Organisers of the ambitious Town of 1000 Trails project are confident they are on the right track to provide a huge economic boost to Hawick and its surrounding areas.
Initially launched under the working name Town of 100 Trails, the project has evolved exponentially over the last two years.
Group member and RBS business banking manager, Fred Stevenson, said: “The estimated project cost has grown as quickly as our ambitions have, but the most important factor for the group is that the project delivers. If that costs us a bit more from the outset, then so be it, as the potential benefits and rewards will hopefully dwarf the investment.
“The funding journey has been a long one, and we’re almost there with our South of Scotland Enterprise Project (SOSEP) application on the verge of being rubber-stamped by the Scottish Government, which should be the final piece of the jigsaw.
“We’ve come a long way since our first donation, which was from the Bill McLaren Foundation, and we are grateful to everyone who has supported us.”
The group received a record amount from the Hawick Common Good Fund (£15,000), as well as a sizeable donation from the Hawick Walking Festival when the group was dissolved. Anonymous donations have also been received.
Fred added: “We’ve been through a fair few funding processes, and we were grateful to the Hawick public for backing our project by voting for us in last year’s Localities Bid Fund process, where we secured further vital funding.
“We also now appear to have finally secured funding through the Teviot and Liddesdale Community Grant Scheme, and again we are grateful to all involved for their help and assistance.”
Group secretary and Dobbie & Michie carpet firm co-owner, Andrew Dobbie, has been instrumental in helping get the project into the public domain.
He added: “We are going to need to attract funding going forward as investment to make and keep the project visible which is a key part of our plan.
[Group member] Darren [Thomson] touched on the need for year-on-year spending for search engine optimisation in last week’s paper. We hope after the first year, with a track record behind us, we will be able to generate income of our own to subsidise the required outlay.
“The beauty about this project is that it is limitless. We have so many ideas and plans for how to expand it depending on success and funding.
“If it is even half as successful as we believe it can be, it is very exciting indeed. An influx of visitors not only improves the potential for existing businesses to cash in, but it presents opportunity.
“We hope it will attract new industry, encourage diversification, and ultimately make the town an even better place to work and live. We can’t stress enough how much we want to help create employment avenues for young folk in Hawick.”
Hawick and Hermitage councillor and town provost, Watson McAteer, has been a prominent supporter of the project from the outset.
He said: “There are many businesses struggling right now as we are in the grip of coronavirus, but when we come out of this pandemic, we can look forward to a different tomorrow and an initiative like this can help lead the recovery in Hawick, bringing visitors to the town and cementing its place as one of the most idyllic spots in the British Isles.”
Anyone interested in becoming involved with the project is asked to email contact@townof1000trails.co.uk
It was brought to the group’s attention that a small number of users had difficulty accessing the holding page last Friday. Adjustments were quickly made later that day to correct this.
For the avoidance of any doubt, anyone who registered to subscribe to the mailing list should do so again to ensure their details are properly registered.
To view the holding page, which includes the project promotional video and stunning photographs taken by locals, please visit www.townof1000trails.co.uk
Any queries can be emailed to contact@townof1000trails.co.uk
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