Projects completed in 2019

Funds received - £308.28

In March 2019 2^nd Duns Brownies received £308.28 towards outstanding programme resources.  Girl Guiding overhauled its programme for all its sections.  We previously had to buy resources one at a time but the grant allowed us to buy a complete set of resources to then allow the girls to pick what they would like to work on.  First choice was Skills For My Future, an activity the leaders had not initially selected.  This led into DIY skills which had them making their own notice boards, also sewing which is being developed into a unit quilt. Leadership and negotiation skills covered, which the girls have also shared with the leaders and superheroes with super powers to support the community.

Started with 8 young girls but due to being able to make the sessions more interesting we now have close to 20 girls.  Girl Guiding recommend 16 to 24 per group. Funding also went towards a sleep over day.  This was a session for 12 hours re-enacting a holiday scenario/sleep over.  With activities based on being an engineer, encouraging team work and health & safety.  Also went out and about researching environmental issues.

Verbal report received at our AGM in August 2019

Received - £3,735.02

The BHS Senior Musical Theatre Group were delighted to receive a grant of £3,735 from Blackhill Windarm Community Fund in August last year.

The grant contributed to the purchase of P.A. equipment and a sound desk, to be used in musical productions, concerts and other performances at the Berwickshire High School and other local venues.

We were able to purchase a new, professional sound desk, speakers and associated cables (as detailed in our grant applicaiton) and were first used in January 2020 when the senior cast staged a run of "Legally Blonde: The Musical".  This musical was warmly received by the audiences and our new technology made it much more straightforward to control the sound and for the performers to be heard clearly above the orchestra.

For the first time this year we have been running a Musical Theatre course in school.  We have worked closely with former pupil Will Derries (now a professional sound engineer) through the year.  Will set up our new sound equipment and was able to demonstrate its operation to the Musical Theatre students.  He spent time with other pupils in the week of "Legally Blode" sharing his expertise on the sound desk.  We also had a visit from the Health & Safety department of Scottish Borders Council and they were very impressed by the set up in the hall including the minimal cabling that was a direct result of our new P.A. equipment. 

In March, the equipment we purchased was taken to Duns Primary School.  They were due to use it for their produciton of "Hairspray".  Unforunately the Covid-19 lockdown came into force just before they were able to perform the show. 

The next project for the Musical Theatre group at BHS would bave been a production of "Les Miserables" this week (Commencing June 23rd).  It is hoped that we might still be able to put on this show later in the year if circumstances allow. 

We still harbour ambitions of purchasing our own radio microphones too, which would save us the cost of hiring them for every musical production as well as other performances through the year.

May I take the opportunity to thank the members of the Blackhill Windfarm Community Fund committee for their support.