A COMMUNITY charity aimed at promoting mental health among men is in the process of purchasing an unused council building.

The Forth Valley Men’s Shed, currently located on Ward Street in Alloa, is aiming to secure a permanent premises.

This is so that the charity can sustain a long-term plan for the future, while also transitioning into a wider community organisation.

The FV Men’s Shed has earmarked the unused council building on Mars Hill as a potential location for them to operate out of.

The organisation is currently in the process of negotiating a community asset transfer with Clackmannanshire Council.

Kenny Quinn, chairman of the Forth Valley Men’s Shed, spoke with the Advertiser to share the optimism surrounding the charity at the moment.

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He said: “The Men’s Shed has changed so much over the years and it’s now mainly a social space as opposed to a working space.

“We’re changing from Forth Valley Men’s Shed to Alloa Community Shed and we’re wanting to become more community driven.

“We’re opening our doors to a wider audience and there is plenty there for everybody to enjoy.

“The Men’s Shed will still be able to operate comfortably, but we’ve got a lot of things planned for the community shed.”

This transition will allow the charity to apply for capital funding from the Scottish Land Fund.

The group is currently trying to fund a community asset transfer, which could see them purchase an unoccupied council building on Mars Hill.

So far, the group have secured £13,000 as part of the first stage of their plan, with the second stage to be submitted in the next couple of weeks.

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This will be submitted to Clackmannanshire Council, outlining their proposal to take over and redevelop the former Registrars’ building on Mars Hill, next to Alloa Town Hall.

This building has been vacant since 2019, with the charity hoping to breathe new life into it.

“It’s not a done deal,” Kenny added. “We’ve still got to go through a few hoops and get approval.

“We’re feeling very positive. It’s been a whirlwind couple of years for me since becoming chairman of the shed.”

As part of their application, the charity are hosting an open day for members of the public to leave feedback on the project.

This will be held on Saturday, November 2 and the Forth Valley Men’s shed are hoping to see as many people as they can.

The open day will be held from 11.30am to 2pm at their current premises in Unit 5 on 8 Ward Street.