LOCALS, dignitaries and volunteers all came together to officially open a Romsey charity’s new base.

Following months of work and thousands of hours of volunteer manpower, Romsey Cancer Support Centre has finally moved into its new home.

The new base of Jane Scarth House was officially opened by Rt Hon The Countess Mountbatten of Burma at special open house event on Sunday. Many members of Jane’s Army, who donated materials and skills to extend and refurbish the building, were there to see the centre they had jointly created.

They were joined by Romsey Town Mayor Ian Hibberd, past Test Valley Mayor Karen Hamilton, county councillor Roy Perry, clients, volunteers and members of the public.

Bridget Brook, chair of Romsey Cancer Support Centre, said “This is such a special day for everyone involved with Jane Scarth House. We wanted to invite everyone in to see our new home and to say thank you to all those who made this a reality.”

The new base throws open its doors following its move from its former base on The Hundred – just 100 feet away.

The recently-extended building is set on just one floor, providing more accessiblity for many of the charity’s disabled clients.

It has two therapy rooms, two counselling rooms plus a befriending area.

Work carried out has included building an extension and interior improvements to accommodate the people they support living with or affected by cancer, free of charge.

The new base also helps improve the running and accommodating of the organisation’s services, which are always in high demand; last year the centre welcomed 311 new clients.

The last visible work on the new Centre had been completed the day before the opening, with the courtyard garden being planted up by Helen Palmer of Landshape Design, who also designed the much-admired outdoor space.

Also at the special event, members of Jane’s Army were presented with star badges as a very small token of the appreciation of the charity for the part they had all played in creating the Centre.

By the time the building and garden were completed, Jane’s Army numbered over 80 companies and individuals. Their contribution is marked by a display in the new Centre.

Trustee Sue Jones, who led the build project, added: “We are very grateful for the support of every single member of Jane’s Army. We very much hope that the people of Romsey will in turn support the businesses that have supported us.”