THE shock closure of a Selkirk-based company has led to a major fundraising drive at Borders General Hospital reaching its target.

Last year Borders Caring Services announced it was to wind down after 20 years due to being unable to attract new board members.

Despite the shock to staff and the 100 elderly clients, the service was taken over and no jobs were lost.

There was further good news this week with the announcement that the company's outstanding funds have been donated to the Borders Macmillan Centre Appeal.

And the £100,000 has helped NHS Borders' charity, The Difference, reach its fundraising goal many months earlier than anticipated.

Karen Wilson from The Difference told us: “We had been really delighted with the progress of our appeal having recently passed the halfway point in our fundraising, real testament to how, yet again, the people of the Borders have rallied behind a great cause.

"To then receive a donation like this that smashes our target in one fell swoop is something we never could have thought possible.

"We are so grateful to Border Caring Services for choosing to help our cancer patients in this way as well as to all our donors, fundraisers and supporters who have helped us get to this point.”

Macmillan Cancer Care is donating £400,000 to reconfiguring and refurbishing the BGH centre to accommodate more patients and improve patient flow.

The Difference charity is also donating an existing balance of £200,000 as well as fundraising for the remaining £230,000 through grants and public appeal.

But this week's donation means they have reached the fundraising target.

Borders Caring Services was created in 1996 to provide home care services across the region.

Many of the company's directors were well-known political and health figures.

But in recent times the number of directors had fallen to just four - chair Val McNab and co-directors Jim Thomson, Gordon Edgar and Wendy McMillan - and they hadn't been able to attract any new members up until they ceased trading last September.

The remaining quartet, who have overseen the closure of the company decided to donate remaining funds to the Macmillan Cancer Centre.

Chair, Val McNab said: “Borders Caring Services is delighted to contribute to this development.

"We hope that this is a fitting tribute to all those who have worked for and been supported by BCS over our 22 years.

"It is also a great opportunity to acknowledge the good relationships built up over the years with those in the public and health sectors, with whom we have worked, professionally and in partnership.

“We thank everyone who has touched Borders Caring Services and helped us on our way through the years, including our National Advisory Bodies, particularly Scottish Care and the United Kingdom Care at Home Association.

"We hope that in some small way our support for this project represents part of the legacy which BCS wishes to leave to the Scottish Borders.”

There are still fundraising events and initiatives to take place across the region in support of the appeal so it is hoped that additional money raised will provide further enhancements to the Borders Macmillan Centre.

Preliminary work on the centre has started with the refurbished centre expected to be complete towards the end of this year.