Scottish Autism is opening a new facility in Alloa

An autism charity is to open a new cafe and community hub

Scottish Autism, a national charity which enables people living on the autism spectrum to lead full and enriched lives, has announced it will launch a new cafe and community hub at The Makers Village in Alloa.

The charity, which is also headquartered in Clackmannanshire and offers a range of local services for people with autism, will run the new operation compromising of a café with kitchen garden, shop and exhibition space.

Due to open to the public this winter, it will also act as a base for delivering outreach and day opportunities for Scottish Autism service users, as well as events and workshops for community groups.

The previous Makers Gallery and Bistro was run by the organisation Reachout with Arts in Mind and became available after the group's five year funding for the project came to an end.

Felicity Lister, regional manager of Scottish Autism said: "We are delighted to announce our latest venture in Alloa which will not only deliver some great benefits to the individuals we support but will also offer the local community a new café and gallery to visit.

"For the individuals we support, Makers will provide a wonderful opportunity to build their skills portfolios in a number of areas such as catering, hospitality and retail which for some could lead to securing future employment. It will also act as a local hub for information sharing and help to bring different parts of the community together."