This week's Councillor Column is written by Graham Hardie, elected in May for the Liberal Democrats in the Helensburgh Central ward.

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This is my first column as a newly elected councillor and I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for me and the support and guidance I received from the local Liberal Democrat party.

I have been a resident of Helensburgh for many years and I have seen a vast improvement in the town in the last ten years.

The new square is a major asset (one just has to view all the many people who use it, especially in the summer), the restaurants and cafes are of the highest quality, there is a decent cinema, pool and transport system and the range of shops is substantially varied. I am proud to say I live in Helensburgh.

Much of this, in my opinion, can be attributed to the hard work of the local councillors and the community council and both parties must be congratulated for their perseverance and diligence in improving the town, and I personally aim to continue in this vein with my own work as a councillor.

Two months into the job and I have helped to organise the Glasgow Art School Exhibition to be held in the Victoria Halls this weekend.

I assisted the community council with their work tidying up Colquhoun Square, and, having been appointed to represent the council on the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority, I was involved trying to sort out the problems caused when the Kilcreggan ferry failed an inspection.

Also one of my election pledges was to introduce a youth club into the town and I am in ongoing communication with both the local parish church and the council to achieve this goal.

For me the library is one of the focal points of the community and I am now on the board of the Libraries and Leisure Trust to ensure this continues.

On a final note it is great to see mental health receiving more awareness and support locally (statistically, one in four of us will experience mental illness in our lifetime) with the introduction of a mental health hub in the Jeanie Deans cottage with the council being a partner in this enterprise.

We are bombarded with negative news on a 24-hour basis and tend to lose sight of the many positive aspects that surround us and Helensburgh is a vibrant and thriving place to live and work.

This is due to the enhanced sense of community spirit which filters through from residents to community groups to councillors working together to achieve the best outcomes for the town.