Reflecting on 2025, Building 2026 Together

What a year it’s been at Yarrow Hall. Looking back over the last 12 months, it’s remarkable to see just how much our small rural community has achieved together. From new classes, events and creative workshops to meaningful improvements to the hall itself.

We have made a concerted effort to attract new events and classes to the hall. The income generated from these activities is not just welcome – it is essential as we work to secure a stable, financially viable future for Yarrow Hall.

Alongside what people see day-to-day, there has also been a significant amount of work happening behind the scenes. As regulations and expectations around charity governance have evolved, the hall needed to modernise its processes and organisational structures. Over the past year, we have reviewed and updated our constitution and charity arrangements to ensure Yarrow Hall is now correctly structured, compliant, and operating on a sound legal footing. This behind-the-scenes but important work has now been successfully completed.

While we are proud of what has been achieved in 2025, it is important to be open and honest about the challenges we face. For many years, the hall has been operating at a loss, with financial reserves steadily declining. Without the hard work and changes made this year, the hall would be significantly closer to running out of funds altogether and facing closure.

We would like to invite everyone in the community to come along to our AGM on Wednesday 18th February at 7pm in Yarrow Hall. It’s a great opportunity to hear more about what’s been happening, share ideas, ask questions and help shape the future of the hall.

Yarrow Hall Needs You

Yarrow Hall exists for the community, but it can only survive with the community. To move from short-term survival to long-term security, we urgently need more people to step forward.

Looking Back On 2025

January – We began the year by launching our new Yarrow Hall Book Club, meeting on the first Tuesday of every month at 7pm. It has become a relaxed and welcoming space to chat, connect and discover new reads together.

February – Julieann ran her Gentle Step classes at the hall. We are so lucky to have such a qualified fitness instructor living in the Feus!

March –  Andrea from Eildon Yoga began a block of yoga classes every two weeks in the hall.

April –  In April the local community came together for a meeting about the cross Border pylon proposals.

May – May saw our very first banquet night, hosted by Good Fuid, who delivered a fantastic Thai-themed evening. Later that month, our table-top sale brought locals together for bargains, conversation and bacon rolls.

June – June featured a beautiful wreath-making evening hosted by Roz — a night full of creativity, laughter and connection.

July – In July, the ever-brilliant Linda Jackson returned to host the Yarrow Valley Quiz Night. It was, as always, a hugely enjoyable evening.

August – This was a busy and rewarding month. Our community tidy-up transformed the hall grounds, with volunteers hacking back trees and bushes and restoring the outdoor space. Later in the month, we hosted our first free community BBQ — a way to give back and listen. The turnout, support and feedback we received were invaluable and are already shaping future plans for the hall. 

September – We were delighted to welcome Julieann back to Yarrow Hall with the return of her Gentle Steps classes.

October – October brought Line Dancing to the hall — and what a hit it was. The energy, enthusiasm and laughter filling the hall each week were a joy to see. Charlotte our hall keeper ran another seasonal messy play for the Ettrick & Yarrow playgroup at Yarrow Hall.

We also launched the 2026 Yarrow Calendar. With so many wonderful photographs submitted, choosing the final 12 was no easy task. We are incredibly proud of the finished calendar, which will help generate much-needed funds for the hall.

You can read all about where the photos were taken on our blog; https://www.yarrowhall.com/post/introducing-the-yarrow-hall-2026-calendar

November - November saw two glass Christmas decoration workshops, both of which sold out quickly. At the end of the month, Good Fuid returned with a British-themed pie banquet night. Thank you to everyone who came along — your support genuinely means a great deal to everyone involved with Yarrow Hall.

December – We finished the year on a high with a wonderful clay workshop led by the talented Sharon, where participants created their own moon-gazing hares. Charlotte hosted another seasonal messy play for the Ettrick & Yarrow Playgroup.

Improving Yarrow Hall – Grants & Upgrades

Alongside events, we have made tangible improvements to the hall itself in 2025:

• We secured funding to install a full fire alarm system, significantly improving safety.

• A grant from the Community Council enabled us to purchase eco‑friendly sanitary bins for all toilets, cover our public music licence, and pay our website fees for the next two years.

• We were also successful in receiving funding from Oregon Timber, helping us continue our programme of improvements.

  
  

These grants make a substantial difference, and we are extremely grateful to all organisations who supported Yarrow Hall this year.

Our Future Vision 2026 and Beyond

We genuinely believe Yarrow Hall has a positive future. Our long-term vision includes a fully refurbished building with new toilets and kitchen facilities, improved energy-efficient heating, double glazing, modern equipment, fresh decoration throughout, and an ever-growing programme of activities and events serving all ages.

In time, there may also be an opportunity for the hall to transfer from Scottish Borders Council into community ownership, which could unlock further funding and development opportunities.

However, this vision comes with clear challenges:

• Financial sustainability – we must continue to attract and support both existing and new classes and events to generate essential income.

• Community backing – strong local support is vital, particularly when applying for grants and funding.

• People power – we need enough trustees, volunteers and supporters to help run the hall and deliver events.

  
  
  
  

How Can You Support Yarrow Hall in 2026?

There are so many ways you can help:

• Attend our events and activities

• Tell others about the hall and what’s on

• Consider becoming a trustee

• Purchase a Yarrow Calendar (or two, or three!)

• Hire the hall for your own events

• If you are a local business, consider donating goods, materials or services

• Share our social media posts to help spread the word

Become a Trustee – Your Support Is Critical

The past year has involved a significant amount of work by a very small number of volunteers. This level of commitment is not sustainable long-term. We urgently need new trustees to:

• Share responsibility for running the hall

• Help with decision-making and planning

• Support fundraising and income-generating events

• Bring fresh ideas, energy and skills

  
  

Being a trustee is not overwhelming — trustees meet quarterly and support is shared across the group. What matters most is a willingness to help and a commitment to keeping Yarrow Hall open for future generations.  Without new trustees and volunteers, there is a real risk that the hall will simply not be able to continue. New members are very much needed to help secure the future of the hall.

If you’re interested in becoming a trustee please email Sarah - chair@yarrowhall.com to express your interest and find out more.

We would love to invite everyone in the community to come along to our AGM on Wednesday 18th February at 7pm in Yarrow Hall. It’s a great opportunity to hear more about what’s been happening, share ideas, ask questions and help shape the future of the hall. Whether you’re a regular user of the hall or simply care about it being here for years to come, you’ll be very welcome — the more voices we have, the stronger our community will be.

In Summary

2025 has been a very significant year for Yarrow Hall. We have made meaningful improvements, strengthened our foundations, brought new activities into the hall and — through a great deal of effort — stabilised a long‑term decline in our finances. However, there is still much to do so your continued support is crucial in ensuring that Yarrow Hall not only survives, but thrives for future generations.

Thank you for being part of our community.