THE official opening of Aveley's community hub will take place next week and residents are invited to attend and view what the facility has to offer.

The hub opened last year with some work still to be completed but now all is done and on Monday (22 August), from 10am to 4pm, doors will be open to the public. The official copening ceremony will take place at 2pm.

Thurrock Council's communities portfolio holder Cllr Qaisar Abbas, says: "Although Aveley Community Hub has been open to the public for a little while now, I look forward to welcoming residents to the official launch event.  This is a great opportunity to see this wonderful community facility which has a library, private nursery, café, public computers, a study area, a changing places facility and two rooms for hire.

"As well as this, a number of community groups already use this space including Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, exercise groups, toddler groups, Thurrock Adult Community College programmes and many more. I am particularly pleased to see the café now open which is also supporting a meal delivery service. The Hub is also developing innovative partnerships with Thurrock Foodbank to support residents in the locality"

Some of the team from the council's 'Your Place, Your Voice' programme will be at the Hub, offering an opportunity for residents to meet with officers who are developing the Local Plan for the borough, to discuss possible growth and investment to support the aspirations of the local community.