A GROUP of volunteers in Helensburgh has been branching out to help create a new mental health hub for the town.

Jean’s Bothy is the new name for the hub, which will be based in the building on the corner of East King Street and South King Street.

And a huge amount of work has gone into refurbishing it – both inside and out – 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.

A group of volunteers from a project called Branching Out have spruced up the garden and made some wooden outdoor furniture to make a great first impression for anyone entering the hub.

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.

So last summer a steering group was created to drive the plans forward, and they held an open day and carried out a survey to find out what people feel is needed in terms of mental health support and activities in Helensburgh.

That highlighted a need for activities like gardening, learning new skills and social activities.

The survey also asked people to vote for a name for the hub and the winner was Jean’s Bothy in memory of a local woman who lived in the house and was a campaigner for people with disabilities.

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

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.

So it’s vital that people who want to use services in the hub feel able to contribute their ideas and opinions about how the hub is run and anyone with an interest in supporting everyone to have good mental health is invited to be part of the user group of the hub, which is currently being formed.

For more, contact Morevain Martin at Argyll and Bute TSI on 01436 671613 or email morevain@argylltsi.org.uk