ART, music and cooking are among the activities planned in a bid to bring the people of Toothill back together.

Toothill Community Centre was taken over by Age UK Wiltshire earlier this year, with the aim of creating it into an asset for locals. After a two-month refurbishment, it opened at the end of April.

Centre manager Bernice Mack said: “We really want the community to come back and use the centre, because it is here for them.”

The hub on Dunwich Drive is now providing art classes, held every Tuesday, and a music session on the third Thursday of each month.

The Golden Oldies are holding Smile & Sing sessions at the centre each month between 10.30-11.30am, and kicked off their first session by celebrating their 10-year anniversary.

The daytime music sessions are designed for older people and are based around popular, memory-evoking songs of the 1950s and onwards.

Gatherings are aimed at those who may have become isolated and live alone.

Art classes are taught by local artist Marilyn Trew and are open to anyone over 18 years old, whatever their ability.

Age UK Wiltshire aims to run activities at the centre for people of all ages, with martial arts classes, foot care services, cooking classes and a dog club in the pipeline.

Mrs Mack is also planning to open a community café in the building.

She is keen to establish a social hub in the area, where individuals can go to make new friends and be signposted to other services available to them when needed.

“I think it will be a really good way of bringing people in to the centre, and the space here is just perfect for it,” said Mrs Mack.

“It will be nice because there really isn’t anything else like this around in the area, as a place for the local community,” she added.

“Age UK are doing a lot of work at the moment to eliminate isolation and loneliness, especially among older people in our society.

“We’re hoping we can bring the whole community together here, so that they have somewhere to go to meet new people and do different activities.

“What we really want is to go back to the old-fashioned idea of the centre being at the heart of the community.”

Anyone wanting to get involved in the community centre at Toothill should visit www.book-online.co.uk/toothill/