INNERLEITHEN Community Council is hoping to swell its ranks with new blood and is appealing for more members to join.

The debating chamber is currently a little sparse with only six current members serving the areas of Innerleithen, Cardrona, Traquair and Glen.

Five of the members were re-elected as office bearers at the community council’s annual general meeting this week.

Although many residents regularly come out in force to take part in the open forum of the monthly meeting, members of the public often outweigh the volunteer community councillors.

Reflecting on the work of the community council over the last year, Chairman Marshall Douglas said: “The main achievement has been the success of the dog fouling campaign after securing funding for bins and bag dispensers.

"I’d like to thank everyone involved and give special thanks to Jackie Couchman, Susan Meikle and Gordon Daly for their work in driving this forward. I am also grateful to the wider community for getting behind the project and voting.”

Despite the dedication and work of the community councillors, Mr Marshall said new voices are needed.

He added: “We’ve not been able to get any new members this year but hopefully going forward we will see some new people join.

"There’s always a lot of interest on Facebook, but it never materialise and no-one seems to come forward and join in the work that everyone here is involved with.

"A lot of what a community council does is behind the scenes.”

New recruits from a wider cross-section of the local population who care about what is happening on their doorstep will be welcomed.

Locals can join at any time by co-option, and there is also a call for the young people of the area to have a voice as membership is open to individuals aged 16 years and over.

Mr Douglas added: “We are ideally looking for people with a can-do attitude who are prepared to put in some time to help with local issues.

"We’ve got a good team and hopefully we will build on that in the coming year and get more people involved.”

The following office-bearers were re-elected: Chairman Marshall Douglas; vice-chair Susan Meikle; secretary Gordon Daly; treasurer Jim Calder; minute secretary Jackie Couchman. George Brown will carry on in his role as a community councillor.

If you'd like to join Innerleithen Community Council contact the chairman by email at marshall.douglas@talk21.com