MORE Borderers than ever are accessing the facilities run by the Borders Sport and Leisure Trust (BSLT) – with the notable exception of swimming pools.

Over the past four years, there has been a 20% increase in participation among children and young people in “active play opportunities” and in adults taking part in “community-based physical activity and sport”.

But over the same period, 2% fewer people have been involved in “aquatic activities”, with increased charges and reduced pool opening hours cited as possible explanations by BSLT chief executive Ewan Jackson in a presentation to Scottish Borders Council last week.

He also reported a slight fall in overall BSLT membership which currently stands at 8,042, including 660 people who live outwith the Borders.

The highest number of members – 1,596 or 20% - reside in Galashiels & District, followed by Leaderdale & Melrose with 885 (11%). The lowest membership levels are in Mid Berwickshire with 217 (2.7%) and in Jedburgh & District, where the swimming pool is run by a separate trust, with 255 (3.2%). A further 1,045 people are listed as “casual users” of BSLT facilities.

The trust made a small surplus in 2014/15 when income of £5,604m exceeded expenditure of £5.572m, compared to a deficit of £152,000 recorded the previous year.

Mr Jackson said the trust, which had recently affiliated 10 new sports clubs, had set a target of increasing the number of participant visits each year to 1.3million by 2019, compared to the current annual figure of “just under one million”.

Later at Thursday’s full council meeting, councillors were told that by integrating the sporting and cultural calendars of the Borders, the region will, boosted by the railway, become a more attractive destination for those living in the Edinburgh area as well as for visitors from the north of England.

That was cited as one of the “key benefits” of SBC transferring all its non-statutory cultural services – including libraries, museums, art centres and public halls – to the BSLT.

Talks about a possible merger began in February, with the council ordering a full feasibility report by October.

Councillors heard that establishing the terms of reference between the organisations had taken “longer than initially expected”.

“Now that these have been agreed, the feasibility work is progressing well and in a positive manner,” stated Stephen Roy, who is managing the integration project for SBC.

Apart from detailing the benefits of integration, including joint marketing, co-location opportunities and the better programming of activities, Mr Roy cautioned: “Measures will need to be identified to avoid the risk of the focus on either culture or sport being diluted.” His update also stressed that the VAT, capital funding, property maintenance, pension and financial support implications of integration would have to be addressed in October’s feasibility report.

The council’s cultural services currently employ around 200 people and cost £5m a year to run.

The BSLT, which has a similarly-sized workforce, pays a peppercorn rent for the sports facilities it inherited from SBC 11 years ago. Last year, it received an annual management fee from the council of £2.5m.