21 May 2026 / By David Ferguson
The Borders Competitions Jim Clark Rally is supporting a range of local charities this weekend and one says it will enable them to inspire more teenagers with life-changing experiences.
The motorsport event relies on over a thousand volunteers to marshal across the stages on closed public roads through Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and as spectator interest in the event grows the demand for spectator car parks and programmes also rises.
The event organisers work with a host of charities to ensure that the money that is raised from such support goes straight back into local communities. Beyond Earlston is a youth work charity founded in 2012 who provide free activities that help young people aged 11 to 18, particularly those not in mainstream education, to socialise and enjoy experiences not otherwise open to them. This includes holiday programmes, community volunteering and gardening.
It is part of the Stepping Stones youth partnership project that supports young people aged 10-18 across the Scottish Borders, with the aim of improving their emotional health and wellbeing, and life chances.
They were one charity offered the chance to be involved in the rally and they will help to manage spectator car parks and sell programmes on the Scott’s View stage this weekend, proceeds from which they will invest back into the charity.
Programmes are on sale in many shops across the Scottish Borders, and spectator car parks have been set up with a £10 fee in most of the weekend’s stages (except Bothwell, Blackadder and Manderston, where it was not possible) and the profits will go to these charities.
‘It was wonderful to be approached – it’s a great opportunity for us’
Trustee Lorna Hunter explained: “It was wonderful to be approached and, at first, there was a bit of ‘oh, we don’t really know rallies’, but my husband Brian and I have a bit of a past in rallying many years ago. We were in the opening car in 1976, and Brian has been involved as a safety officer.
“So, we thought this would be a great opportunity for our trustees, parents and young people to be involved in something different, and help to support our local rally.
“The money collected will help us do the work we do and offset costs for outings in particular. In Easter, we took a group to Alien Rock in Edinburgh, for example, and last summer we went to Blackpool which was fantastic.
“We have recently been fortunate to be able to purchase a fully electric nine-seater minivan but we need to hire another minibus to enable more children to go on outings, and so to get additional funding that we weren’t expecting from the Jim Clark Rally will help us to organise and take more children on such outings over the next year.”
‘Important that we provide genuine benefit to the community’
Jim Clark Rally Chairman Dan Wright commented: “We’re delighted to hear the enthusiasm of the Beyond Earlston charity, and we’re delighted that they will see a real benefit from being involved with us.
“Each year we support a number of charities, some running car parks or selling programmes and they keep the money, or we give a straight donation to them. We also support the Tweed Forum with a grant to assist with their environmental work, and we work with local schools too.
“We don’t go looking for publicity for that, but it is important to us that we provide genuine benefit to the community, not solely from the income we generate for businesses with thousands of people coming to the Scottish Borders for the weekend, but also in real ways that have long-lasting effects for communities and Borders people.”
For more information on Beyond Earlston, visit their website: https://www.beyondearlston.org.uk/