AN ONLINE meeting will be held this week to discuss plans for a new community centre in the Kirkmichael area of Helensburgh.

The Kirkmichael Community Development Group wants to turn changing rooms currently being used for storage into a community facility.

The area has been without a place for local residents to gather since the Kirkmichael Centre on Buchanan Road was taken over by Argyll College UHI in 2017.

The community group now hopes to pursue an ‘asset transfer request’ with Argyll and Bute Council for a strip of land surrounding the changing rooms, to enable the refurbishment of the building.

A business plan drawn up by the group and shared on its Facebook page says of Kirkmichael: "It is distinguished by a strong community spirit and sense of solidarity.

"Many families have lived in Kirkmichael for two, three or even four generations and there is a strong network of friendship and family ties.

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"However, the community is also challenged by a number of social problems. According to the Scottish Government Index of Multiple Deprivation it is in the top 10 per cent most deprived communities

in Scotland.

"Over the years there have been a number of organised community initiatives to help the community advance. The Kirkmichael Community Development Group was set up to help coordinate these initiatives and advance the community.

"In the last couple of years the group has reflected on what the next stage of development should be and undertook a door-to-door questionnaire survey of the neighbourhood (see Appendix B).

"In looking at the current activities and those which were strongly supported in the questionnaire, it is clear that the community needs a local base from which a range of activities and services can be run for children, youth and adults.

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"This plan outlines the next steps to be taken in order for Kirkmichael to have its own community centre and thereby host a range of activities and act as a hub for the whole community."

An online meeting will be held via Zoom at 7.30pm this Monday, July 26, giving local residents the chance to share their views on the group’s proposals.

It’s hoped that the space could be refurbished to create a small community centre, including meeting room, kitchen and toilets, with space for around 15 people and scope for hiring out the facilities to other groups, generating income to cover rental of the building and to invest in further development.

The business plan estimates that refurbishing the building would cost around £20,000, and that a new-look community centre could bring in around £2,460 per annum, with annual running costs of £2,200.

For more information on how to join Monday night’s Zoom meeting, check out the Kirkmichael Community Development Group page on Facebook.

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