WORK is to begin next month on a £750,000 day centre for the elderly in Knaresbor-ough.

The town's Age Concern group has awarded the construction contract to D and A Construction, of York, one of five firms seeking the work.

The group has already banked the £600,000 it needs for building work, thanks to a Lottery grant of £300,000, and is now hard at work raising £150,000 to equip and run the centre, Cliff House in High Street.

Fundraising chairman George Crowther is delighted with the response so far, particularly with the £5,000 raised by local people and he has challenged them to double that in the coming months.