TWEEDDALE Youth Action have been awarded a whopping £98,000 funding from the Scottish Government's Climate Challenge Fund have exciting plans for the money - including a Summer-time Climate Change Summit on Tweed Green.

Earlier this year, Dave Hodson, manager of Tweeddale Youth Action, bagged the title of 'Climate Change Champion.' Dave and his team were congratulated on their 'Bike Punks' and 'Food Punks' projects, which have been running for the past year, inspiring young people to get involved with climate change by teaching them how to reduce carbon emissions and food waste.

Dave sees it as a bit of a challenge getting youths excited about tackling climate change and believes this money will help fund a number inspiring projects over the next year to get as many involved as possible.

He said: “What we don’t have is a whole load of young people who are desperate to be involved in environmental stuff, but people who want to get involved in cool interesting stuff, and when the activity is enjoyable and challenging it automatically encourages positive habits like wasting less food, riding your bike more, and thinking about your carbon footprint.

“We get the climate change element to them through osmosis: we make the activity fun and then afterwards have the conversation about the environmental benefits. They’re far more receptive because they can see they’re already doing it.”

Among the big plans for the money is a textiles upcycling workshop where, in connection with successful Edinburgh textile companies, people can learn sewing and textile skills to revamp their old garments, all leading up to a glamorous fashion show. 

They also hope to refurbish their newly acquired youth club in Innerleithen for which they have just secured a three-year lease for.

And, one of their really exciting plans and probably Their biggest project this year, is to host a climate change extravaganza on Tweed Green in the summer, with music, food and activities.

As well as allowing the group to fund the big things, the much needed money will also go towards staffing costs, the heating and running of buildings, equipment for their upcycling projects, food and kitchen equipment, and their projects and community events.

It will fund the twice a week drop-ins at the Peebles and Innerleithen youth clubs, where people can come to chill out and socialise. 

Dave said: “With our youth clubs, we can reach out to those who don’t get involved in organised activities in a relaxed atmosphere, and then we get the fishing rods out and try and reel them in for the projects we’ve got,” he joked.

“Without the money, we wouldn’t have been able to move on from last year. We would still have our food and bike punk projects but we wouldn’t be able to afford the staff or supplies to sustain them.

"We don’t need to reinvent the wheel but we need to keep growing to keep the young folk interested.

“We have a very exciting year ahead,” he added.