The Macmillan Cancer Care Information and Support service would provide those affected by cancer the opportunity to connect with charity workers about their experiences.

Speaking to the Advertiser, service manager at Macmillan Cancer Care Deirdre Henderson said the plans for the service at Helensburgh Library were still in the consulation process.

She added: “It’s just about trying to have a one stop shop for people affected by cancer, they might want to come and have a chat because it’s a traumatic experience: “It’s not all doom and gloom and what we hope is that we can create a nice atmosphere- not just in the library but in the wider community.

“Somebody said to me libraries used to be about collections, now libraries are about connections and I thought that was perfect because that’s really what they’re all about!” Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Services was developed in partnership with Argyll and Bute Council, NHS Highland and Argyll Voluntary Action and opened last year.

It received a Bronze Excellence Award for Partnership Working in Argyll and Bute Council’s first ever service awards.

Following the success of services at Campbeltown and Rothesay Libraries, it is being rolled out across Argyll and Bute and Macmillan is investing a further £300,000 into the service following a successful evaluation.

A consultation for the service at Helensburgh Library is being planned with the goal to launch it in the autumn.

Volunteers for the service will be recruited during this time.

Elspeth Atkinson, director for Macmillan Cancer Support in Scotland said: “Cancer will be the toughest fight many people will face and it is important that those affected by cancer in Argyll and Bute have access to the support they need.” Councillor Robin Currie, Argyll and Bute Council’s Policy Lead for Community and Culture, has also backed the service.

He said: “If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, you will want all the information you can find and a chance to talk about it.

“The local library is a familiar place for most people, which makes Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service easy to find and use.” The independent evaluation carried out by the University of Highlands and Islands with service users in Kintyre and Bute found that people liked the service because of its community setting.

One person commented: “Cancer is a very personal journey but very profound and when you get to remission you feel dumped; just kind of left.

“But it’s never over for me and that’s where this service comes in someone who understands that - when the other support is gone.” Deirdre said the service was less stressful than a hospital environment and could even lead to an early cancer diagnosis.

Using an example of one of the existing services, Deirde said: “As the staff were just unwrapping the drop-in furniture, a man came in who had seen an article in the local newspaper.

“He wanted to find out about what the symptoms were for prostate cancer.

“The man stayed for a chat and took away a booklet on the symptoms of prostate cancer and returned some months later to let the staff know that as a result of his chat he had visited the GP and got an early diagnosis of prostate cancer.”