THE group behind a proposed community buyout of the Red Cross hall in Helensburgh have thanked those who signed a petition backing the move, after gathering over 2,500 signatures.

The Helensburgh Community Hall group launched the petition in September and needed around 1,600 signatures, or 15 per cent of those on the electoral register in the Helensburgh Community Council area, to save the East Princes Street facility.

READ MORE: Community buyout bid for Red Cross hall in Helensburgh

A spokeswoman for the group said they were delighted with the support so far, with more signatures still coming in, and they can now move on to the next stage of the process to keep the centre open beyond 2019.

She added: “The group would like to thank all those who took the time to sign the petition and all the shops, pubs, coffee shops, organisations and hairdressers who displayed the petition and supported the cause.

“If there are any petitions left out there please let us know and we will arrange to pick up.

READ MORE: Race against time as Red Cross announces its Helensburgh hall will close

“The group now faces the task of submitting their note to register an interest in the building through the Community Right to Buy team (CRtB) at the Scottish Land Unit. If successful in this stage, then the focus turns to applying for funding from the Scottish Land Fund.

“It’s a huge task, we have a lot of work to do, but the petition shows how much support there is.”

If you’re interested in following the progress, or if you can send in a letter of support, contact the group by emailing helensburghcommunityhall@gmail.com or follow them on Facebook.