How We Found Harestanes
As many of you may know, our lease at Sandbed is due to end in May 2026 - those last 3-years have flown by!
The Sandbed has been a wonderful home for A Positive Start CIC. It gave us the opportunity to bring therapy onto the high street, create our thrift shop, and build a visible presence in the community. But as our work continues to grow, it has become clear that we are ready for the next stage - a space more naturally suited to reflection, regulation and healing than on a busy roundabout.
We have been exploring possibilities locally because Hawick has been our home for the last ten years. We've spoken with people about ideas that might allow the project to remain in the town, but the premises that would support our vision are already planned for other uses.
2023-2026 8 Sandbed, Hawick.
Thank you for being part of our journey
One Sunday, feeling the pressure of needing somewhere safe and suitable for the project to continue - and for our clients to feel supported - Andy and I set out for a drive to look at rural options instead.
With each place we visited, there seemed to be something missing. Sometimes parking wasn't suitable, sometimes access was difficult. Sometimes, the space simply didn't feel right.
Tired and ready to head home, we happened to pass Harestanes Visitor Centre. I suggested we stop for a cup of tea and something to eat, as we hadn't had lunch.
As we pulled into the car park, right in front of us - almost as if by magic - was a building to let.
The Tower at Harestanes
It immediately felt like exactly what we had been looking for.
Even more remarkably, we had just been talking about creating relaxed reflection afternoons, where visitors could spend time in the countryside and enjoy something simple like an afternoon tea - and there beside the Tower, the perfect dining experience already offering exactly that.
I contacted the landlord's office straight away. Their team couldn't have been more helpful. Garry met with us, listened carefully to what we hoped to create, and shared our vision with the landlord while arranging an on-site meeting.
After that first visit, I invited my colleague Vanessa to come and see the space to see how she felt about it - and she loved it just as much as we did. We stayed for a meal in the lovely restaurant, which was delicious, and as we sat together talking, we both found ourselves getting excited about the possibilities the space offered and the ideas that were beginning to take shape for what the wellbeing community at Harestanes could become.
I also brought a couple of people who use our services to visit Harestanes so I could hear their thoughts. Their reactions meant a great deal to me - they loved the setting and immediately understood why it felt like the right place for the next stage of A Positive Start CIC.
As we began speaking with the wider team, the same response kept coming back. A sense of excitement about what this space could become. From that point on, it began to feel less like we had simply found a building and more like we had found the right home for the well-being community we have been hoping to create.
We are now preparing to move into the Tower and begin the next stage of A Positive Start CIC - the creation of the Harestanes Wellbeing Community.
Over the coming weeks, we will be documenting the journey as we prepare the space and plan for our opening day at Harestanes. We would love you to follow along with us and be part of this next chapter as the wellbeing community begins to take shape.
Please join us on this exciting adventure
You can follow updates here:
Facebook:@APSCIC | Instagram:apscic_moving_to_harestanes
Our Harestanes Wellbeing Community
A Positive Start CIC is now beginning the next stage of its journey — creating a peaceful space for connection, learning and emotional wellbeing in the Scottish Borders.
Over the past ten years, we have supported many people through counselling, workshops and trauma-informed learning. During that time, one thing has become very clear: people benefit deeply from spaces where they can slow down, reflect and reconnect in a calm and supportive environment.
For many years, I have held a vision of creating a setting like this — a place where small groups can gather, learn together, share experiences, and build stronger connections with themselves and others.
That vision is now beginning to take shape at Harestanes.
We hope you’ll consider joining us and becoming part of our wellbeing community here — whether as a partner, collaborator, volunteer, student, supporter, or someone simply looking for a place to connect and grow.
Watch out for announcements about our upcoming Open Day as we prepare to welcome visitors into the space and share what is beginning.
Healing happens in relationships.
Positive outcomes begin with A Positive Start.