A NEW £30,000 community centre is set to benefit a wide variety of Sydenham residents.

More than 100 people gathered for a giant balloon release to celebrate the opening of the Here for Good centre in Sydenham Road, funded by the Ichthus Church Forest Hill which will have offices upstairs.

The centre will be in use immediately as a variety of groups are already up and running.

They include Spring, a group for mothers and toddlers, Open Door which supports refugees and asylum seekers, the Barn youth group and Meeting Point for elderly people.

Ichthus Church Forest Hill leader Nigel Desborough said: “This is something the community in this area really needs and hopefully it will benefit a lot of people from all parts of the community.

“All the funding came from voluntary donations.

“We had a really good party to get it all started, with a massive balloon release.

“Everyone seems really excited about what can be done here.”

For information about any of the groups to be based at the centre, call 020 8776 5050.