The External Services/Providers Monitoring Group of Scottish Borders Council met on Tuesday 1 September 2026 to review the performance of Live Borders, the organisation responsible for delivering sport, physical activity, and cultural services across the region. The meeting's agenda focused on the Live Borders Performance Report for the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year.

Live Borders Performance Report - Quarter 1 2026/27

The primary focus of the meeting was the consideration of the Live Borders Performance Report for the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year. This report, prepared by the Director of Resilient Communities, Jenni Craig, provided an overview of Live Borders' performance in delivering commissioned sport, physical activity, and cultural services. The report detailed the contractual arrangement between Scottish Borders Council and Live Borders, governed by a Service Provision Agreement (SPA) which includes a Performance Management Framework (PMF). A review and modernisation of the SPA into a Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) is underway to align with current strategic plans and governance frameworks.

The report highlighted that Live Borders continues to face significant financial challenges, with a joint Business Transformation Programme (BTP) in progress. This programme aims to deliver over £5 million in facility investment and generate increased income and financial savings. The BTP is being monitored through a Joint Officers Group and the Executive Board.

Sport Facilities & Participation: The report indicated positive participation trends in sport, with increasing numbers compared to previous quarters and years. Investment of almost £5 million was proposed by Scottish Borders Council for the redevelopment of Teviotdale Leisure Centre and the conversion of the indoor bowling centre at Tweedbank. These investments aim to modernise facilities, increase usage, and generate income. Specific improvements planned include new changing facilities, expanded fitness and soft play areas, and a relocated café at Teviotdale Leisure Centre, and the conversion of the Tweedbank bowling centre into a gymnastics, play, and youth fitness space. Several leisure centres, including Kelso Swimming Pool & Gym and Selkirk Leisure Centre, have extended their opening hours. A gymnastics block was launched at Kelso High School, with efforts underway to recruit qualified staff.

Sport Membership: Membership rates for key areas such as Learn2 swim, Tri Fitness, and Junior Membership were reported as positive. Galashiels Swimming Pool was noted as particularly popular. The Learn to Swim programme had 2,782 members at the end of Q1. Opportunities to increase pool programming capacity by approximately 250 lesson spaces through more effective use of pool space were being explored.

Active Communities (Health Development & Community Centres): Health referrals for Q1 showed an increase compared to the previous year, partly attributed to a Free Pass Pilot project in partnership with NHS Health Improvement and Wellbeing services. This pilot aims to supply 100 free Health Memberships to clients referred via the Wellbeing Service to gather data on referral types and health conditions. Attendance at health referral classes remained strong, and new appointments in the Health Team, including a Social Prescribing Coordinator and Health Interventions Coaches, were made to expand the health and prevention agenda. Live Borders continues to work with 10 community centres, managed by volunteer committees, and is exploring Community Asset Transfer opportunities with Scottish Borders Council and local groups.

Museums, Galleries, Archive and Visitor Attractions: Footfall at museums has seen a gradual decline since 2023/24. The report detailed visitor numbers for various venues, including Mary Queen of Scots' Visitor Centre, Jedburgh Castle Jail Museum, and Hawick Museum. Efforts to increase footfall include the development of an Escape Room and Costumed Tours at Jedburgh Jail, funded by Museums Galleries Scotland. The Chambers Institution project in Peebles has led to the temporary closure of Peebles Library and Museum, with services being delivered via a mobile library and the museum collection relocated. An exhibition, 'Past, Present, Future: The Royal Scottish Academy in the Borders', opened at The Scott Gallery, Hawick Museum, as part of the Royal Scottish Academy's bicentenary celebrations.

Libraries: Physical library visits, including those to mobile libraries, showed a downward trend in quarterly performance after a period of increase. The report provided a table of library visits across different sites, noting that the 2026/27 target takes into account the closure of Peebles Library. The number of active library members, defined as those who have used physical or online library services within the previous 12 months, was reported as 10,208. The closure of Peebles Library is expected to impact future figures, potentially increasing mobile library usage.

Town Halls / Events / Arts / Creativity: Heart of Hawick recorded a total cinema audience of 1,455 customers in Q1. The venue also delivered a live screening of The Colour Bussing as part of Hawick Common Riding, with collaborative efforts to resolve technical issues with the live link. Events at Heart of Hawick included Magic Gareth's Balloon tic, Jay Lafferty & Friends, and RBO: The Magic Flute, with the Alchemy Film Festival also generating significant visitor activity. The Art Along the Borders Railway Line competition, funded by a grant of £4,795, saw over 200 entries from across Scotland, with winning artworks displayed on Borders Railway line stations.

Corporate: The Business Transformation Programme (BTP) aims to deliver increased income and financial savings. Generated income as a percentage of total turnover is increasing, while staff costs as a percentage of generated income are decreasing, indicating a reduced reliance on management fees. External funding submissions and confirmed funding for Q1 showed a downward trend, though several applications are in the pipeline. Funding was secured from the British Museum for interactive digital displays at GTOS and from the Scottish Borders Climate Action Network for climate-focused creative activities. The Library service secured funding for the Bookbag programme and to expand its collection of Christian books. Staff absence rates remain low at 2.8%, and staff turnover is influenced by organisational restructuring. Over 2,800 online training courses were completed by staff in Q1. New marketing and IT roles have been filled, and IT services have deployed new network equipment and are involved in the Business World implementation. The Live Borders Corporate Strategy for 2026-2031 is under review, with Year 1 focused on 'Stabilisation', Years 2-3 on 'Building', and Years 4-5 on 'Growing'.

Live Borders KSI Performance: The report included a summary of Live Borders' Key Strategic Indicators (KSIs), which measure performance against targets. For the quarter, 18 KSIs were rated Green (within 5% of target), 1 Amber (within 15% of target), and 6 Red (over 15% from target). Fourteen measures showed a positive performance trend, 10 showed a negative trend, and 1 remained static. Detailed graphs and tables illustrated performance trends for various indicators, including sport participation, library visits and borrowing, museum visits, sport membership, health referrals, earned income, staff costs, external funding, member retention, staff absence and turnover, energy usage, and financial surplus/deficit.

The meeting also included standard agenda items such as apologies for absence, order of business, and declarations of interest. The minutes of the previous meeting held on 2 June 2026 were scheduled for consideration. The date of the next meeting was noted as 8 December 2026.