Family's loss becomes community support as Polmont charity opens new Craig’s Corner venue

Craig’s Corner on Main Street in Brightons officially opened to the public at the weekend, marking an important milestone for the group as it continues its efforts to bring people together, provide support and create a welcoming space throughout the community.

The charity supports mental health across all ages, helping raise awareness around self-harm, while promoting suicide prevention through discussion groups and support services.

Cheryl Sheppard, who lives in the area, helped set up the community group after the death of her cousin, Craig, in February 2025, and has spearheaded it since. It achieved charitable status in January of this year.

Craig’s friends, family and members of the community attended the opening of the new hang out spot. Cheryl said: “Saturday’s launch was great, and there was a constant stream of people from the area.”

Speaking of the community reaction, she added: “There have been a lot of people coming in and speaking to us, saying, ‘oh, I knew Craig, I went to school with him and things like that.’ People are still talking about him, which is nice to hear and what we want.”

Earlier this year, the group raised money to install a permanent memorial bench outside Polmont Community Hub on Greenpark Drive, offering support to local residents struggling with their mental health.

A plaque with Craig’s details is permanently attached to the bench, along with mental health helplines, including the Samaritans. Cheryl said: “We got charity status in January and we wanted the bench to give people somewhere to go and sit if they need space.

“If we can stop at least one family from going through what we’ve gone through, it will be a success.”

The charity previously launched a weekly mental health meet-up at Polmont Community Centre, which has grown from a handful of people to now having a large turnout each week. It’s expected to shortly move to the newly-opened venue.

Cheryl said: “We could only rent the old space which meant we couldn’t put up posters, quotes or pictures, and then we got the bench. Our plan was to have our own premises within five years, but this place became available, which also happened to be very close to where Craig lived and had spent time hanging out.

“We’ve had a very good response and feel we’ve managed to help people. In a way, we’ve turned our bad experience into something good for other people.

“We also managed to get everything finished for our opening last Saturday.”

Explaining the name, Cheryl said: “The title, Craig’s Corner, with a missing corner in the C and a square around it, represents the corner that Craig never managed to turn.”

Craig’s Corner will be open from 10am to 4pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, from 10am to 9pm on Thursday, and from 10am to 6pm on Friday and Saturday.

For more information, visit the Craig’s Corner Facebook page.