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The Tour de France comes through Galashiels on 2 July 2027, with an estimated 120,000 spectators expected across the Scottish Borders. With excellent transport links and the race passing right through the town, Gala can expect significant footfall. Spectators typically arrive hours before the riders, creating a lively, family-friendly festival atmosphere, and many will be looking for places to eat, drink, shop and explore. We need to be ready. BID is working with Galashiels

Welcome to the first LinkFest – our new monthly round-up of useful business support, resources and opportunities, brought together in one place for our levy-payers. This month’s event The first event in an exciting new partnership between the Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce and IoD South of Scotland, Distilled Connections brings together businesses and leaders from across the region to connect, collaborate and share ideas on Thursday 1 October, 10am–12pm. Register here.

Our Vacant Shop Academy (VSA) work continues to gather momentum, with progress on bringing vacant units to life, exploring opportunities for meanwhile use and strengthening connections with landlords and potential new tenants. A huge part of getting the project to this point has been the support and expertise of Jay Hogarty. With increasing business commitments across Scotland, Jay has stepped down from the BID Board, and we’d like to thank him for the time, knowledge and ene

The Golden Broom Award has officially launched – a new monthly award recognising levy-paying businesses that take pride in their premises and help keep Galashiels looking its best. We’ll be keeping an eye out for businesses making an effort with things like: Clean and tidy shopfronts and entrances Well-kept windows and displays Litter-free areas around premises Planting, flowers or other touches that brighten the street Going that little bit further to look after your area of

Ahead of the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government, BID for Galashiels joined the Federation of Small Businesses for a meeting with Minister for Business and Fair Work, Tom Arthur MSP. The meeting provided an important opportunity to bring the experiences of Galashiels businesses directly to the Minister, discussing the challenges and opportunities facing small businesses and what is needed to give them greater confidence to invest, grow and create jobs. With a stron

A relaxed afternoon celebrating Galashiels volunteers; meet others, enjoy light food and hear about planned events and projects in 2027. So much of what happens in Galashiels simply wouldn’t be possible without the time, energy and commitment of local volunteers. BID for Galashiels, Energise Galashiels Trust and Galashiels Community Council warmly invite you to join us for a relaxed afternoon celebrating everyone who helps make a difference in our town. Sunday 4 October 2026

This October, we’re introducing a new BID-organised Halloween event, creating another reason for families to visit Galashiels and spend time in the town. Taking place on Saturday 31st of October from 11am–2pm, the event will combine a hub of family activity in the pedestrianised area of Upper Channel Street with a guising trail that takes families around the town. Upper Channel Street will host free face painting, Halloween games and activities, creating a lively focal point

We’re planning a Halloween event in Galashiels town centre on Saturday the 31st of October, with something fun for everyone - including a Galashiels Guising Trail designed to encourage families to explore the town centre and increase footfall on the day. Full details will be revealed across the Galashiels Heartland channels from mid-September. Planning something spooky too? As well as our own event, we'd love to help promote everything spooky happening across Galashiels. If y

With the Tour de France coming to the Scottish Borders, including Galashiels, in July 2027, the countdown is well and truly on. BID for Galashiels is working alongside other local organisations and partners as preparations begin, with a shared focus on making sure the activity surrounding the Tour supports our community and local businesses alike. This isn’t simply about one day in July. It’s about making the most of the build-up, creating excitement across Galashiels and ens

BID for Galashiels recently joined Energise Galashiels Trust and Galashiels Community Council for a positive and productive meeting with Calum Kerr MP. There was plenty to discuss, with conversation covering the wider Galashiels community, our creative sector, and the opportunities and challenges facing small businesses across the town. It was a valuable opportunity to share what’s happening in Galashiels, discuss some of the issues facing the town and look at how we can work

We love seeing people putting time and creativity into making their premises look their best, and Little Art Hub has done just that with its new signage - designed and created by the team themselves. It’s a great example of how small changes can make a frontage more eye-catching, welcoming and give people passing by a reason to take notice. It also links nicely with our Vacant Shop Academy work. Creating a thriving town centre can be a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation - att

The results of the UK's first Town of Culture 2028 competition have now been announced. More than 400 towns from across the UK entered, with just 15 being shortlisted to progress to the next stage. Unfortunately, Galashiels was not among them this time. While we're naturally disappointed with the outcome, we're incredibly proud of the application we submitted and everything it represented. We'd like to congratulate the 15 shortlisted towns and wish them every success as the c

BID for Galashiels was honoured to be invited to address this year's Galashiels Academy Leavers' Ceremony, recognising the important role our organisation plays not only in supporting today's businesses, but in inspiring the next generation who will one day shape the future of our town. Today's school leavers are tomorrow's business owners, employers, volunteers, community leaders and decision-makers. Investing in that next generation is just as important as supporting the bu

BID for Galashiels' Retail Resilience Pilot is now fully subscribed, with a diverse group of local businesses from across the town preparing to take part. Over the coming months, participants will receive tailored support designed to help them strengthen their businesses, attract more customers and identify practical opportunities for growth. The learning from the pilot will also help shape future support that can be shared more widely with businesses across the BID area. Lea

Fantastic work has been carried out by Jay Hogarty Property to refresh the former Clydesdale Bank building on Galashiels High Street. The building has been transformed into an attractive, modern space offering a range of flexible retail units, all now available to let. To see the fantastic transformation and explore the available units, view 9 High Street here and 11 High Street here. Making the Most of Vacant Space As part of our Vacant Shop Academy project, we're always loo

As BID for Galashiels continues to grow, we're looking to welcome new Directors from levy-paying businesses to join our Board. Our current Board brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and commitment, helping to guide the BID's work and deliver value for levy payers. As the BID's projects and activities continue to evolve, we're looking to strengthen the Board with new voices, fresh perspectives and a broader mix of business experience. Whether you run an independent busines

This year marked the fourth Tangled Galashiels, the fibre and textile festival that has become a key part of the town's events calendar. Celebrating everything from knitting, crochet and weaving to spinning, dyeing, felting and embroidery, the festival attracts makers, artists, craftspeople and visitors from across Scotland, the UK and beyond. Over the course of the weekend, Galashiels welcomed visitors who had travelled from far and wide to take part in workshops, demonstrat

We are launching a new Retail Resilience Pilot Programme for a small number of local businesses who want tailored, practical support to help navigate the current trading climate. We know that trading conditions continue to be challenging for many businesses. While some issues are specific to individual businesses, there are also wider social and economic pressures affecting the retail sector nationally, not just here in Galashiels. Through conversations with businesses, s

This year saw the first dedicated Learning at Work Week delivered by BID for Galashiels - a programme of workshops, events and business support activities developed in response to feedback from our levy payers. Topics included social media marketing, AI, funding opportunities and general business development, with sessions taking place across the town throughout the week. The aim was to provide practical, relevant support in areas businesses told us they wanted help with. It

From the 13th to 20th of June, Galashiels will be taking part in the national Scotland Loves Local campaign, celebrating the businesses and people that make our town special. BID for Galashiels has been working to ensure Galashiels is represented as part of the national campaign, organising a dedicated photo shoot with local businesses which will be used across Scotland Loves Local promotional activity and media coverage. A Scotland Loves Local Takeover Throughout the campaig