HELENSBURGH is coming together to create a hub to help people deal with mental health issues.

The aim is to create a warm and welcoming space to support people to achieve good mental health and gain a feeling of belonging through social activities, support groups and volunteering opportunities.

The hub wants to cater for everyone in Helensburgh and Lomond - from those with serious mental health issues to providing general advice and support to enable people to stay happy and healthy.

The first step in creating the hub is to find out what people think about the plan and to create a wish list of activities and services that could happen in the hub.

With that in mind, an open day will take place on Wednesday, July 19, in the building known as 'Jean's Cottage', opposite the Victoria Integrated Care Centre on East King Street, where the hub will operate.

There will be two sessions, from 2-4pm and 6-8pm, to allow anyone to come along and have a look around the hub, find out more about who is involved and give their views on what they would like to see as part of the facility.

There is also an online survey about the hub, which can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/GNQWP3Q

The hub also needs a name, so people are being asked to vote for their favourite from the following options: (1) Jean's Bothy, (2) Jean's Momentum Hub, (3) Helensburgh and Lomond Community Mental Health Hub.

Anyone who has lived in Helensburgh for a while will have heard of Jean’s Cottage, which was given to the council many years ago.

Does anyone know more about the history behind the Cottage? If so come along to the open day and tell us all about it so that the history can be part of the future of the building.

The hub will operate as a partnership between Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership community groups and local businesses.

It’s part of the integration of health and social care, which aims to transform how services are run so that people feel more involved and have more say in how their health and social care services operate.

A key part of the plan is to involve the people who use mental health services in the running of the hub through a user group that currently involves the council, NHS, ENABLE Scotland, Argyll & Bute TSI, Welcome In recovery café, Womens’ Group, Scottish Fire and Rescue, Lomond and Argyll Advocacy Service, Acumen, Helensburgh Community Council, Mears Care and others.