New George Hurd Centre Nearing Completion

The new £2m George Hurd day care centre for elderly people in Audley Way Basildon is preparing to open its doors now that construction work is complete. The two-storey building is to replace the ageing George Hurd centre in Fauners.

It follows a deal negotiated by Basildon Council giving Lovells the site of the former centre in exchange for building the new one – saving taxpayers more than £2m. Pensioners using the new George Hurd are set to benefit from a larger centre, which includes brand new facilities and additional activities such as snooker.

Local community and voluntary groups are also celebrating after being given permanent office space on the top floor. Councillor Phil Turner, cabinet member in charge of Resources, on handing the building over to Councillor Terri Sargent, cabinet member for Community Services. explained that the former centre was built more than 40 years ago and has been struggling to meet the needs of elderly residents as its ageing facilities are becoming unsuitable for modern care and are weighed down by a growing burden of repairs.

Cllr Turner added: "Instead of pouring taxpayers money into propping up an ailing building wesought a solution with the private sector. This has resulted in a much larger and better equipped centre at no extra cost to local taxpayers. The new purpose built centre will provide improved care and support for elderly people and we look forward to opening it for them."

Cllr Terri Sargent, cabinet member for Community Services, said: "The George Hurd is one of our most popular day care centres and is relied on by hundreds of elderly people each week. We are delighted to have a brand new building that will provide the first class facilities local residents deserve.

"The new centre not only offers modern day care for the elderly but also provides a permanent base for local community and voluntary groups. These have been brought together under one roof for the first time and will give older residents convenient access to the services they provide. We hope the new centre becomes an even better place for elderly people to meet friends, stay active and get the help and advice they need."

The centre includes a kitchen, lounge, dining room, hairdressing facilities, activities room, main hall, medical room and classroom. The CVS, BDVC and Wickford Talking Newspaper will are yoga, keep fit, ceramics, bingo and art. Elderly residents can also take advantage of cheap meals, an evening mealtakeaway service, day trips and transport to and from the centre.