THE doors are set to close in the New Year on a busy Helensburgh office which hosts services and staff for a wide range of voluntary groups in the area.

The lease of the office in Colquhoun Square used by the Argyll and Bute TSI (Third Sector Interface) runs out at the end of March – and the organisation’s chief executive says the body will be focussing on providing services in the community after that date.

The facility’s uncertain future was revealed at a meeting of Helensburgh Community Council (HCC) recently when the treasurer of the Visiting Friends charity, which rents desk space in the office,revealed that the organisation was likely to be “out on our ear” in the spring.

Ian Davis told HCC members: “If anyone knows of a place where there is office space available, please let us know – even if there is an office where we can rent, or even rent out desk space.”

In response, Kirsteen Murray, the chief executive of the Argyll and Bute TSI, told the Advertiser: “The TSI is neither the owner, nor the main lessee, of the office in Colquhoun Square, Helensburgh.

“We have been fortunate in recent years to have been able to sub-lease this space. We have now been served notice by our landlord, and our lease there runs out in four months’ time, on March 29, 2019.”

Asked what the end of the lease might mean for the future of the TSI, Ms Murray said: “Our support to the third sector is currently provided in a number of ways, including regular mailings, keeping charities and community organisations updated with all of the information they need to know. We constantly seek to encourage small organisations to register for these mailings so that they can derive maximum benefit for their organisations.

“We provide training courses ourselves and work with other organisations, including national organisations, to deliver training courses in Argyll and Bute. These are open to all organisations operating in Helensburgh and Lomond.

“The majority of individual support requests that the TSI receives are by e-mail or telephone. To improve our service to our client organisations, in January 2019 we are launching a new central enquiry line number for charities and community organisations, and a dedicated e-mail address for our “help” requests.

“This new system will both speed up response times for community organisations, and ensure that enquiries are dealt with by someone with the most relevant expertise.

“In the early part of next year, and in recognition of the digital age, we’ll be launching an upgraded website providing a “self-serve” facility for organisations so that they can access much of the information they need instantly.

“Something that has worked very well for TSIs in other areas of Scotland are local ‘surgeries’ where whole day local events are put in place, and third sector organisations and community groups can book a slot with an expert and get help with any areas of support they require.

“We are trialling local surgeries from early 2019 and dates for Helensburgh and Lomond will be published in the New Year.

“Sometimes, organisations still need help on a face-to-face basis, and we will continue to have a named Third Sector Support Officer responsible for Helensburgh and Lomond who will operate locally.

“We are currently recruiting a new post to head up all of our engagement work across Argyll and Bute with the aim of strengthening the voice of community at locality level, at Argyll and Bute level, and with national government.

“This is an absolutely key post to enabling linkages between communities in Helensburgh and Lomond and local and national decision-makers, and we hope to have this new post filled in the early part of the New Year.

“In Helensburgh and Lomond the TSI also hosts a project for older people called 1000 Voices, also referred to locally as Grey Matters.

“This project is not office-based. It operates from community facilities in Helensburgh and Lomond, for example, utilising the parish church halls for its activities.”