AN award-winning Malvern community centre, The Octagon, celebrates its 10th birthday this year.

The Octagon, on Brook Farm estate, was officially opened ten years ago, after years of planning and fundraising by local people and grants from Malvern Hills District Council.

Since then, the unusual glass-roofed building has been home to all kinds of groups, clubs and events.

"It's been used for so many things, whatever the community has needed. At the moment it is used a lot for youth work," explained Brook Farm Residents' Committee chairman Derham Cook.

On Friday, the Octagon acts as a drop-in centre for local teenagers. They have decorated one of the walls with street-style art, with the help of a professional artist.

In the summer months, a sports session is held on the nearby playing field.

The youngsters are currently busy fundraising for a three-day residential trip to Norfolk. They will hold a table-top sale, sponsored car wash and be packing bags at a local supermarket to help fund their trip.

A disco and skateboarding evening is also planned.

Malvern Special Families also uses the building, while older residents hold a coffee and lunch club there on Thursdays.

The enthusiastic support of the local community has kept the centre going over the last ten years and it has hosted parties, fetes, coffee mornings and keep fit classes. The hall is available for hire, with hire charges helping the community association to meet the cost of heating, lighting and maintaining the building.

"It's our only source of income and we'd like to see the hall in use as much as possible, particularly for the benefit of local people," said Mr Cook.

For more information, contact Mr Cook on 892638 or Pauline Striplin on 0777 1807436.