A GARNOCK Valley Men's Shed member has told a TV news team how the group saved his life.

It came as STV reporter Fraser Nicoll visited the group at their base in Kilbirnie - amid news that the Scottish Government would withdraw their funding this year.

This is despite more than 10,000 men "finding support and friendship" in the Men's Shed movement across Scotland.

Speaking to STV News, Jason Schroeder of the Scottish Men's Shed Association highlighted the importance of the community spaces.

He said: "There's never been a men's health movement that's been so successful to voluntary engage men of all ages over the age of 18.

"So without us supporting and promoting all of that and holding it together, so to speak, is this going to fall away?

"There's a very good chance that it can."

Reporter Fraser added that without this support, there is concern those that need help the most "will simply fall off the radar".

Garnock Valley Men's Shed member Colin Speirs told the broadcaster about his life before coming to the group, and how it helped bring him back from the brink when he joined around four years ago.

He said: "I didn't know where I was at. I took a mental breakdown, and that's how I arrived.

"You're not wanting to speak to people. You're not wanting to do anything.

"I sat in a corner in the kitchen for about three months. You're looking, you're watching - then you get to know the faces, it's the same regulars that come in.

"So they start with 'aww, how's it going' then they kept going 'you want a game of dominoes, you want to do this, you want a cup of tea?'."

Colin then continued to tell just how much the group saved him as he became more engrained with other member.

Fraser asked Colin: "Did it save your life?" 

An emotional Colin then replied: "Guaranteed. I had other plans for what I was going to do."

He added how he saw this with other men joining the group, adding: "You've been there. You just know that they're that [far] away."

Now the Men's Shed has a fight on its  hand to keep the "lifeline service like no other" open.

But it's something they say they won't stop working to do.