Netherthird is one step closer to seeing treatment rooms for mental health and suicide prevention being built on the grounds of the community centre as preparations officially got underway last week.
On the morning of Monday, July 19, Councillor Jim McMahon cut the first sod which signalled the start of the new extension being built at the centre, which has been there since 2007.
Plans for the new treatment rooms came together after the community told the NICE (Netherthird Initiative for Community Empowerment) committee that the main hall was not big enough to hold functions such as weddings, birthday parties or large family gatherings.
The suicide rates in the community also concerned committee members and residents, and so the decision was taken to install two wellbeing rooms within the new extension. Members say that if they save one life, “it would be amazing”.
Maggie Campbell, NICE Chairperson, said: “We started looking for funding over two years ago. Earlier this year we were so lucky to have raised £250,000 to enable this to go ahead.
“The extension will be double the size of the main hall and provide two wellness rooms for the use of the NHS and other organisations that wish to use them.
“This has been a long time coming and the board of trustees are so grateful to the various charities that have provided funding, enabling us to do this.
“The build will take around five months, so keep everything crossed for Christmas. It will be the best Christmas present for us and the community in a while.”
She continued: “The community has always wanted a bigger hall, right now it can only hold eighty people and every function usually has more people than that so it means a bigger room for the community to use.
“We’re hoping to have weddings, 21sts and engagement parties. The community centre will still be open and we hope it won’t inconvenience anyone.
“There are really high incidences of suicides in our community and beyond so if we help one person, it will be worth it. We want to work with agencies that help with drug addictions and suicidal thoughts.”
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