DELIGHTED residents turned out in force to celebrate construction work at the new £4m Rose Hill community centre.

People from across the area came together for the topping out ceremony at the Ashhurst Way building.

Friday’s event marked the start of the final stage of construction work, which will create a new home for community groups and services.

Rose Hill community worker Fran Gardner said families in the area were delighted with how construction work was coming along.

She added: “We are excited by the thought of the centre being completed in December and looking forward very much to community groups being able to use it.

“I think it’s going to be just a wonderful resource for both the Rose Hill community and other external groups that want to use it.

“The current community centre is now 60 years old and therefore, a new building, state-of-the-art building, which has been designed carefully to take into account the needs of the community, will be really wonderful.”

The Deputy Lord Mayor of Oxford, Colin Cook, led the topping out ceremony, tightening the final screw in the first of a bank of solar panels which will feature on the roof.

Topping out ceremonies usually involve adding the final tile to a pitched roof, but the new Rose Hill centre has a flat roof.

Visitors then enjoyed making solar panels, learning about recycling and getting involved with craft projects during the Energise Rose Hill event.

Facepainting, smoothie-making, tug-of-war and sporting taster activities also kept families entertained during Friday afternoon.

The festivities were held following the topping out ceremony as part of Low Carbon Oxford, which is a week-long event promoting reducing carbon emissions.

The centre will be a new home for the Rose Hill Social Club, Rose Hill Community Association, Rose Hill and Donnington Advice Centre, a community gym, new sports changing rooms and a Thames Valley Police office.

Oxford City Council will manage the site, with work expected to be completed by company Beard by this December.

It will replace the current community centre based in The Oval.

Beard contracts manager Brendan Rourke said: “This topping out marks an important milestone in the construction of the new community centre which is really taking shape.

“It’s fantastic to see so many local people turning up to see how the building is progressing and it’s exciting to know that we’re now on the home stretch towards completing the project at the end of this year.”

Construction of the centre was delayed twice by budget and design changes but the groundbreaking ceremony was finally held on November 8.

The existing centre will celebrate the New Year before closing its doors to residents and transferring all of its services to the new facility.