PLANS to set up a 'Young Firefighters' unit in Helensburgh are inching closer to reality – but more financial backing is needed if the project is to succeed.

The two fire service officials leading the initiative visited Helensburgh and Lomond Chamber of Commerce last week to plead for help in plugging a £15,000 funding gap which they say needs to be filled to make the project a success.

John Fraser, who retired last year as watch manager of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's retained Helensburgh unit after a career spanning more than 35 years, said personal protective equipment (PPE) and other items of equipment such as hoses, lines, couplings and a small pump, were needed to make the scheme a success from the start.

Mr Fraser and his colleague Stuart McDonald hope to use the unit to work with a group of young people – 10 at first, eventually increasing to 20 – aged between 12 amd 17 who are at risk of leaving school without any qualifications.

Mr Fraser said: “We'll teach them fire service drills and routines, but along with that we want to teach them valuable life skills and give them experience working wth different groups.

“At the end we're hoping to get them a national qualification along with discipline, education and maybe a better chance of being employed in future.

“But we're struggling for funds. The equipment cost will probably run to about £15,000 – we have enough funding to start, but to make it a success we need more financial support.

“I've been in the fire service for 37 years, and for 17 of those I've been trying to get my bosses to help me with premises for a Young Firefighters unit.

“This isn't a paid job for me – I've retired as a firefighter now – but it's something my colleagues and I want to put back into the community.

“But we're not businessmen. We're all thumping our heads against walls trying to get funding.”

Proposals to set up the unit were first reported in the Advertiser in February, following our coverage of a 'Fire Reach' course for pupils at Hermitage Academy.

Similar units are already well established in Campbeltown and Dumbarton, and there's interest in setting up a unit in Dunoon too.

The Helensburgh unit, if and when it's up and running, will be based in a part of the town's fire station which used to house the service's Argyll area headquarters before that facility was moved to Clydebank.

Mr McDonald added: “Once the unit is up and running it's going to be run by volunteers.

“We have £12,000 from the education service and Scottish Fire and Rescue, plus the use of the building in Helensburgh. A lottery grant for £10,000 is pending and will buy some PPE and uniforms for the kids.

“Where we're going to get the rest, we don't yet know.

“Helensburgh's fire station is crewed by a whole-time appliance and a retained appliance, and nationally we're having problems recruiting retained firefighters.

“If we get young people who are going to live and work locally, that might alleviate some of those problems.

“But our primary aim is to prevent anti-social behaviour, make these children more rounded, increase their employment prospects and turn them into good citizens.”

The project could have a presence at the Helensburgh and Lomond Highland Games in early June, and was offered the opportunity to have a stall – and perhaps also put on a display – at the town's Summer Festival in August.

Chamber director Vivien Dance told the two officers: “It's a great idea. We will come back to you with other ideas but we have some firm offers of practical help which may turn into money in the bank if you go about it the right way.

“It's great what you're doing and we are more than happy to help wherever we can.”