Vulnerable people struggling with mental ill health and other social problems can now get help in the centre of Forfar.
Voluntary Action Angus deputy chief executive Hayley Mearns hailed the refurbished Angus Third Sector Centre as it was officially opened on Friday.
The Cross building, expected to be home to around 20 voluntary organisations, will remain open during evenings and weekends when people can be at their most vulnerable.
Hayley said: “People that are going through mental health issues, these are the times they need the support available.
“I don’t think there is the right support out there at the moment. What we have built here is a safe space for people to come. We might be able to catch people before it gets to crisis stage.
“It’s an absolutely fantastic feeling to be here now. It’s been a long road, but it’s just amazing.”
A wide range of voluntary, charity or third sector groups are based at the Angus Third Sector Centre at The Cross.
Home help service Care About Angus, employability group DEAP join mental health charity Penumbra among the tenants.
Managers hope the availability of different services in one location will improve access for those in need.
The former three-storey council building in the centre of the market town, previously used as councillors’ offices, attracted controversy when put on the market after the building was linked to pub chain JD Wetherspoon and a boutique hotelier.
Charity workers, politicians and community leaders gathered in Forfar on Friday to watch Scottish Government communities secretary Aileen Campbell officially open the charity hub after it began hosting events earlier this year.
Aileen Campbell said the Scottish Government was keen to support the third sector as they could engage with people in a way local, devolved or national government could not.
She said: “They have a reach that we simply cannot match. That is why it is so important that we work well with them.
“There are lots of benefits in the central location for the hub. This is an example of real regeneration in the heart of Forfar.”
