A RAFT of new opportunities are on the horizon for the Asian Women’s Group in Rose Hill after it moved into the estate’s new community centre.

The 15 women who regularly turn up to socialise, cook, get advice and make new friends have now spent two of their Thursday afternoon sessions in the £4.7m building in Ashhurst Way.

The centre’s new facilities such as the gym and state-of-the-art kitchen will offer the group a chance to do more than ever before.

Homayra Bibi, who has been attending the group for about four years and now co-ordinates many of the activities, said: “It is really important to have a provision for the women.

“It is about building their confidence so they can go out and get jobs in the community and mingle with other people.

“It is nice that we have got the new community centre. The gym will let us do health stuff and the kitchen is really good, especially for catering.

“It is a space that is welcoming, some places would not let us have a group like this but it is welcoming for us.

“Everybody is really excited to take advantage of it.”

The group meets each Thursday from 1pm until 3pm and in the new centre they will be able to speak to staff at the advice centre and, in the near future, speak to police officers who will be based there.

Mum-of-two Miss Bibi, 30, said: “We get women who are marginalised and afraid of going places because of the way Muslims can be portrayed sometimes.

“The group gives them the confidence to go out and to give something back to the community.

“They are empowered.”

The group often provides food for other events on the estate as the women are well known for their quality cooking.

At Christmas they helped hand out food at the old community centre in The Oval to those struggling to make ends meet over the festive period.

Rose Hill community worker Fran Gardner, who works closely with the group, said she was delighted the women had settled into their new home.

She said: “It was obvious right from the first day that they felt welcome and comfortable in the new centre.

“Inevitably it will attract more Asian women to the group.

“The other thing is that it will make it possible for them to widen the range of activities that they offer.

“It is absolutely vital for those women because some of them have limited language skills and may not have been in this country for long.

“They could be very isolated, so the mere fact they can come to the group and get support is terribly important.”