AFTER almost two decades of waiting, the Brightwells Gostrey Centre for older people has at long last relocated to a new purpose-built modern premises at Farnham Memorial Hall.

Farnham’s new £3.27m health and wellbeing centre, on West Street, welcomed its new tenants in early September, with Waverley Borough Council allowing the centre to “settle in” before welcoming further tenants.

Waverley’s Meals on Wheels service - which prepares fresh, hot meals for around 40 vulnerable older residents in the Farnham area - is also now operating from the Memorial Hall, having also relocated from its dilapidated day centre on Dogflud Way.

And Waverley Training Services is set to occupy the revamped building’s lower ground floor imminently, relocating from its current facility on Kimbers Lane, Farnham.

The Gostrey Centre will have exclusive use of the ground floor of the hall daily from 9am-4pm.

But it is hoped the hall and its first-floor rooms - each named after the five employees of Farnham United Breweries who lost their lives in the First World War, in whose honour the Memorial Hall was commemorated - will be made available for public hire outside of these times “within weeks”.

Waverley’s head of community services, Kelvin Mills, confirmed many of the hall’s previous hirers have agreed to return to the revamped building. And testament to the hall’s renewed appeal, he added a trio of bookings have already been taken for wedding receptions next year.

The Gostrey Centre was originally promised a new purpose-built building as part of the regeneration of East Street in the early-2000s. However, after Waverley bowed to Crest Nicholson’s demand to remove the day centre from the development, the centre’s trustees endorsed a move to the Memorial Hall.

Further delays ensued when the building works were hampered by the spiralling cost of cladding in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and bad weather - before finally opening last month, two years after construction began.

Lucinda Fleming, chairman of the Gostrey Centre trustees, said: “Like all new buildings it’s got its teething problems, but it’s very exciting and we’re looking forward to welcoming lots of new clients and running more classes and activities.

“Originally we were supposed to move to the hall in December 2017, so it’s taken a long time and that has affected us quite a lot in terms of lost income. But we are here now and we’re going to make the best that we can out of this wonderful building.”

Mrs Fleming added that the centre is desperate for new volunteers. Anyone who can help should e-mail [email protected] or call 01252 725330.

Jenny Else, Waverley’s portfolio holder for wellbeing and culture, said: “I am really pleased to see the impressive result of the Memorial Hall restoration now it is open and being used by the Gostrey Centre.

"We’re delighted the new facilities have exceeded their expectations and hope their new home will provide the ideal base to help them to continue the important work they do supporting older and vulnerable residents in and around Farnham.”