It has been a dream for more than a generation and on Monday Watton will finally see its new youth drop-in centre open.After a year of anticipation by youngsters in Watton and months of hard word by determined volunteers, the team behind Project Rainbow say the transformed former doctors' surgery in St Giles Road is finally ready to welcome all the town's young people.

It has been a dream for more than a generation and on Monday Watton will finally see its new youth drop-in centre open.

After a year of anticipation by youngsters in Watton and months of hard word by determined volunteers, the team behind Project Rainbow say the transformed former doctors' surgery in St Giles Road is finally ready to welcome all the town's young people.

Complete with sofas, pool, table tennis and air hockey tables and much more, the centre promises a warm and welcoming environment for the youth of the town to gather and have fun in safety.

Project Rainbow secretary Julian Horn said everyone was looking forward to the grand opening on December 1.

He said: “We are hoping that this will answer the gripe of many young people that there is nowhere to go in the town.

“That has been a chorus for more than 20 years.

“The centre has been needed for a long time and it wonderful to see it finally opening.”

At first the surgery will be open every Monday and Thursday between 7pm and 9.30pm but the Project Rainbow team have plans for it to be open much more frequently, including at weekends.

As well as volunteers to help out there will be a team of trained youth workers on hand to ensure things run smoothly and offer any advice and help that young people in the town need.

Centre manager Rosie Gibb said that excitement among many youngsters was already reaching fever pitch.

She said: “We are all thrilled that the centre is going to be open.

“The youth of Watton are absolutely full of enthusiasm and cannot wait.

“They are really looking forward to coming here and being part of what is going on.

“As we have been clearing the surgery up young people have been coming along and doing everything from weeding and vacuuming to moving furniture and even helping take things to the tip.”

Currently the centre is being leased from the developers who own it and a grant of £20,000 from the town council is being used to pay running costs.

In the long run Project Rainbow hopes to buy the surgery and substantially expand.

An application for a grant of £4.8m from the My Place Fund, a government run source of money administered by The Big Lottery Fund, is already in and other sources of funding are being investigated.

Volunteers from Project Rainbow will be hosting an open day for everyone in the town to come and see round the surgery on Saturday, December 6, between 10am and 2pm and say everyone is welcome.

Anyone who is interested in volunteering to help with the project should contact Rosie Gibb on 07789 677450.