EIGHT months after work started on the new Rose Hill Community Centre, the beginning of the final stage of construction will be marked with a special event.

A topping out ceremony for the building in Ashhurst Way will be held on Friday, June 19 to celebrate it reaching its full height.

The ceremony – which also marks the building having become watertight and work beginning on the inside – will be accompanied by a fun day at Rose Hill recreation ground.

The £4.764m centre is set to open by Christmas, replacing the old centre in The Oval.

Rose Hill community worker Fran Gardner said the children of the estate were excited at seeing the building move towards completion.

She said: “I was quite interested to test the water with the kids when I was out on the playing fields with a couple of them.

“I asked them what they thought about the new community centre and they were really excited and really enthusiastic.

“They cannot wait to get inside and see the scale of it. They were very positive.

“For children that we are dealing with now at Rose Hill Junior Youth Club, who are maybe 10 years old, it will be a short time before they are having birthday parties there or even weddings.

“Because of the new centre, the children may get more involved in the community.”

The centre will be a new home for the Rose Hill Social Club, Rose Hill Community Association, Rose Hill and Donnington Advice Centre, a community gym, new sports changing rooms and a Thames Valley Police office.

Construction of the centre was delayed twice by budget and design changes but the groundbreaking ceremony was finally held on November 8.

It was accompanied by a fun day, which will be replicated on June 19 from 3.15pm to 5pm, with the topping out ceremony expected at 3.45pm. Activities will include face painting, a tug-of-war, balloon modelling and a visit from Womble Orinoco.