RUSHMERE residents were today celebrating as they will soon have a new meeting place - a former butchers.A lease has been signed for a new drop-in centre in Selkirk Road and the centre is expected to open by next Easter.

RUSHMERE residents were today celebrating as they will soon have a new meeting place - a former butchers.

A lease has been signed for a new drop-in centre in Selkirk Road and the centre is expected to open by next Easter.

More than 3,800 households in the Rushmere part of Ipswich will benefit from the new facilities that will include a computer and internet access.

The drop in centre will be open from 10am until 6pm and will be where the former Mr Goodswin's Butchers shop was.

Ipswich Borough Council has given the project a grant of £12,000 that will go towards redecorating the butchers.

Large meat fridges have been taken out of the building and tiles on the walls will be removed and new furnishings installed.

The rest of the money will go towards running the centre for a few months. After that the project will be funded by Rushmere residents and they plan to hold coffee mornings and other activities to raise money.

Rushmere councillor Eileen Smith said: "It is going to become a drop-in centre where people can meet others, have a cup of tea and it should be a very nice place to be.

"The computer will be useful for those who do not have e-mail or internet and not everybody can get down to the library.

"There is an awful lot of work to do in it and it depends on how fast we can decorate it."

As well as being a meeting place for people in Rushmere, the centre will also be able to hold police and council meetings.

Rushmere Residents Association chairman Keith Evans said: "The people I have talked to said it is a good idea and I think people will come in because of where it is.

"We have had a few people say that whenever we start redecorating they would come in and help us.

Councillor Keith Herod added: "It will be very useful for some of the elderly and it is not easy to meet people without spending loads of money."

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