DEDICATED members of a much-loved community hub in Port Glasgow are branching out into outdoor activities and need help from people across Inverclyde to help their ideas grow.

The team behind the Riverside Club - the new guise of the former Old Men's Club - want to rejuvenate an area of land up behind Port Glasgow railway station.

A swathe of ivy is currently taking over a lot of trees in the area, and the stretch of land is full of rubbish dumped by thoughtless locals and passers-by.

Club member Tam Harkins, who is one of the volunteers leading the project, has formed the Riverside Environmentalists group to take on the revamp and now needs more people to get involved to tackle the project.

Tam said: "The more people we bring in, the more we'll be able to do.

"We want to get people involved who are perhaps feeling bored and a bit isolated and want to do something constructive in the community.

"They'll be out in the fresh air making the place look good so we can be proud of where we live."

Steven Murdoch, who has been going along to the club for around a year, has started work to get rid of the ivy but says it would be a big help to have more people involved.

He added: "We want to get a group of people together who are interested in conservation and the environment.

"It's all about keeping the area free from litter and keeping it clean and tidy so we can take pride in it."

The team at the Riverside Club, which sits next to the town's bus station, are also looking after planters in an area of land at the back of the building.

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Working alongside Inverclyde Food Network, they hope to soon be able to grow their own produce to help individuals and families in the current cost of living crisis.

The club is supported by organisations including Compassionate Inverclyde, Your Voice and Inverclyde's criminal justice service.

Some of the weekly activities include a recovery cafe which supports people coming back from misuse of alcohol and drugs.

Joe Cannon from the team at Your Voice runs the Riverside recovery cafe session, and said the club is helping to keep minds active.

He added: "Boredom is a huge factor in addiction.

"It's amazing to see all the activities going on here and to see people flourishing in their community."

Tam believes all of the activities on offer are helping the club move away from being a traditional old men's club to being an inclusive community hub which welcomes a whole range of people.

He added: "The club is for everyone.

"We're here for anyone who needs a bit of companionship.

"We're building and broadening our links with the community and broadening the horizons of everyone who comes here."

Anyone interested in joining the Riverside Environmentalists should pop along to the club on a Sunday afternoon from 1.30pm.

To find out more email Tam on tammharkins@yahoo.co.uk