The Theme’s overall purpose is to ensure that key agencies, partnerships and representative bodies, who have an interest in and an influence on communities, are involved appropriately and can direct the work being done by the public sector to address the opportunities and challenges facing the Scottish Borders.  It should also seek to explore where the third sector can take a lead.  It should ensure that the key outcomes in relation to communities within the SOA are achieved. The theme should provide recommendations for future key outcomes.

Strong and Safe Borders should also seek to oversee the “individuals and communities” aspect of Outcome 14 (ensuring that waste, energy consumption and climate change adaptation and mitigation are addressed), and Outcome 7 (ensuring that inequalities are addressed).