A group which supports kinship carers across the area is celebrating the opening of their own hub.
Kinship Care West Dunbartonshire officially opened their new space on Monday after 12 years of providing lifeline support for families.
The day was attended by local politicians, including SNP MP Martin Docherty-Hughes and Labour council leader Martin Rooney.
Mr Docherty-Hughes presented the group with the wording of a motion presented to parliament congratulating them on their new space and thanking them for their work.
It also comes as the group this week marks Kinship Care Week (March 13-17), which aims to increase understanding of the role of kinship carers and celebrate the role they play in raising children.
Chair Micheleine Kane told the Lennox Herald of her joy at the group finally having a space to call their own.
She said: “We are very proud of our new space. It is called ‘We kin do this at our place’.
“It’s been hard work getting to this point and we’re absolutely delighted. Everyone has mucked in to make it happen.
“Carers have all helped donating things like cushions and rugs to make it nice and homely.
“Having this space means we can offer so much more support than ever before.
“Anyone who is in crisis will have somewhere to go whenever they want at a time which suits them.
“It’s a friendly, homely space for carers to come in and chat, have tea, coffee, a snack and a heat all for free. It will also help reduce the social isolation of carers.”
The group previously met at Ben View in Dumbarton but had outgrown the room they used and said it was time to find somewhere new.
Funding for the lease of the space at North Street in Clydebank has been made possible following funding from West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership.
Micheleine explained: “We are thankful to everyone at Ben View and it was a great space but we had outgrown it and needed somewhere accessible without stairs. Having this new space also means it can be used 24/7 at any time so I can meet families there in emergency situations.”
Kinship care is when a child lives full-time or most of the time with a relative or close family friend, usually because their parents are not able to care for them.
Grandparents are the most common kinship carers, but older siblings, aunts, uncles, and people who know the child well can also take on the role.
Micheleine said: “Kinship carers play a very important role in looking after our relatives’ children when things go wrong.
“We are the undisputed best placement for children that have sadly been removed or have faced a bereavement.
“We want to raise the awareness of our group this year.
“We’ve been here for so long but lots of people still don’t know about us. We don’t want anyone to struggle without support and not know we are here.”
The organisation, which last year started a second group in Clydebank, also now has its own walking football team and is also offering mental health support to children and anxiety coaching.
Micheleine added: “We’re going to open three days a week to start with. If somebody phones in for emergency help, I will facilitate that and meet them when it suits them.
“The key message is we are here to help. Reach out if you need support.”
Find the group on Facebook at Support Kinship Care West Dunbartonshire and Twitter @kinshipcareWD.
Anybody looking for support can call Micheleine on 07490720123.
