort who ‘cultivated a positive attitude and ploughed on’. This year, being its inaugural bestowal, and wishing to recognise achievements that met the criteria, I opted to award staff (two of whom, incidentally, are former students too).
1. Leanne Minto – for her work on the Harris Trust, where six pupils from Selkirk High School undertook Land-based
2. Fergus Hitchcock and Stuart Nimmo – recognising their work in creating and delivering the teaching material for the HNC Next Generation Agriculture qualification. The external verifier noted the standard of the learning material created, which supports the Sector’s commitment to cultivating a place of best practice for Landbased and Rural Skills education in the Scottish Borders. Stuart was unable to attend the farewell gathering but sent a photo of the award framed. The award was a print of Hebridean Sheep, the breed that has been used by students at Newtown St. Boswells and implemented Your College, Your Future
under Andrew’s tenure. The desire is to continue that legacy, along with considering other similar breeds. Nonmainstream native breeds, deemed potential ‘green land engineers’, is a project Alex Reynolds, current HoS, is keen to explore. The ‘agricology’ theme, where and farming and environmental management are working closer together than ever, along with technology, will be central to our teaching.
Alex Reynolds - Head of Sector STAFF
eNEWSLETTER 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.
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South of Scotland skills projects move to next stage of development as part of Borderlands Programme Three major skills and innovation projects in the South of Scotland have been invited to progress to the next stage of development as part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. The move marks
a significant milestone for the proposals that could transform skills opportunities for people across the region. This represents a key milestone for the South of Scotland Skills programme,
which sits within the ‘Supporting Business, Innovation and Skills’ theme of the wider Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. The projects focus on creating state-of-the-art facilities across the region’s colleges to future-proof the rural economy – building a strong, adaptable workforce capable of supporting longterm economic growth, and the funding will roll out in alignment with projects meeting required programme milestones. Borders College is developing two major projects to support the future workforce in the Scottish Borders.
EDI Campaigns This year we are focusing on an overall campaign theme of Challenging Stigma.
In doing so we will focus in on a few different areas, and co-ordinate a number of engagement activities around these, more information will follow. To begin our campaign, we have been preparing to participate in the first Borders Pride Parade as we are keen to demonstrate our commitment to being an inclusive college community.
Read more here.
3. We will be visible in our support, and use respectful and inclusive language, helping everyone to feel comfortable 4. We have zero tolerance for discriminatory language and behaviour 5. We are committed to understanding the needs of LGBTI+ people
Across all our campuses we have signed up to the Scottish LGBTI+ Rainbow Mark. RainbowMark-Guidance.pdf This means we will show our commitment to the five Rainbow Mark principles which are: 1.
We are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive place for our LGBTI+ customers and users and maintaining best practice
2. We want our LGBTI+ staff to be able to be themselves at work, to feel valued and protected (this extends to our students and visitors) 6
Diversity Monitoring As per email dated 24th August 2026 – please update your details on HR21 for our data gathering.
Your College, Your Future
College celebrates major campus redevelopment
transformation of the College reception area. The previous reception space did not meet accessibility requirements and was not felt to provide the welcoming environment that visitors or staff deserved. The redesigned reception now features a contemporary oak reception desk, a more open layout and a bright, modern appearance. The larger, more accessible space creates a positive first impression for visitors while providing a better working environment for staff and supporting improvements to frontline services.
Borders College is celebrating the completion of a significant campus redevelopment project designed to enhance the student experience, create improved working environments for staff, and provide a more welcoming campus for visitors.
Refreshing the campus exterior The redevelopment has also extended beyond the building itself, with the exterior of the campus receiving a complete refresh. Read more here.
The redevelopment follows months of engagement with students and staff, whose feedback helped shape the design and functionality of the new spaces. Through a series of consultation and engagement meetings, the College worked closely with campus users to ensure the improvements met the needs of the entire College community. A warm welcome for visitors One of the most noticeable changes is the
Borders College launches Land & Rural Skills Pathway to unlock new career opportunities Borders College is helping people across the Scottish Borders take their first steps towards a rewarding career in the land-based sector through its Borders Land &
Rural Skills Pathway. Designed to equip participants with practical, industry-relevant skills, the programme has been developed in partnership
with employers and industry experts to ensure learners gain the knowledge and experience needed in today’s job market. Funded through the Scottish Borders Council Local Economic Partnership No One Left Behind (NOLB) initiative, the programme is open to Scottish Borders residents aged 16 to 67 who are experiencing barriers to employment. This includes individuals affected by mental health challenges, disabilities, child poverty and young parenthood. Read more here.
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Student Funding Gateway Since going live with students in May, the Student Funding team has processed awards for more than 368 student funding applications. This represents a 56% increase compared with previous years and is testament to the efficiencies generated by the new Student Funding Gateway. In addition, financial savings of more than £20,000 have been realised through decommissioning of legacy systems. Going forward, payments to students will be automated using attendance and engagement data from ProSolutions. It is therefore important that data is entered into ProSolutions regularly and accurately to ensure students receive the correct payments. To support accurate and timely payments, lecturing and teaching staff are reminded that student attendance and engagement for the previous week must be recorded in ProSolutions by the following Tuesday.
Strengthening Campus Safety: Visitor Management Arrangements Knowing who is on our campuses at all times is an important part of maintaining a safe and secure environment. All visitors and contractors must sign in at Reception upon arrival. 8
to book through Outlook and DashPads are: • SBC 0.024 • SBC 0.036 (Meeting Pod) • SBC 0.037 (Meeting Pod) • SBC 0.038 (Meeting Pod) • SBC 0.040 (Outside Boardroom) Please remember to let reception know if you’re expecting visitors or contractors on site. Staff should use the online form – Visitors / contractors to Borders College – to notify Reception of all external visitor and contractor, this includes designated parking and directional signage needs. Wherever possible, please provide at least 24 hours’ notice These changes will also ensure Reception teams have the information they need to provide a professional welcome experience while supporting a safe and well-managed campus environment.
Meeting Rooms The DashPad room booking displays are part of our ongoing effort to improve how we use our workplace and create a more efficient, coordinated environment for everyone. The displays are now installed outside all of our meeting rooms to make scheduling simpler and clearer. You’ll see real-time availability, upcoming meetings, and quick on-screen booking right at the door. The meeting rooms available Your College, Your Future
• SBC 0.041 (Boardroom) • SBC 0.050 (Immersive Room) • SBC 0.069 • SBC 1.038 (Staff Base) • SBC 1.039 (Staff Base) • SBC 0.021 (Start-Up Hub) • SBC 0.055 (Counselling Room)
If room is available, the display is GREEN. Quick onscreen bookings right at the door can be made by simply tapping “Book now” on the screen. If the room is booked but no-one has checked in, the display is AMBER. Please remember to tap “Check In” when using the room, and “End Now” when leaving the room. If the room is booked and occupied, the display is red. Also, Heriot-Watt University has transferred management of the Main Hall (SBC 1.011) and Events Room (SBC 0.034) to Borders College.
The calendars for both rooms are also now available in Outlook, managed by our Events Management Officer. The Small Lecture Theatre is now available to book through ProSolutions.
Borderlands projects South of Scotland skills projects move to next stage of development as part of Borderlands Programme. Borders College News. In November 2024, the College submitted four “Call for Project Ideas” to Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal for the supporting business, innovation and skills investment theme. Following the review process, Borderlands Partnership
Board agreed to take forwards two projects, Human Health Innovation Lab (HHIL) and Housing & Net Zero Accelerator (HaNZAH) projects. In April 2026, following the college’s submissions of Strategic Outline Business Cases to the Borderlands Partnership Board and UK Government, both projects approved to the next stage. Work is now ongoing to develop the Outline Business Case for both projects. Upon completion and approval from Borderlands and UK Government, we will move to the Final Business Case, then implementation. Human Health Innovation Lab Borders College will establish a Human Health Innovation Lab to meet rising demand for skilled health professionals in the Borders region. The Lab will provide a modern, integrated environment for practical, theoretical, and digital learning, aligned with national and local priorities.
Developed in partnership with universities, employers, and stakeholders, it will serve as a collaborative hub for students, school pupils, and industry, supporting clear pathways into health careers and improving regional talent retention. Expected delivery date: August 2028 Housing and Net Zero Accelerator Hub (Borderlands and Edinburgh & South East Scotland City Region Deal) The Housing and Net Zero Accelerator Hub (HaNZAH) project will design and build a new state-ofthe-art facility for the provision of skills training in sustainable construction and renewable technology to increase student capacity, provide suitable facilities to demonstrate teach and deploy sustainable building skills and showcase green building technologies. Expected delivery date: August 2029.
Survey shows strong satisfaction with website 300 users rate Borders College website highly in latest survey The Borders College website continues to perform strongly, with new survey results showing high levels of satisfaction among users. The 2026 website survey gathered feedback from 300 respondents, offering a clear picture of how visitors experience the site when searching for courses, applying, and finding information. Overall satisfaction across the website scored an average of 4.46 out of 5, reflecting a very positive experience for users.
important role of helping people explore learning opportunities at Borders College. The journey from browsing to taking action is also working well. 91% of respondents said they could easily find the option to apply or make an enquiry, helping potential students move quickly from interest to application. Read more here.
One of the strongest results was the course search function, with 96% of respondents saying they could easily find the option to search for a course. This confirms that the website is performing very well in its most Your College, Your Future
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FIRST AIDERS SCOTTISH BORDERS CAMPUS EMERGENCY NUMBER 888
Staff Member JAKE DIXON
Dept & Number FACILITIES
Staff Member
MICHELLE BLAIKIE
HOSPITALITY
2651
2588
AUTO INJECTOR TRAINED
AUTO INJECTOR TRAINED
JANET JACK
BARRY SHIELL
FACILITIES
FACILITIES 2658
SPORT
DAWN ROUTLEDGE
Dept & Number
ROSS DOCHERTY
2600 AUTO INJECTOR TRAINED
APPLIED CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING 07393792046 AUTO INJECTOR TRAINED
SAM ANDERSON
CARE
MARK CATTO
2592
APPLIED CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING 2539
KATRINA FITZGERALD
HEALTH SAFETY & ENVIRONMENTAL 2553 / 07824605345
LYNN CROSBIE
2582
AUTO INJECTOR TRAINED
DAVID SLIGHT
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MIS
AUTO INJECTOR TRAINED
STEM MOTOR VEHICLE
JOSH RATCLIFFE
FACILITIES
AUTO INJECTOR TRAINED
NO PHOTO
2655 AUTO INJECTOR TRAINED
Your College, Your Future
FIRST AIDERS - NEWTOWN ST BOSWELLS FIRST AIDERS - NEWTOWN ST BOSWELLS CAMPUS CAMPUS MEMBER OF STAFF
MEMBER OF STAFF BRUCE WINWOOD BRUCE WINWOOD
DAVID BLACK
DAVID BLACK
MEMBER OF STAFF
MEMBER FIONA DUFF OF STAFF FIONA DUFF
GARRY DICKSON
GARRY DICKSON
GERT RIDDELL
KELVIN PATE
NIGEL GIBB
STUART NIMMO NO PHOTOGRAPH
GERT RIDDELL
KELVIN PATE
EMILY SMITH
NIGEL GIBB
STUART NIMMO NO PHOTOGRAPH
EMILY SMITH
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TAL MENTAL HEALTH HEALTH FIRST FIRST AIDERS AIDERSSCOTTISH SCOTTISH BORDERS BORDERS CAMPUS CAMPUS EMERGENCY EMERGENCY NUMBER NUMBER888 888
AME
RINA ERALD
NAME
KATRINA FITZGERALD
NUMBER NUMBER
HEALTH HEALTH SAFETY SAFETY & & ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL 2553
2553
07824 605345 07824 605345 STEEL
GREG STEEL
HEAD OFHEAD SECTOR OF SECTOR 2674
2674
CKENZIEJEN MACKENZIESTUDENT STUDENT SERVICES SERVICES 2594
LOWE
2594
DAVID LOWE ASSISTANT ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL PRINCIPAL 2635
2635
WHELLANS DEBBIE WHELLANS STUDENT STUDENT SERVICES SERVICES 07717423627 07717423627
RENNIE SUSAN RENNIEBUSINESS BUSINESS MANAGER MANAGER 2578
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2578
Your College, Your Future
PHOTO PHOTO
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