The Jedburgh Common Good Sub-Committee met on Monday 29 June 2026 to discuss funding applications and urgent business. The committee approved a £10,000 grant for the Jedburgh Tourism Alliance to support tourism promotion and a £3,120 grant for the Jethart Callant's Festival to cover costs associated with the King's visit.

Jedburgh Tourism Alliance Funding Application

The committee considered an application for £10,000 from the Jedburgh Tourism Alliance (JTA) to fund various tourism promotion activities for the 2026/27 season. The JTA highlighted that tourism is vital for Jedburgh's economy and that they are the primary organisation promoting the town externally. They stated that they had been unsuccessful in securing funding from the Neighbourhood Support Scheme for 2026, leaving them with a £0 tourism marketing budget.

The requested funds were intended to cover:

• The annual cost of the JTA website, www.visitjedburgh.co.uk.
• Consistent social media management.
• Hiring a photographer to capture high-quality images of Jedburgh for use by local organisations.
• Printing posters, including monthly What's On posters for the Town Square.
• Creating a small fund to improve signage in the town.
• A similar fund to address empty shopfronts and improve the town's appearance.
• Budget for regional and national advertising.

Dean Freeman, Chair of the JTA, explained that the organisation has no other source of income and relies on external funding. He emphasised the impact of recent business closures in Jedburgh and stressed the importance of investing in tourism to increase footfall and support local businesses. Mr. Freeman also proposed an unorthodox solution of requesting £10,000 annually from the Common Good Fund to ensure consistent tourism promotion, rather than relying on volatile funding applications.

Councillor Sandy Scott raised concerns about the effectiveness of printed leaflets in the current digital age, questioning if they were the most effective use of funds. Mr. Freeman defended the use of leaflets, citing their continued popularity at other tourist sites and the need for a hybrid approach alongside digital promotion. He also noted that the Abbey, for example, requested more physical leaflets.

Councillor Scott also questioned how the impact of the funding would be measured, particularly in relation to business closures. Mr. Freeman acknowledged that directly linking tourism funding to shop occupancy was difficult but stated that digital metrics, such as website visits and social media engagement, could be easily tracked. He also mentioned that the take-up rate of physical leaflets and the frequency of their distribution would be monitored.

Councillor John Bathgate inquired about the duration of the printed leaflets and their distribution. Mr. Freeman estimated they would last approximately 18 months and explained that distribution was focused on tourism areas in Northumberland, with a strategic decision to concentrate efforts there due to limited resources. He also confirmed that the social media management fee of £1,200 was for content creation and responding to messages, aiming for quality posts to maintain momentum.

Councillor Scott raised a point about the need for a policy to guide social media content, to prevent the page from becoming a spam page and to ensure it aligns with the JTA's tourism promotion goals. Mr. Freeman admitted that a formal policy was lacking but stated that the JTA's strategy was less is more, focusing on quality content relevant to attracting visitors. He expressed openness to developing a policy with assistance.

The committee chair, Councillor Scott Hamilton, indicated that while there was support for the JTA's activities, approving funding for multiple years was not in line with the Common Good Fund's usual practice. He proposed supporting the application for the current financial year only. The committee agreed to this, with Mr. Freeman accepting the decision and expressing a desire to engage with the committee more frequently in the future. The grant of £10,000 was approved for the financial year 2026/27.

King's Visit to Jedburgh

The committee also addressed an urgent item concerning the King's visit to Jedburgh. This involved two aspects: the hire of horses for a mounted parade and the ratification of expenditure on flags for schoolchildren and the public.

The Jethart Callant's Festival applied for £3,120 to cover the cost of hiring 24 horses for a mounted parade as requested by the Lord Lieutenant for the King's visit on 2 July 2026. The application stated that participating in the parade would promote the Festival, Jedburgh, and its local traditions to the King and provide an uplifting spectacle for residents. The committee approved this request.

Fiona Henderson, from the council, then sought ratification for the expenditure of £1,835 on handheld flags for schoolchildren attending the King's visit from Jedburgh Campus and Ankrum Primary School, as well as for the public. Councillor Sandy Scott inquired about the cost per flag, and it was confirmed that they cost approximately £2.25 each, with a mix of Union Jack and Saltire flags purchased. The committee agreed to ratify this expenditure.