The External Services/Providers Monitoring Group of Scottish Borders Council met on Tuesday 02 June 2026 to review the Live Borders Performance Report for Quarter 4 of the 2025/26 financial year. The meeting focused on the performance of sport, physical activity, and cultural services delivered by Live Borders, highlighting areas of success and ongoing challenges.

Live Borders Performance Report Quarter 4 2025/26

The group received a comprehensive report on Live Borders' performance during the final quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. Jenny Quakes, Director of Resilient Communities, introduced the report, noting that work was underway to revise the Service Provision Agreement (SPA) between the council and Live Borders, with a new agreement anticipated by August. This revised agreement will update the performance indicators used to monitor Live Borders' delivery against agreed outcomes.

Graeme McMurdo, Strategic Programme Manager at Live Borders, provided a detailed overview of the report, which covered sports participation, memberships, holiday programmes, community centres, museums, galleries, libraries, and town hall events. He highlighted positive trends in sports participation and membership retention, with a 70% retention rate for the quarter. The opening of the new Galashiels Swimming Pool was noted as a significant development, and the report detailed initiatives to improve swimming lesson accessibility and engagement, including online booking and a targeted programme for teenagers.

Community centres have received support for energy efficiency funding, and while health referrals are down due to the cessation of some external funding, average attendance remains strong. Museums and galleries are developing new visitor experiences, such as an escape room at Jedburgh Castle Jail. Library usage, both physical and online, continues to grow, with various community activities offered. Town halls have hosted a diverse range of events, from theatre productions to blood donor sessions.

The report also touched upon Live Borders' corporate functions, including IT improvements, marketing campaigns, and staff training. A significant increase in completed training modules was noted, with efforts being made to ensure staff compliance and development. External funding success was positive, with grants secured for Jedburgh Castle Jail and other projects. Utility costs have reduced compared to the previous year, partly due to investment in new equipment and the opening of the new Galashiels Swimming Pool.

The Business Transformation Programme, a joint initiative between Live Borders and the council, is progressing, aiming to deliver financial targets and savings. The report detailed Key Strategic Indicators (KSIs), showing that 20 out of 25 KSIs were on or above target for the quarter. While there are positive trends in areas like sports participation and membership, challenges remain in health referrals and museum footfall.

Councillor James Anderson raised questions regarding the renewal of the 2016 contract, the operating deficit without additional funding, and Live Borders' external funding success rates. Jenny Quakes confirmed that the revision of the Service Provision Agreement is essentially the renewal of the contract, with completion expected by August. Katrina McAllister, CEO of Live Borders, stated that £310,000 was raised through funding and approximately £80,000 in donations last year, with plans to increase this through a new fundraising strategy.

Councillor Scott Hamilton inquired about the significant jump in confirmed external funding in the reported quarter. Graeme McMurdo explained that grant approvals can have long lead times and that it is best to view funding on an annual basis. He also mentioned plans for a pay it forward fundraising campaign to support concessionary pricing schemes.

Councillor Carol Hamilton praised the clarity of the performance indicators and asked for the reason behind the fall in staff absence rates. Graeme McMurdo attributed this to increased proficiency in monitoring staff absence, quicker resolution of longer-term sickness, and greater use of occupational health advice, alongside a general focus on staffing processes and relationships.

Councillor Elaine Thornton-Nicol, who has a background in training, expressed interest in the significant increase in training modules undertaken. Graeme McMurdo explained that this was largely due to a catch-up period for mandatory training and the introduction of a new induction process. He also highlighted an increased learning and development budget and the introduction of a part-time learning and development officer. The development of competency frameworks for all roles is also underway, with a projected 18-month to two-year timeline for full implementation.

A question was raised about the involvement of the Coldstream Guards with the Coldstream Museum. It was noted that no meaningful progress had been made on this, and the new Head of Culture, starting on 22 June, would be tasked with pursuing these conversations.

The meeting concluded with the group determining they were satisfied with the information provided regarding Live Borders' performance for the fourth quarter of 2025/26.