Last week the builders put the finishing touches to the new Holsworthy Area Children's Centre building in Sanders Lane next to the Primary School and this week the staff are moving in.

For the past two years they have had to make do with temporary premises in the Memorial Hall and at 3 Well Park. Now the day they have long been waiting for has arrived and they have their own purpose built, well-equipped centre.

By 2010 every community in the country will be served by a Children's Centre, offering children under five years old and their families high-quality integrated services (health, education, family support and care), thus ensuring that every child gets the best start in life. The hope is that they will have a broad and lasting impact on children, their parents and the wider community.

The new building has a large multi-purpose room, a dedicated kitchen area, baby changing facilities, a creche area and an outdoor play area and is totally child friendly with low door handles and low toilets.

While the move is taking place, Liz Rowe, the service coordinator, and the staff of eight are aiming to continue their current services as normal with the least possible disruption. The new centre will open for business on Monday, January 5. All the activities they currently run will continue, plus some new ones, details of which can be found on the centre's website: http://www.hols­­wo­r­thy­area">www.hols­­wo­r­thy­area .childrencentre.org. Their telephone number (01409 253508) will remain unchanged.

Additional services will include regular surgeries with the CAB and Job Centre Plus staff. The centre covers a large rural area and outreach services in various villages will, of course, continue.

Liz Rowe said they were thrilled to be on the move after such a long wait. At present 352 families were registered and receiving their support, but Government statistics showed there were 579 under-fives in the area and they aimed to reach all of them. She stressed the centre was for the whole community and open to all. They encouraged the involvement of volunteers to help run services such as the Toy Library and Toddler Group.

The building will be officially opened on a date to be decided towards the end of January. In the meantime anyone wishing to be involved in shaping and influencing the new centre is invited to come along to the Parent Forum on December 12 with a free crèche provided and there will be a Christmas Party at the Youth Centre from 10am to 11.30am on December 17.