SUSTAINABLE women’s activewear clothing brand FINDRA has added a café and events space to its Innerleithen retail outlet, with yoga and Pilates classes kicking off from September 13th.

The light-filled space is beautifully finished with natural materials and reclaimed finds, in keeping with the outdoor-loving, sustainable ethos at the heart of FINDRA.

Coffee is supplied by Selkirk-based roastery, Three Hills Coffee, while substantial scones and sweet treats are all baked locally.

"Apart from being a place where you can come to see and try on our clothes, we use the FINDRA shop and cafe as a basecamp for connecting with our customers and local community,’ FINDRA founder and CEO Alex Feechan explained. ‘As well as being a lovely space to shop, you can now enjoy coffee, cake and chat too

"From 13th of September, we will hold yoga and Pilates classes in our brand-new events space. It’s a wonderfully serene, feel-good venue, full of light, colour and textiles inspired by our natural surroundings. And when your class is over, you can refuel with tea, coffee, or hot chocolate and, of course, cake,’ she said.

"We recently hosted a fantastic talk with author and ultra cyclist Emily Chappell, and have lots more events planned. We hope people from near and far will enjoy using the new space as a place to relax, recharge and connect with fellow outdoor enthusiasts."

This is the second transformation for the Borders’ high street site, which was once the old jail in the historic textile town of Innerleithen – the original cell door hinges can still be seen today and the cell itself has been transformed into the café area. Ms Feechan and her partner Roddy renovated the interior of the near-derelict building in 2017 to create FINDRA’s first retail space, office, and stock warehouse.

"We were hands-on with both interior renovations,’ Ms Feechan explained. ‘I wanted to create a space that would reflect my love for the outdoors and do it as sustainably as possible, so we have lots of natural materials and reclaimed finds dotted around.

"In 2021, as our online sales grew, we needed a larger site for stock fulfilment and all operational aspects, so we made the decision to move that part of the business to a former mill in Walkerburn, which left a space to rethink in the Innerleithen shop.

"I’m delighted with the new space and look forward to welcoming the local community and visitors alike to some great talks, classes and events."