A community centre will be officially opened, largely thanks to the dogged determination of one man.

King Alfred Drive Centre, in Didcot town centre, represents the dream of Fred Excell since he launched Didcot United Services Association eight years ago.

Mr Excell, 68 a retired town councillor and Didcot Power Station supervisor, said: "Because the club runs different activities from whist drives to social evenings throughout the week, it was always clear we needed our own premises."

Mr Excell initially wanted the association buy a former snooker hall in lower Broadway although negotiations were unsuccessful. But when a former GP surgery in King Alfred Drive became vacant last year, Mr Excell seized on the opportunity and began negotiating with the new owners South Oxfordshire District Council.

District councillor and town council leader Mike McNulty said the town council agreed to hand over responsibility for running the building to the United Services Association on condition it was available to community groups. He paid tribute to Mr Excell's "single-minded attitude" in achieving his goal.

Mr Excell said the building which is next to a public car park and has access for the disabled would be available for hire to groups at a modest fee - and there will be a public open day on Tuesday, November 16, from 9am to 9pm, with refreshments.

Story date: Monday 08 November

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.