A CENTRE which has established itself as a community and business hub in south Lowestoft is planning a week of events and celebrations as it marks the first anniversary of its relaunch.

The Kirkley Centre in London Road South reopened its doors on May 20 last year, and since then it has become a key venue for training courses and conferences, and a base for a host of local groups and organisations.

Among those that now use the centre are the Suffolk Youth Offending Service and Suffolk County Council – both of which have praised its facilities. It is also involved in the recently-launched Our Kirkley project, helping to develop learning initiatives such as Leap and running a variety of courses and groups ranging from literacy, numeracy and basic IT to yoga, a folk club and 'stop smoking' advice sessions.

Centre co-ordinator Bev Willis said: 'This has been a year of learning – learning about our community, the businesses and organisations that are all around us and about how we can best serve them.

'It's time for celebrating to begin and we want everyone to be a part of it.'

To celebrate its progress and achivements over the past year and to launch a number of new initiatives, the centre is inviting people to drop in and and see what it has on offer.

It is running taster sessions for college courses, yoga, chair-based exercises, craft and IT, and there is also an art exhibition set up by Pakefield's Ferini gallery, fund and grant writing workshops and the Adult Learners Week awards ceremony.

Next Friday, the centre – which is run as a social enterprise – is hosting a birthday party and draw, with prizes donated by organisations including the National Trust, Go Ape, Saxon Therapy, Harrod Horticultural and Adnams. To enter, call into the Kirkley Centre this week at 154 London Road South.