IT’s a competition that has proved successful for a number of Berwickshire photographers in the past few years, including Leitholm’s Ron McCombe (whose photo is above), and now the British Wildlife Photography Awards is seeking entries for 2012.

The Awards were established to recognise the talents of wildlife photographers of all nationalities practising in Britain, whilst at the same time highlighting the great wealth and diversity of Britain’s natural history.

The driving motivation to set up the Awards evolved through the nation’s growing awareness of the local environment and the need for its protection.

Now in its fourth year, the highly acclaimed and unique wildlife photography competition has captivated the nation with outstanding and beautiful imagery.

The competition is a celebration of British wildlife as well as a showcase for leading nature photographers, both amateur and professional.

There are 12 categories in this year’s competition: Animal Portraits; Animal Behaviour; Urban Wildlife; Hidden Britain; Coast and Marine; Wild Woods; Wildlife in my Back Yard; Living Landscape; British Seasons; Documentary Series and Wildlife in HD video.

An excellent prize fund of £20,000 is up for grabs to entrants, with £5,000 of that going to the overall winner.

And it’s not just the victors of each category whose pictures will be seen by the public; the images receiving judges’ commendations will form part of a series of nationwide exhibitions, with the schedule of dates and venues to be confirmed shortly.

Winners and commended entries will also be featured in the book ‘British Wildlife Photography Awards Collection 3’, published by AA Publishing.

Whilst the majority of entrants are bound to be more seasoned photographers, there are special prizes available for younger snappers.

There are two special awards to encourage participation by young people, both of which are free to enter.

There’s a £300 prize available to the winner of Young British Wildlife Photographer (up to 11 years old) and £500 for 12-18 year olds.

To take home a prize photographers will have to impress a judging panel.

The panel includes Neil Aldridge - Conservation Photojournalist, Greg Armfield - Film and Photography Manager World Wildlife Foundation; Sue Herdman - Editor of National Trust Magazine, Stephen Moss - Naturalist and TV Producer.

Entrants can submit their photos via email or by post, with a deadline of May 12.

For more detailed information about the competition, including how to enter, a full description of categories, shooting tips, and terms and conditions, please visit the competition website: www.bwpawards.co.uk.

THE combination of fewer houses for sale in the Borders and the prices being lower than nearby Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian means that people from these areas are being attracted to move into the region but the knock-on effect of this has been to push prices beyond the reach of over 50 per cent of Borders households on relatively lower wages.

A recent Borders Housing Needs and Demand Assessment (HNDA) revealed that “55.5 per cent of all households in the Scottish Borders have incomes below the level required to secure a 100 per cent mortgage on an entry-level property”, pushing those households into the rented and affordable housing market instead.

Supply in the local housing market adjusted sharply to the economic downturn - the number of house sales has gone down by 50 per cent and new build sales have decreased by almost 40 per cent and the new Scottish Borders Local Housing Strategy acknowledges the effect this is having on the local population.

In a report presented to Scottish Borders Council’s executive this week it states: “Pressure in the housing market has actually increased as evidenced by continuing price increases (26 per cent in Berwickshire) - there is less supply, less finance available to access market housing, but demand and need continues.

“In-migrants have higher purchasing capacities than Borders existing households which in practice means that the Scottish Borders has a two-tier housing market.

“Supply in the private renting sector has increased from eight per cent to 13 per cent of all households between 2001 and 2007/8. The cost of renting in the Scottish Borders has also increased” - Berwickshire seeing the highest rent increases of 50 per cent between 2002 and 2008.

All this has provided a very clear path for the region’s new five year housing strategy, to take us up to 2017.

Firstly the council and its partners need to work out what they can do to support recovery of the housing market and increase the supply of new affordable housing.

Private housing developers are required to provide 25 per cent of all new build houses as affordable housing, but it is recognised that more needs to be done to increase the supply of market housing which is affordable for the local population.

Making best use of the existing housing stock is seen as essential because “the short /medium term horizon for public housing investment in the UK and Scotland is bleak”.

Over the next five years it is estimated that as households in the region get smaller and older, 564 new houses will need to be built in the Borders to meet demand (103 of them affordable), but in reality that figure is expected to fall short at 525 (81 affordable houses).

Improving housing conditions, addressing the housing needs of the increasing numbers of vulnerable people and tackling and preventing homelessness are also high on the council’s housing agenda.

The expected 55 per cent increase in the number of people in the Borders aged between 65-74 years and a 102 per cent increase in people over the age of 75 is a particular challenge for the region bringing increased demand for support services, home adaptations and specifically designed housing.

Recognising the challenge ahead of them, Councillor Ron Smith, executive member for social work said: “Housing is not just a matter of bricks and mortar but is an integral part of the physical, economic and social character of the Borders.

“Specifically, accessible, warm, safe, affordable housing, attractive environments and a sense of place can contribute greatly to meeting Scottish Government’s wider aims of tackling poverty and health inequalities and building confidence and capacity in communities. This will enable Borderers to reach their full potential.

“These issues are challenging enough, but we are also operating at a time of major changes in the financial and economic worlds.”

Speaking about the newly published Local Housing Strategy document, Councillor Smith added: “It is intended that this document will provide a focus for consultation to enable the council and its partners to engage with individuals, organisations and the wider community in order to develop their vision and proposed actions for the next five years.”

FREEZING cancer patients who can’t afford to heat their homes due to rising fuel bills are increasingly relying on charity handouts to keep warm.

Macmillan Cancer Support has given more than £6,000 in financial grants to 18 cancer patients in Berwickshire, and 61% of the people helped with their energy bills.

Across the UK, Macmillan is giving out almost twice as much in grants to help patients heat their homes than it was five years ago.

Elspeth Atkinson, director of Macmillan Cancer Support for Scotland and Northern Ireland said: said: “To feel too scared to put the heating on because of soaring energy bills is an unacceptable reality for thousands of vulnerable cancer patients who feel the cold more and spend long periods of time at home.

“When the charity was established 100 years ago, founder Douglas Macmillan helped cancer patients by handing out sacks of coal to keep them warm. It is shocking that a century on, people who are diagnosed with this devastating disease are still relying on charity help to heat their freezing homes.”

When someone is diagnosed with cancer, their income often drops because they are too ill to work. Seven in ten people under 55 experience a reduced income losing on average 50 per cent. However, their bills often rise because they need to spend more time at home and feel the chill more because of their treatment.

Despite the impact fuel poverty has on cancer patients, few patients benefit from Government and energy companies’ schemes.

Macmillan is calling for the ongoing Independent Fuel Poverty Review to prioritise cancer patients for help and for more to be done to ensure cancer patients are lifted out of fuel poverty.

Professor John Hills, director of the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion at LSE, who is carrying out the review, has published an interim report which confirms the seriousness of the problem of fuel poverty.

Households in or on the margins of poverty facd extra costs to keep warm above those for typical households with much higher incomes - up to £1.1 billion in 2009 - before recent price increases.

People on low incomes and in the worst housing cannot afford essential investment to improve the energy efficiency of the whole housing stock and combat climate change.

Professor Hills, said: “The evidence presented in my interim report shows how serious the problem of fuel poverty is, increasing health risks and hardship for millions of people, and hampering urgent action to reduce energy waste and carbon emissions.

“This review confirms that the way in which the problem is currently described in law is correct: people are affected by fuel poverty if they are ‘living on a lower income in a home which cannot be kept warm at reasonable cost.”

To find out about the help available to cancer patients, or to make a donation to support Macmillan’s work, please call freephone 0808 808 0000 or visit www.macmillan.org.uk

FUEL thieves have struck again in Berwickshire, continuing a string of related incidents in the area.

Some time between Tuesday, January 10 and Wednesday, February 8, someone entered a farm in the Greenlaw area and stole approximately 800 litres of heating oil from an unattended fuel tank situated at the rear of a house.

The approximate value of fuel stolen was £560.

Police are appealing for witnesses, or people with any information about the incident, to contact their nearest station.

LAST week saw millions of people frantically logging onto their computers and enter a ballot to be in with a chance of securing a ticket for the Diamond Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace, but one Whitsome man didn’t have to go to such lengths to secure his recent invite to Britain’s most famous address.

You only have to look at the letters of recommendation made to the Cabinet on Ian Jarvie’s behalf to know that if there was ever a candidate for an MBE he was it, having clocked up close to 50 years of voluntary service.

He was nominated for the title by friend and fellow Whitsome resident Richard Walthew with Richard’s recommendation backed by two of Ian’s associates from his Borders-wide work, Trevor Burrows and Roger Hemming; Berwickshire Councillor Jim Fullarton and Alan Dewar, who Ian served with on Allanton, Edrom and Whitsome Community Council.

Ian and his supporters found out he was to receive his MBE in May last year before the Queen’s Birthday Honours List was made public in June.

Speaking to ‘The Berwickshire News’ that month Ian said he was shocked to be recognised and was very modest about his efforts over the years.

But the volume of voluntary work he has done throughout Scotland and the many letters and emails of congratulations he received when news of his honour spread, from the likes of Alex Salmond and SBC Convenor Alasdair Hutton, emphasise why he was singled out.

For 35 years Ian was an officer in the Boys Brigade and over the years he has dedicated his time to many organisations- the Association of Scottish Community Councils, Berwickshire Community Councils Forum, Scottish Borders Community Councils’ Network and Scottish Borders Rural Partnership to name but a few.

And he is still heavily involved with Whitsome Village Hall Association, Whitsome Enhancement Group and Scottish Borders Joint Community Safety Panel.

Ian’s professional career has seen him employed by Rolls Royce, Kincardine, Longannet and Torness power stations but unfortunately in 1996 he was forced to leave his job at the latter after being struck down with ME.

However, Ian never let the condition get the better of him and Richard said that when he first got to know Ian, he always was busy with one organisation or another.

“When I first met Ian I was beginning to wind down, heading for retirement myself,” he told ‘Life’.

“But Ian was an example to us all, he’d always have a meeting to go to and nothing was ever too much trouble.

“He’s very modest about everything he’s done but it’s quite amazing that come 2014 Ian will have completed 50 years of voluntary work.”

A few weeks after his trip to Buckingham Palace, the man himself was still very modest about his royal accolade.

“To receive something like an MBE is a big surprise and there are many others in the Borders who are just as deserving of the honour,” Ian said.

“It was a great occasion for myself and my family and any nerves I might have had were allayed by the palace staff who made everyone feel extremely relaxed.

“I have just received a DVD recording of the ceremony and apparently there were 107 of us there on the day. I got to spend around about 15-20 seconds with Prince Charles but it seemed longer than that at the time.

“We spoke briefly about funding issues and it was nice that he noticed the Boys Brigade button hole badge I was wearing. He made me feel welcome.”

The man appreciated by so many may not be in these parts for much longer as building has started on a new house for Ian and his wife Mary in Blebo Craigs, Fife. However, before he moves onto pastures new there are a few more Borders-related aims he would like to meet.

“It would be very satisfying if we were to finally have quality broadband in Whitsome before I leave- that is one of the last remaining things I’d really like to achieve. And I’d really like to see the recently established Borders Energy Agency prosper and make a difference to communities who don’t always have the capacity to get things done like we have done in Whitsome.”

A BUDDING farmer from the Borders is blossoming as an agricultural trainee on The Co-operative Farms’ apprenticeship scheme.

Liam Logan, from Berwick-upon-Tweed, was unemployed for two years before securing the two-year placement working for Britain’s largest farmer at its Whitsome Hill Farm in Duns, Berwickshire, which is managed by Co-operative Farms.

The 21-year-old is ploughing ahead with his academic studies and hands-on training on the apprenticeship scheme, which is designed to help The Co-operative Farms find and train the farming talent of the future.

Now almost a year on the scheme Co-operative farms are delighted with Liams progress and aptitude for the job,

Liam left school with nine GCSEs and spent several summers working on farms during his school holidays, and is making the most of the opportunity given to him, displaying a sound knowledge about agriculture, both in the field and the classroom.

Liam said: “Since I started on The Co-operative Farms’ apprenticeship scheme I’ve not looked back. I love being outdoors in the fresh air and I’m doing something different and learning something new every day, from the basics in grain store management to arable farming to how to drive forklift trucks and tractors.

“When I started the scheme I had been unemployed for quite a while and before that I worked in shops and factories but that was a bit boring, so when I saw the opportunity for the apprenticeship and a career in farming I jumped at the chance.

“I knew The Co-operative was a good place to work but the apprenticeship has been much better than I expected and I’m enjoying every single minute of it. There is so much variety and you’re learning new skills all the time, as well as working in a team and also on your own, so it’s a great all-round preparation for a career in farming.

“It can be hard work though, especially during the harvest, but it’s also great fun too. I would definitely recommend apprenticeships, especially if it’s a career someone is interested in. And what’s better still is that as well as learning new skills and gaining qualifications and vital practical experience, you also get paid and there is a real chance of a job at the end.”

The Co-operative Farms currently has three other apprentices working on its farms at Down Ampney in Gloucestershire, and Tillington in Hereford, as well as Ashby St Ledger in Warwickshire, which is also managed by Co-operative Farms.

They are all studying for an agricultural NVQ at Reaseheath College in Cheshire, one of the leading land-based colleges in the country, where they will have two to three years to complete the course and achieve up to a level three.

Each apprentice also has an individual teaching package relevant to the farm they work on, as well as learning about key areas of the business – cereal and root crops, vegetable and fruit growing.

David Watson, who oversees The Co-operative Farms’ apprenticeship scheme, added: “We have been impressed by all of the apprentices, many of whom had no previous farming experience, who have demonstrated fantastic enthusiasm, motivation and commitment.

“Farming today is much more than just growing food. It is about being a sustainable business that cares for the environment, protects local wildlife and raises awareness about food.

“The Co-operative is looking for the next generation of farmers who are as passionate about fresh food and the outdoors as we are. Our apprentices have surpassed our expectations and are making the scheme the success it is and they are shaping up to become farmers of the future.”

Youth unemployment is high on the political agenda and last week, National Apprenticeship Week, the focus of attention was very much on increasing the number of apprenticeship schemes such as those offered by Co-operative Farms.

The Forum of Private Business in its submission to the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee’s inquiry into apprenticeships urged the Government to simplify the entire apprenticeship system in order to make them more business-friendly and appealing to industry leaders, as well as making them more appropriate to the needs and requirements of UK businesses.

The Forum says training courses such as apprenticeships need to be seen as more worthy, with better information provided to bosses about courses and their effectiveness. They also highlight the need for there to be incentives for small businesses to take on young people and rewards for those that do.

The Forum’s Jane Bennett said: “Our members value on-the-job training, and our latest research backs this up. Apprenticeships are an attractive training method for employers, but we think the Government could boost their appeal by making them much more business-friendly.

“The problem is that the majority of courses are not flexible, which is essential for small firms.

“There is also a lack of information available to small businesses about course benefits and therefore they find it difficult to navigate a complex system made up of numerous courses.

“Clear information on the effectiveness of courses is also especially important because small firms need good quality that increases competency.”

An appetite for rapid growth under new managing director Danny Hughes will see timber windows and doors manufacturer Allan Brothers focus on becoming a consumer brand across the UK during 2012.

“Our aim is to grow the business significantly by selling more to the consumer through a recommended network of installers,” said Mr Hughes, who joined the company owned by the Scandinavian Inwido Group in December last year.

In outlining the new strategy Mr Hughes disclosed that the company will back it up by launching a major campaign in Yorkshire and spa towns in the south of England.

“Home improvements make up half the UK market so that will be our focus, although we will not leave behind our traditional roots in the building and social housing market,” he added.

Allan Brothers, which last year celebrated its bi-centenary, has announced a £1m investment in new machinery at its Berwick factory and is looking to see a 15 per cent increase in sales this year. Mr Hughes believes investment by Inwido is evidence of new-found confidence in the Allan Brothers brand.

This investment includes a new £300,000 IT system which makes it more efficient in tracking and measuring productivity on the shop floor. The company has also worked hard to provide a more seamless service to customers, achieved by offering an ‘on time and full customer delivery performance’ which has consistently been up at 97 per cent. In addition, its lead time of six weeks has been a key platform in enabling it to compete.

Mr Hughes said: “It has meant that while the window and door market is down by five per cent nationally, the sales at Allan Brothers have been up 18 per cent which is fantastic because it means our market share has increased in what are very difficult market conditions.”