Local news

2022 has not been the easiest; although we have passed through the worst of the pandemic, the effects are still with us, and we now face the serious financial crisis faced by the whole country. We are building on the work pioneered in the pandemic to seek to keep the community going. 

In addition to Community Café & Pantry, our recent initiative in partnership with Duns Food Bank, we keep our Community Larder and Sentry Box going. The Hall continues to offer a range of events from films and music to theatre for the community at low prices, allowing people to meet in a warm space and have a good time. We also host community lunches once a month, run by their own dedicated team of volunteers. 

In 2022, we didn’t just host events in the hall – we launched the Duns Town Trail and the Duns and District Business Forum. We are proud of our working with other groups, some of whom are now our strategic partners: Duns Summer Festival, Duns and District Amateur Operatic Society, Duns Players, Duns Playfest, Duns & District U3A and our friends at Keeping Duns Blooming Marvellous, who picked up five prestigious awards in November 2022, including the Beautiful Scotland winner of the Best Town in the New Entrant category. 

We also joined the Berwickshire Area Partnership and became involved in the roll-out of the Placemaking Initiative, which is developing a community-led plan for the area in accordance with the Government’s Place Making Agenda. We hope that the whole community will join in with these activities and help to ensure the long-term growth and development of Duns and District.

As we celebrated our 10^th birthday,  we would like to thank all volunteers, members and everyone who has helped for their ongoing support and dedication. We look forward to working together to benefit the communities of Duns and District in 2023.

On behalf of our team of staff and trustees, we wish you a healthy and peaceful Christmas and a happy New Year!

Derek Janes, Convenor and Andrew Lester, Chair
A Heart for Duns