St John Ambulance in Potters Bar is holding an open day to thank the community for raising nearly £200,000 for a new training centre.

The 2,500 sq ft venue, based at The Walk, will provide the central base for ambulance members to meet, network, receive training and run first-aid courses.

A fifth of the £845,000 building, due to be complete in three weeks' time, was funded from community fundraising events and donations.

Roger Moore, treasurer of the Potters Bar Division and chairman of the building and fundraising committee, said: "We really wanted to thank the community for their donations and have written to many of them individually to say how much we appreciate their kindness.

"As you can imagine, St John Ambulance members have to update their skills on an ongoing basis. They spend a lot of time training in first aid or meeting to plan the logistics for first aid cover at community events.

"Until now, that training and networking has been carried out in a very tired building which lacked modern resources and was not particularly welcoming.

"With this fantastic facility we, as members, can all look forward to undertaking our training in an impressive venue which enhances our training experience and offers a whole lot more in terms of modern technology and sheer space."

The open day will take place on June 28 between 11am and 3pm. For further information call 01707 646663.

For information about scheduled training call 01438 740044.