THE Newton Abbot Centre Association threw open the doors of its refurbished and upgraded Courtenay Centre on Monday to show the public the splendid facilities it has to offer.

It has spent almost £400,000 on the work which has brought the former tired looking building in Kingsteignton Road, into the 21st century.

There are improvements to the main hall giving better access and extra space, it is very much disabled friendly and there are additional meeting rooms.

A registered charity, the main contributors to the cost of the improvements were Devon County Council, Ugbrooke Environmental Ltd (The Landfill Communities Fund), The Brookhill Trust and the Knowles Hill Trust.

Opened in November 1968, The Courtenay Centre has been home to a multitude of organisations and everything looks set for numbers to expand even further.