A Moray mental health charity has launched an eleventh-hour “all or nothing” plea to save it from closure after 25 years.
The Step Forward service, which teaches woodwork and art skills from its Elgin base, faces having to shut its doors after Moray Council announced it would not renew its funding contract.
Now the charity’s co-ordinator Stephen McLeod is preparing a desperate final bid to the authority to revamp the project and win funding.
He said: “The service isn’t broken. We’ve never had any negativity from the council, but now they’re looking at doing mental health differently.
“I looked at it and thought I could just shut up or go all out and make a last attempt to save it.
“It’s my last chance. I’ve got seven months to save my job and the service. I have lost my job already, so there’s nothing to lose.”
About 120 people visit the Step Forward initiative – which is run by the Moray Anchor Project at the Pinefield Industrial Estate – every week to get their lives back on track.
New bird houses, benches and flower pots are scattered around the workshop with colourful paintings hung in the neighbouring studio.
Instead of tapping into funding for mental health work, Mr McLeod is looking at broadening the horizons of the group to possibly include working with schools, those with drug and alcohol addictions and the criminal justice department.
He added: “We already give people confidence by adding structure and routine to their lives. This would just be an extension of that.”
Moray Council is retendering a contract for mental health services to begin in April and intends to continue to work with users of the Moray Anchor Project who need support until that time.
Last night, Elgin City North councillor Patsy Gowans said she has already had “upbeat” discussions with council staff about their future funding.
She added: “Step Forward could be offering apprenticeships, but for that to happen, it would have to work with different agencies.
“It is still a priority for the council to deliver skills for young people and I think this would fill in the gaps we have at the moment to teach woodwork and craft skills in that way.
“But conversations have to happen before we get to that stage.”