A DEDICATED band of Wee County volunteers are fighting to save a group to support those who have suffered from heart and other related conditions. 

Braveheart Plus in Clackmannanshire provides a space for people to meet and learn more about how they can improve their health, while enjoying a bit of a chat and camaraderie. 

However, over time the membership of the group has dwindled and its organisers have pulled together in a renewed call for people to join up. 
Myra Score, from Tullibody, is a core member alongside her husband Fred and Mamie Prentice, from Fishcross.

Myra said: “We come in as strangers and go out as friends. I came out of hospital and thought ‘where do I go from here?’ And then I found out about Braveheart.

“... I had no information on what was going to happen next. When I came to Braveheart it made me realise I wasn’t just going to kick the bucket.”

Fellow member Stephen Campbell, from Fife, said: “We started off as a good social, happy, buoyant group. Over time people have come ill and, life being life, people have fallen away. 

“There’s eight of us left and to keep going with eight, it’s hard.

Braveheart is a very worthy group. It’s [there] to bring in like minded people to improve their lifestyle. 

“There’s a social side; there’s a serious side, and there’s a side where you receive knowledge and information.”

The group is affiliated with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland and Stephen originally got involved after surviving a scare. 

He added: “I’ve had a couple of heart attacks. I read about the Braveheart mentoring course in the paper.

“We went through the course and came out the other side. We teamed up in pairs and were encouraged to go into the community.”

The pairs then evolved into a group that meets in the Clackmannanshire Community Healthcare Centre on the first Thursday of each month, from 1-3pm. 

Various speakers attend the meets, from doctors and pharmacists to those discussing the types of services available in the council area. 
The group also organises a variety of extracurricular events, such as a Christmas lunch, and have enjoyed trips to Loch Katrine and The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. 

Anyone who is interested in attending or becoming a member, can call 01259 213460 for more information.