Where: Sherborne House, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire GL10 2HP

When: Wednesday, February 26, 10.30am-12.20pm

Stonehouse residents are invited to the official opening of Stroud District Council's first community hub for older people.

The event at Sherborne House on Wednesday, February 26, will showcase organisations and charities including The Barnwood Trust, adult education providers, and Kids Stuff.

SDC's neighbourhood wardens, health and wellbeing service and housing advice teams will also be there, and students from South Gloucestershire and Stroud College will carry out free hand massages and nail treatments.

And local people who have a skill or interest that could be shared are invited to come along and speak to the community hub team about how to volunteer.

"We'd like to start some community clubs at Sherborne House, so if you have a life skill to share, we'd love to hear from you," said Lynne Mansell, SDC's service delivery manager (Independent Living).

"It could be knitting, cooking, someone who has an interest in films who'd like to run an informal film club, or perhaps you have time to spare as a befriender. We have the space, and a large population of older people who live within the scheme and close by."

Sherborne House is the first community hub to be completed by SDC as part of an £8 million project to modernise and rebuild its sheltered housing schemes to ensure they meet the needs of an ageing population.

The renovations at Sherborne House included creating a large open plan communal kitchen, dining and lounge area, which is ideal for a range of activities.

One of the council's five key priorities in its Corporate Delivery Plan is `Health and Wellbeing: promote the health and wellbeing of our communities and work with others to deliver the public health agenda.'

Cllr Mattie Ross, chair of SDC's Community Services and Licensing Committee said: "Our vision is to make full use of the fantastic space that has been created in Sherborne House. This will bring new people into our hubs, increase the range of activities for our own tenants, and provide an income to pay for the services we provide."

A second community hub at Concord in Nailsworth was completed in December, and work has started on a third at George Pearce House in Minchinhampton.

The event at Sherborne House will take place on Wednesday 26 February, from 10.30am - 12.20pm. The parking on site is for residents only, but there is plenty of free on street parking nearby, and the site is a short walk from the centre of Stonehouse.

If you would like more information about how to volunteer at Sherborne House, or how to hire the room for an organisation please come to the open day, or contact Katherine Allen, community hub facilitator, by email at Katherine.allen@stroud.gov.uk  or by phone on 07792 420069.

Organisations that will be attending the event are:

• Gloucestershire Carers Hub
• Adult Education in Gloucestershire
• Managing Memory
• Gloucestershire Older Persons Association
• Clean Slate
• Kids' Stuff
• Severn Wye Energy Agency
• Independence Trust
• Barnwood Trust
• SDC Housing Advice
• SDC Health & Wellbeing service
• SDC Neighbourhood Wardens
• SDC Support Co-ordinators