Wednesday January 28th 2026
Scottish Borders Council headquarters
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
The lasting legacy of a Government-backed £5.4m funding pot which helped support dozens of projects across the Borders has been revealed.
The first UK Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) administered by Scottish Borders Council has benefited this and generations to come thanks to a programme which supported a wide range of initiatives across the region before concluding in March 2025.
The fund, active from 2022 to 2025, is part of the former UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda, designed to boost pride in place, economic growth and create better life opportunities by investing in communities, local businesses, and skills development.
The council has now launched its Legacy Fund, available online, which provides more detailed information about the projects.
As a result of SPF, 627,846m2 of community greenspace was either improved or created.
A further 20km of mountain bike trails were created which will lead to increased tourism in the area.
It also had a positive impact on employment with 34 jobs reported as safeguarded and 11 created.
Community engagement played a key role in shaping the next generation of projects, helping to progress 38 feasibility studies across community, business, and skills development areas that aim to strengthen the region’s economic impact.
This resulted in around 61 significant projects being prepared to take forward to design funding stages.
Councillor Scott Hamilton, SBC’s executive member for Economic Growth and Developing the Borders, said: “The Shared Prosperity Fund has delivered a remarkable legacy for communities across the Scottish Borders.
“This investment has helped us enhance local greenspaces; create new opportunities for businesses and support people to develop the skills they need to thrive.
“The scale of what has been achieved, from new mountain bike trails and improved commercial spaces to hundreds of people gaining qualifications, shows the real and lasting impact this funding has had.
“The projects supported through SPF have laid strong foundations for future growth, and I’m proud of the difference this programme has made for our region and continues to do so.”
Further developments included:
9,611m2 of commercial space being developed
3 local businesses supported to increase export capability
14 business introduced new or improved products or technologies to the region
50 entrepreneurs received assistance to be business ready
Various training courses funded by SPF helped over 330 people gain qualifications through skills development:
90 are now actively engaged seeking employment
67 are in employment or self-employment
151 have experienced reduced barriers to employment
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