Tour of Dumbarton's River City set inspires group from charity Includem

Includem works with young people in West Dunbartonshire, helping them to turn their lives around.

And twelve young people from the charity had the opportunity to visit the Gooseholm set recently after a chance comment from one fan led to a free guided tour.

Heather Hunter, the charity's service's manager, told the Reporter: "We are always looking for ways to get to know what the young people we support like and what they are likely to engage with as a way of helping them get through whatever their particular challenges are. So, when the chance of the tour came up, everyone jumped at it.

She added: “A lot of the young people we work with come from backgrounds that would not normally allow them to experience something like this, so the visit was a big deal for them."

"Lack of confidence and self-esteem tend to be big challenges for individuals we support.

"Anything that we can do that’s out the ordinary that can help make them feel more positive about themselves is welcome.

"This tour put a lot of smiles on faces, particularly for those that watch the show regularly, but everyone took something away from the visit, it really helped them come out of their shell."

The charity offers intensive 24/7 support for vulnerable young people and their families.

It supports young people experiencing challenges dealing with day to day living; offering tailored, intensive support to build confidence and social skills to help them progress towards better lives.

The service is backed by a 24/7 helpline that service users can call for instant support.

One of the group who attended the tour said: "I was excited about the tour and loved seeing the seeing the pub, café and shop and my favourite part was seeing where Scarlett lived as she’s my favourite in the show. I had a good day."

For more information visit includem.org.