A FORMER railway station which was transformed into a community hub has marked 34 years since it officially opened.

The John Betjeman centre, located in what was once the station building for Wadebridge Railway Station was officially opened on May 29, 1991 after the completion of the second phase of its reopening. It first opened on April 1, 1989.

Its opening comes after efforts in the 1980’s to fundraise total of £300,000 from voluntary contributions in order to refurbish the abandoned building and extend its size. The project took six years to complete and was accomplished in two phases.

A spokesperson for Concern Wadebridge said: “Firstly the old building was converted from its derelict state and opened on the April 1, 1989. In the second phase the additional rooms were added.

“When it was officially opened by Viscountess Falmouth on the May 29, 1991, she remarked how lovely it would be if every town had such a comfortable centre as the John Betjeman Centre.

“We had another major renovation in 2018 and in the past two years we’ve had new toilets, a mobility repair shop and earlier this year a brand new state of the art kitchen!”

Em Burt, manager of the centre added: “I started at the centre as an administrator in 2017 so have seen lots of changes to the building. I left briefly during the coronavirus pandemic and was delighted to return in March 2022 as manager and felt like I was back ‘home.’

“This centre is a wonderful community hub, providing a warm, safe and friendly space for anyone who needs it. Thank you to everyone who supports us, the trustees, over 60 volunteers, our dedicated staff, the facilitators of the classes, support groups and activities and of course the customers! Think we better start preparations for a party next year!”