Active Campus
Borders College has created an ‘Active Campus Portal’ to improve activities for all on Campus. This will bring together Sport and Exercise through the Active Campus Network and Cycling provision through Cycling Scotland to improve Sport, Health and Wellbeing opportunities on Campus.
We recognise the transformative power of physical activity and sport in enabling health and wellbeing. College is an exciting time in your life and we are here to help you make the most of this experience and to provide opportunities to ensure you keep your body active as well as your mind.
Active Campus
The Active Campus Network will be delivered in partnership with Scottish Student Sport and Colleges Scotland. It will strengthen the existing network of sport and physical activity for staff already working within the college sector through the appointment of new Active Campus Coordinators.
The purpose of the Active Campus Coordinator role is to promote and facilitate the delivery of sport and physical activity on campus, contributing to the health and well-being of students, staff, and the community. This role will encourage and empower the student population to be more active more often whilst in college education.
These activities are designed for everyone- from someone starting getting active, to those that just want a walk to clear the head. These activities will include Walking Groups and Cycle Rides. We also have some interactive activities within our 360 Immersive Classroom which can provide some fun entertainment and challenges.
This area of work will be to recruit, develop and support suitable people to lead/deliver events or programmes.
Throughout the academic year, there will be a variety of staff v student events.
This area will see the College being used to host Rugby 7’s tournament, 6 a side football, hockey 6’s and an Annual Sports Dinner.
As part of the Active Campus, we will look to find and support teams or athletes in appropriate competition games, events or structures. These will include internal competitions and external.
We will also be looking to link in with some Community groups both on campus and outwith to support with activity and sport. We will be looking to engage with any local Walking Rugby and Walking Football groups.
A long term project will be looking at how we can best use our College estate to develop sport and activity.
Contact Us
Should you have any queries or ideas that can be implemented by the Active Campus Coordinator, please contact Eric Jones at: ejones@borderscollege.ac.uk.
Why cycle?
In a nutshell, it’s good for you, your wallet, and the planet!
Cycling is one of the most efficient modes of transport ever created, and it comes with a range of benefits. These include benefits to your health both physically and mentally, and can reduce your risk of various illnesses. Additionally, with the increasing cost of living, cycling can be a much cheaper mode of transport whether you want to head to the shops or need to go to college for work or studies. You virtually don’t need to buy any cycle-specific clothing (apart from a helmet and lights, which are highly recommended).
Living in the Scottish Borders, we are surrounded by beautiful landscapes with plenty of routes that can be used to enjoy a nice cycle along. Speaking of beautiful landscapes, by cycling, you also ensure that the planet stays green and you help ensure that we are able to achieve our target of reaching net zero by 2045.
Borders College currently has a number of facilities on campus to help students and staff cycle to campus. Facilities such as:
- Covered and uncovered cycle parking
- Student and staff shower facilities
- Storage lockers
- Changing facilities
Shower facilities
There are a number of shower facilities that are free to use for students and staff around our campus.
Lockers
Lockers are available for free for personal use to store your gear, whether you are a student or staff.
If you do not already have a locker, please go to the Self-Service Portal through the Student/staff portal on the Borders College Website Homepage to request a key to a locker.
Changing facilities
There are a number of changing facilities across our campus. Some of these are located within the shower facilities but are signposted around the campus.
You can download the map above, which shows where these facilities are located within the building.
Renting a bike
We have a few ebikes, hybrids, and folding bikes available for hire free of charge.
These are available for a period of up to two weeks and we operate on a waiting list system should a bike not be available. For further queries, please contact the campus cycling officer.
There are also a number of other local organisations and hubs within the Borders that offer bicycle rentals. These can be viewed in the cycling guide ebook.
Buying a bike
Should purchasing your own bike be more appealing, then there are a few options available to you. These include:
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Second hand bicycles from Just Cycle in Tweedbank
- Ebike (including cargo bike) grant through Energy Savings Trust
- Cycling UK Access Bike Fund if you are struggling financially to purchase your own bike.
For further information on any of these schemes or for information about different types of bikes, please refer to the Borders College Cycling Guide ebook.
Bus
Bicycles are currently permitted on a limited of Borders Buses that run on Route X95 (Edinburgh – Carlisle passing through Hawick, Selkirk, and Stow), and route X62 (Edinburgh – Galashiels Interchange passing through Innerleithen, Peebles, and Penicuik).
Not all buses on these routes have bicycle bays however the live tracker on the Borders Buses website does show which buses have bike bays. Information as to how the bays work is also available on their website.
Train
Bicycles can be taken on ScotRail trains between Edinburgh – Tweedbank and reservations are not required but there are limited spaces available. Further information can be found on the ScotRail website.
We are aiming to have a number of events throughout the year which will include free Dr Bike sessions and bike maintenance classes so you can gain confidence working on your cycle.
Please refer to the calendar to view any upcoming events.
There are a number of led rides, social rides, and bicycle demos (cargo, electric, and folding bikes) that are suitable for all skill levels that are run throughout the year by the college. Please refer to the calendar to view any upcoming events.
Should you wish to learn to ride a bike, please contact the campus cycling officer, and we can set up a session for you.
We are working with various partners to create a map for cycling around the Borders. In the meantime, Ride with GPS and CycleStreet are two good resources for identifying suitable routes to use.
There are also a number of local organisations that can provide assistance, such as:
- Hike and Bike Hub in Galashiels
- Cycling Scotland
- Cycling UK
- Stow Cycle Hub
- Greener Melrose
We are currently developing volunteering opportunities within Borders College and these will be available as we start offering more services for staff and students over time.
In the meantime, should you have any interest in helping out, please contact the Campus Cycling Officer, and we can discuss how you might be able to help us.
Campus Cycling Officer
The Campus Cycling Officer is a new position that has been funded by Transport Scotland and the overall aim is to make cycling more accessible by providing facilities on campus to promote cycling to campus, information, and services to get students and staff more confident to cycle for leisure, commuting, or utilitarian trips.
Borders College currently has an ambitious Sustainability Strategy that includes an aim of getting 50% of all staff and student journeys being made by public transport, walking, cycling, or other sustainable means of transport by 2025 (https://www.borderscollege.ac.uk/sustainability). We wish to offer the option for students and staff to cycle more should they wish to and in order to best address the needs and barriers, we require input from the end users which is anyone who is a student, a staff member, external contractors/organisations, or members of the public who come to our campuses.
We highly encourage you to contact the Campus Cycling Officer should you wish for us to look at implementing new facilities, upgrading existing facilities, have any ideas or input on services that would help you cycle more, or just have a general enquiry.
Contact Us
Should you have any queries, or ideas that can be implemented by the campus to make cycling more accessible and easier for you, please contact the Campus Cycling Officer - Oliver Caron-Nowak at:
ocaron-nowak@borderscollege.ac.uk.