A £110,000 resource centre to provide better adult learning facilities in Thirsk will be launched on Saturday.

The East Thirsk Community Learning Resource Centre will be opened by executive director of the Learning and Skills Council North Yorkshire, David Harbourne.

Work began on site in April and the centre has had a very enthusiastic welcome from residents keen to learn new skills.

People have already signed up for a range of courses and have been able to make use of the facilities, which include 14 computers and an interactive white board.

A £100,000 grant for Yorkshire Forward covered much of the cost, although the East Thirsk Community Association, Hambleton District Council and the Thirsk Regeneration Partnership also contributed to ensure the project could go ahead.

The centre will now be managed through the Learning and Skills Council North Yorkshire, although both the North Yorkshire Learning Partnership and the Hambleton Area Learning Partnership will play an active part in the initiative.

One of the first classes to benefit from the centre was a group of volunteers from Thirsk Tourist Information Centre, who wanted to improve their skills on the computer.

Thirsk district community education manager Tom Wharton said he was delighted with the results.

"The creation of this learning centre has been a triumph of partnership and co-operation, with many individuals and organisations pulling together to create a magnificent result," he said.

"Particular thanks are due to County Councillor Jan Marshall, whose boundless energy and enthusiasm for the project have been crucial."

Sub-regional action plan project manager at the Learning and Skills Council North Yorkshire, Martin Wynn, said he was confident the centre would be a success.

"Taking learning opportunities closer to local communities is one of our key aims, and we're pleased to be able to provide support for this important new initiative, which is already making training and learning much more accessible for the people of Thirsk," he said.

Future plans include an open afternoon on Saturday, November 15, when people will have the chance to see the facilities for themselves and find out about courses.

Visitors will also be able to give their views on what courses they would like to see in future