A NEW £1m hub for Witney youngsters has officially opened its doors.

The West Oxfordshire Early Intervention Hub will provide advice for new parents, help for the unemployed and host dance and music sessions.

It has opened in a former youth centre in Witan Way as part of a reorganisation of county services.

This saw Oxfordshire County Council cash removed from centres in Carterton, Eynsham and Chipping Norton to help save £18.3m.

They were kept open after other organisations and volunteers stepped in to provide cash and staff support.

The county council has invested more in the Welch Way centre and it was officially opened on Friday by council leader Ian Hudspeth.

He was joined by Louise Casey, head of the troubled families team at the Department for Communities and Local Government.

The centre puts particular focus on helping troubled families, including those which have low income, mental health problems or unemployment. It includes a music room, lounge, kitchen and outdoor sports arena and has been open since May but officially opened on Friday.

Mr Hudspeth said: “It is a fantastic facility, bringing everything together under one roof and removing management costs. From mums coming in for coffee mornings to children coming in for youth projects, there is something for everyone.”

He added: “The great thing is that before, people might have had to go from agency to agency but now everything is in one place.”

Cabinet member for children Louise Chapman said: “The facilities at Witney are fantastic and children and families are already benefitting from them.

“A lot of hard work went into working with children and families to discover what they wanted from services provided for them.”

The centre will also host babysitting courses, drop-in sessions for young people not in education, employment or training, and young carers.

It is one of seven hubs opened in September, with others in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, East Oxford and Littlemore. There are also seven other “satellite” centres.

Ms Chapman said: “We are seeing really positive outcomes for children and families as a result of the joined-up early intervention approach.

“I look forward to the new hub becoming more and more embedded in the local community. That will include providing the local part of the Government’s national work with troubled families.”

The county council said the reorganisation was needed so services like youth offending and substance misuse can work closer together.