AN Inverclyde charity is tackling the fallout of family breakdowns by opening its doors to help around 35 children every week.

The Inverclyde Family Contact Centre, run by the local Church of Scotland presbytery, offers youngsters the chance to keep in touch with estranged parents.

They offer a safe haven for children to be dropped off and picked up every Saturday at Wellpark Mid Kirk without warring mums and dads having to cross paths.

The award-winning service provides space for parents to rebuild fractured relationships with their children.

The Moderator of the Church of Scotland visited the charity to see the dedicated work carried out by its volunteers.

Margaret Foggie, a member of the local presbytery, who helped set up the centre 22 years ago, said: “We are always extremely busy and towards the end of last year we were seriously getting to a stage where we thought we would have to close the books.

“A couple of families moved on, so that is a success.We always manage in the end to accommodate everyone.

“In one case an eight-year-old girl actually asked the courts if she could come back to the contact centre because she felt safe.

“She had first come when she was five to see her dad and they had moved on, but there had been a breakdown in relations and three years later it was back in court.” The contact centre opens on Saturdays and Thursdays for additional exchanges.

Margaret added: “We had one dad who travelled every week from Manchester to the contact centre to see his children.

“We have had dads coming regularly from Aberdeen and Dundee.

“In some cases there has been a long spell where parents have not had contact with their children. To help children build up trust, volunteers offer rooms where they can get to know their parents.” Chairwoman Margaret added: “We have to be very sensitive – our role is to listen and to make cups of tea.” The contact centre has a co-ordinator, Margaret Sinclair, who leads the operation.

Ms Foggie added: “I don’t know what we would do without Margaret. She was originally a volunteer and very few people have the skills, training or experience to do her job.” Inverclyde Family Contact Centre was a pioneering project back in 1992 and has become a standard-bearer for others.