It may only be a quiet wee village, but the Birgham Community Development Trust and its volunteers all work extremely hard behind the scenes to raise funds, promote events, organise activities and foster a caring community spirit.
The Birgham Community Development Trust
Birgham Community Development Trust (BCDT) was formed in March 2006 as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation [SC037236] to co-ordinate the various events and activities in the village and to manage the Village Hall. All villagers are deemed to be members of the BCDT, unless they specifically opt out.
BCDT is a voluntary group, managed by trustees, whose aim is to improve all aspects of village life through working in partnership with residents and local agencies. BCDT is not associated with any political parties and consists merely of people wishing to improve various aspects of life in their local community.
YOUR 2024 TRUSTEES / COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Chairperson: Anne Wales | Vice Chairman: TBA | Secretary: Ria Harkess | Treasurer: Robert Walker.
Trustees: Alan Livingstone | Fiona Livingstone | Gordon Mellis | Gordon Downie | Dai Evans | Bill Burgess | Gwenda Fuller | Jenny Mackie | Wendy Ratter | Martyn Harrison | Elaine Scott-Mitchell | Evelyn Matheson | Joan Little.
Our objectives are to:
Promote pride in the village as a safe, thriving, and pleasant place to live, work and play.
Enjoy our neighbours more.
Help to improve local facilities, local environment, and quality of life for all by identifying community aspirations, needs and local priorities.
Provide opportunities to increase community spirit and provide information about local events, activities, and facilities.
Provide a channel for informing Scottish Borders Council, and other government agencies of residents’ ideas and opinions.
Enable residents to increase their level of influence on local community decisions.
Eliminate crime and disorder in the area by encouraging residents to work together to improve the safety and security of themselves and their neighbours.
Attract funding for village projects suggested by residents.
Monthly BCDT Committee Meeting Minutes
The official minutes of each BCDT committee meeting will be available here to view and download. Just click on the button below. OCTOBER MINUTES POSTED 22/10.
Village Lottery
After your Euromillions ticket, the best bet for a surprise win is to enter the BCDT village monthly lottery. It raises money to support all the various events and activities that are staged all year round.
Each month we draw prizes of £100, £80, and £60.
The winning numbers are drawn at the monthly committee or meeting, by a Trustee. If you would like to contribute and join in the fun, a subscription of £10 per month will give you one personal number. You can have more than one number, - perhaps one for each of the family?
If you would like an application form, please contact any BCDT trustee.
The Birgham Community Development Trust is a Registered Charity.
The Birgham Community Development Trust is a registered charity SC037236, first registered on 16 March 2006. Our activities are governed by OSCR, an independent regulator and registrar for charities in Scotland. Please click on the link below to view the charity’s details on the OSCR website.
What Can You Do?
| Volunteer | Assist | Help | Participate | Lend a Hand | Contribute |
Whatever your age or background, skills or experience, there will almost certainly be opportunities for you to support the BCDT committee and contribute to the quality of village life by participating in a diverse range of activities, events, and village upkeep. Whatever you can do, your involvement can make all the difference. Please contact a BCDT trustee or sign up below. We really need your participation.
Community Support
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Neighbourhood Watch
As safe and secure as Birgham has proved to be in the past, the village is a member of the Neighbourhood Watch Scotland scheme.
The village is officially registered as a Neighbourhood Watch Area and a “NO COLD CALLING ZONE”.
Signs are posted throughout the village and window decals are available from the NWS Coordinator - Gordon Mellis.
Residents are actively encouraged to keep an eye out for any suspicious persons or activity in the village and immediately report any concerns to the police.
But Neighbourhood Watch signs stickers and other measures aside, the good neighbours of Birgham are encouraged to keep a watch out for each other and their homes.
Remember, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously to report a crime at any time on 0800 555 111.
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Village AED [Defibrillator]
THE VILLAGE HAS AN AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR OR AED (HEART DEFIBRILLATOR) MOUNTED ON THE WEST WALL OF THE FISHERMANS ARMS PUB – ACCESSED FROM THE CAR PARK.
Thanks to generous funding from property developer Hudson Hirsel, the village was able to acquire and locate an AED in a central location, within the village that is accessible by all.
Although automated and simple to use, a number of villagers have been trained in its use. However, we still urge more people to come forward for AED / CPR and first aid training. These courses are held in the Village Hall. These courses offer a wonderful opportunity for all residents, young and old, to obtain some of the latest ‘hands on’ training of what to do in the event of a medical emergency, and even if you do not think you are fit enough to help out yourself in the event of an accident, your knowledge could help you assist somebody else.
SHOULDN'T YOU BE TRAINED TOO?
If you would like to take advantage of these training opportunities, please contact e BCDT trustee to register your interest for the next scheduled course.
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Community Coffee Mornings & Lunches
Regular year round coffee mornings and lunches in the winter are laid on in the Village Hall for the benefit of all those residents who want to enjoy a coffee [or tea], and / or a lunch - usually soup and a sandwich in the company of other Birgham residents.
These events are an ideal way to socialise with friends and neighbours - and of course an opportunity to make new friends too!
Volunteers are always wanted to assist in preparing the lunches.
Please note that from April through to October these popular community get togethers will revert to coffee mornings.
Check out the BCDT Facebook page and watch for Fiona’s newsletters for details of these dates.
BIRGHAM IN BLOOM
'FLORAL GATEWAY'
The Floral Gateway is an annual competition for communities in the Scottish Borders.
The time, effort, and dedication of the gardening volunteers who tend to the open spaces, planted floral areas and tubs in the village has led to the community winning awards on several occasions, including the “Best Wee Village” title even in the face of competition from much larger communities.
The village always looks resplendent when in full bloom and the efforts of everyone in the village who regularly tend to the floral tubs and open spaces around the village - keeping them looking their very best is greatly appreciated by everyone. Thank you!
But… we always need more gardening volunteers to help us keep the village so attractive, neat, and tidy, so if you would like to lend a hand, please contact any BCDT trustee.
Birgham village belongs to the Leithholm, Eccles, and Birgham Community Council. A voluntary organisation set up by statute by the Local Authority and run by local residents to act on behalf of its area. For more information follow the links below to the Council’s website and/or Facebook page.
Keep right up to date with all the village news, views, events, and activities [including event changes and cancellations] by visiting the Birgham Community Development Trust Facebook page [CLICK THE FACEBOOK ICON LINK AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE] and /or sign up below to receive occasional emails about important village topics.