A NEW centre for families and young children has been opened in Didcot following a £200,000 investment.

The Ladygrove Children’s Centre, in Tamar Way, will offer a range of services for children under five and their parents and carers.

The centre, which is at All Saints Primary School, will host play and early learning sessions, as well as giving advice on a range of topics including child health and breastfeeding, returning to work, childcare, benefits, training, employment, social housing and child behaviour.

Wantage MP and Culture Minister Ed Vaizey officially opened the centre on Saturday.

Children enjoyed free play activities, face painting and a baby play area and there was a free music show by the Orange Hat Company.

Rosey Northing, the centre’s administrator, said: “We have been running on the site for the past year, but now that we have got new facilities it will make a massive difference to everyone.

“Hundreds of families are registered with the centre already and we can get 50 or 60 children a session.

“A lot of hard work has gone into this and we have been looking forward to the official opening for quite a while.

“We want as many families from the area as possible to come and use the new centre.”

Centre manager Libby Haydon added: “A nursery classroom has been completely refurbished and a small extension has been built for an office, a kitchen and a health room. We’re in a much better position now to serve the local community.”

County council spokesman Louise Mendonca said the centre had been created by converting existing buildings on the site with a £200,000 Sure Start capital grant from the Government. It was approved before cuts were made to a £14m fund for children’s centres and pre-schools by £2.75m.

Twelve schemes in Oxfordshire were approved for completion, but 14 projects, including a £400,000 extension at Lydalls Nursery School, in Lydalls Road, Didcot, are not going ahead.

The centre, which has six staff, serves the Ladygrove estate and has about 730 children aged under five in its catchment area.

The 45 children’s centres in Oxfordshire offer services to support families with children under five years old, whatever their background or circumstances.

For more information about the services on offer at Ladygrove call 01235 819143.