Staff, volunteers, and service users at Helensburgh Dementia Resources Centre have started to outgrow the premises at 16 East Clyde Street and will get the keys to their new premises at 23-25. West Princes Street in August.

The group will move into the centre in October to carry out furnishing work before officially opening in December.

Susan Russell, service manager at Helensburgh Dementia Resources Centre said the new premises will give them more space and a presence in the centre of town.

She added: “We’re going to have a lot more in terms of office space, information, and advice.

“We’re so cramped here in the offices and if we have an information and advice centre in the centre of town it’s almost promoting Helensbugh as a dementia force in the community.” The new centre will include spaces for people to enjoy some quiet time on their own and a ‘pod’ with dementia-friendly equipment including transparent kettles and toasters, which have been tested by Alzheimers Scotland.

There are many different support groups associated with Helensburgh Dementia Resources Centre across the community, and the new centre will provide a platform for them to come together.

Helensburgh Dementia Resources Centre has to raise around £100,000 for furnishing the new building, and has already drawn support from members of the community, including OAP David Roper, who is taking on Europe’s fastest zip slide in Snowdonia next month to raise funds.

As well as this, the group has received financial support from Waitrose, which chose Alzheimer Scotland as its Charity of the Year and has done extensive fundraising.

Staff and volunteers will also raise funds through their memory walk in September, which will see participants walking from Colquhoun Square to Kidston Park and back again.

Other fund raising activities are planned with more details to follow in due course.

The centre currently has a staff of six and a team of between 15 and 20 volunteers.

Ms Russell said the centre would involve all clients in the furnishing of the new building, with clients also be able to record their life stories and photographs on a computer so they have a copy of them for life.

She said it would mean a lot for clients and their families to have the ‘one stop shop’, where they will be able to drop in and out to have a chat or get help with any issues.

Ms Russell said the centre will provide an essential community hub, as cases of dementia have been increasing in recent times.

She added: “It’s just going to make things easier for clients and their families.

“More people are going to be diagnosed with dementia so we’re expecting more people to be accessing more information, advice and support.

“We want people to be able to access services in the community for as long as possible.”