Adults with learning difficulties and young people from across Chippenham were at the Olympiad on Monday to mark the opening of an £800,000 refit.

The sports centre will now be the home of Riverbank, a day centre for adults aged 18 to 82 years old who have learning difficulties, after Middlefield Adult Training Centre closed down.

Young people can also use a specialist arts and media suite a recording studio and a rehearsal room.

Deputy Leader of the Council John Thompson said: “This is an excellent and wonderful advancement that really helps to integrate adults with learning disabilities into the central communiuty.

“The facilities provided at Middlefield were absolutely unacceptable and we have been working extremely hard to ensure that the standards never slip that low again. We as councillors are responding to a need expressed by people across the area.”

The centre was opened by council leader Jane Scott, who said: “This is an excellent project.

“It has gone from being a not very well-used part of the facility into a well thought-out space for some of our most vulnerable people in the town.”

Adults with learning disabilities can take part in lessons in life-skills, including cooking, while young people who use the building in the evenings have the opportunity to record music to CDs or take part in drama and dance groups.

Joe Grimes, Will Riches, Jak Watkins and Joe Robinson, who have formed the band Dissolute, have used the new media suite to record their music.

Joe, 17, said: “It’s much better here than it was at the Bridge.

“The facilities are a lot better and the staff are really great and have been helping us out a lot.”

Project youth leader Alan J Broomfield, along with volunteer Guy Britton, were helping the band to commit their music to CD, currently a free service.

Mr Broomfield said: “We are really pleased with how everything has been going.

“It’s a great thing for us to be able to offer to young people from the area.”