A new centre in the heart of Lowestoft that provides help and advice to older people in Waveney was officially opened yesterday.

Staff, volunteers, benefactors and civic dignitaries gathered at the Age UK Suffolk help centre in London Road North to celebrate how it is helping people in the region.

The centre provides information, benefits advice and befriending and home visit services to the increasing number of older people in Waveney.

It also has a shop with a wide range of donated items to help raise funds for the centre, which has replaced the charity's help desk in Station Square.

After high sheriff of Suffolk, Andrew Norman-Butler cut the ribbon, Daphne Savage, chief executive of Age Suffolk UK, welcomed guests.

Afterwards she said: 'We have wanted to do something like this for the older people of Lowestoft for the last 30 years. It is just a common sense idea to have a help centre with a shop.

'People can see how funds are used and can access services such as befriending and benefits advice, easily.'

The official opening follows a �40,000 appeal to help fit out the building. So far �21,600 has been raised in the appeal, which has been supported by the Florence Cohen Charitable Trust, WG Edwards Charitable Foundation, the Geoffrey Watling Charity, the Rank Foundation and Lovewell Blake LLP.

The centre's help and advice section is open in the mornings and its shop is open all day.

For information on services telephone 01502 586308 and 01473 298684 for volunteering opportunities. To make a donation to the appeal, send a cheque made payable to Age UK Suffolk to: Maggie James, Age UK Suffolk, 14 Hillview Business Park, Old Ipswich Road, Claydon, Ipswich IP6 0AJ

anthony.carroll@archant.co.uk