GUNNISLAKE'S Woodland Centre was officially opened last week — to the joy of the local community who battled for five years to get the project off the ground.

Caradon District Council chairman Godfrey Smale, a local man, cut the ribbon to declare the new building ready for the local elderly and disabled.

Nora Coates, who along with Ted Mansergh and John Bowring, has been the driving force behind the project said: 'I'm very pleased indeed. There were times when I thought it was never going to happen and people who said we would never do it.'

Mrs Coates said the centre had been built for the elderly and disabled people who can't get down the steep hill into the village for the various activities that take place down there.

'It's going to be very popular and, in fact, we were packed out for the opening — there were very many more people than we were expecting,' she said.

The project was turned down twice by the lottery before becoming a charity and being awarded £69,000.

Other charities, Caradon and the parish council, and a local anonymous benefactor joined in to help village fundraising efforts to amass a total of £100,000 to finance the centre.

Caradon will help run it, paying water rates and maintenance, and the lottery has allowed two years' running costs while the centre finds its feet.

Mrs Coates said the centre will be used for a whole variety of activities, from lunch clubs and drop-in centre to Christmas parties and other events. It will also be a valuable source of information and advice to local people.