PLANS to set up a lunch club for older residents in Kirkmichael look set to go ahead – even though the group behind the idea has been unable to secure the use of its preferred premises.

The Kirkmichael Community Development Group wants to use the Kirkmichael Centre in Townhead Road for a 'Meet and Eat' club, giving the area's senior citizens a chance to socialise, enjoy a healthy meal and learn more about a healthy diet, food hygiene and other helpful eating tips.

The first session of the club – funded by a £7,600 grant from the People's Health Trust – is due to take place in St Joseph's Primary School in early October, after the group was told a lack of janitorial cover meant they couldn't use the Kirkmichael facility.

Stephen Coates, the development group's chairman, said: “The centre is the perfect building, but we've been told that due to council cutbacks we can't have the centre unless there's two staff there covering it.

“I proposed coming on board as an unpaid volunteer to be a keyholder, but I've been told that can't be done because of insurance reasons.

“We've been told we can use St Joseph's, but we would have to take all our utensils and everything down to the school for the session and take it away afterwards for storage.

“The head teacher at St Joseph's has been brilliant – I can't praise her enough. She's said we can have a wee dining area next to the main hall.

“But we thought we were going to have the community centre when we put our funding bid in, and all of a sudden it's been taken from underneath our feet.

“There used to be a job club and a sewing club there. They used to have a caretaker, but in June or July he got made redundant, and we can't ask a member of staff to stay just because they've got keys.”

Mr Coates said he had raised the issue at a recent meeting of the Helensburgh and Lomond community planning group, and that local councillor Gary Mulvaney had promised to investigate.

Councillor Mulvaney told the Advertiser: “The community centre isn't actually a community centre. It used to be, many years ago, but it's now area offices for the council.

“I told the CPG I would take it up with council officers, and that's where it currently rests. But I'm very keen, and the CPG were very keen, that we explore the opportunity.”

Councillor Mulvaney said he was fully behind the development group's efforts to give the Kirkmichael community a new lease of life.

“We're now back at a stage where there's good support from among Kirkmichael's own residents for growing the community,” he continued.

“The group they've got now is clearly focussed, not just on how they do things, but on what the outcome should be.

“We seem to have a really good balance now. There are lots of agencies in there helping, but more importantly we've got residents who want to play the biggest part.”

A spokesperson for Argyll and Bute Council said: "The council works with community groups to provide advice, support and quality facilities.

"Given that the Kirkmichael Centre is an office it is not on the council’s public booking system.

"There are a range of modern facilities in the brand new Civic Centre and in Hermitage Academy which are available for use by members of the public."