WHEN the doors opened to a new modern community centre, residents filed in all weekend to enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake.

The Beggarwood Community Centre, which has been designed to blend in with the natural landscape at Beggarwood Park, officially opened its doors on Saturday.

The new facility allows visitors to have access to rooms for meetings, services and events for people of all ages, as well as a community café.

It is the café element of the centre which the Hatch Warren and Beggarwood Community Association (HWBCA), which runs the centre, believes gives the centre something a bit different.

Karen Coomber, chairman of the HWBCA said: “The café was constantly busy throughout Saturday and Sunday and we hope that this will carry on.

“With the Hatch Warren centre there is a lot catered for the younger generations, so we want Beggarwood to be a place that elderly people as well as youngsters can enjoy.

“With the café, it can be a place where friends come to meet and have a cup of coffee, or just come and meet other people.”

Even though the café is a focal point of the new centre which was delivered thanks to £760,000 funding from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, the centre has function rooms which are available for people to hire out, with the café still functioning as normal.

Mrs Coomber added: “We have already found that people are stopping off to have a drink which is great.

“The idea and placing of the centre has been designed to encourage people to walk to the centre and enjoy the local community.

“The centre is a lovely thing for Beggarwood and I am sure that people will enjoy it for a long time.”

For more information, or to volunteer as a trustee, contact HWBCA on 01256 811262, email office@hatchwarren.org or go to beggarwood.org.