Adults with learning disabilities in Meirionnydd will receive training and support at a new centre, thanks to a £3.9 million investment.

Work on the new centre at Canolfan Dolfeurig in Dolgellau starts soon.

The hub will open next year, providing training opportunities to support people with learning disabilities to take their first steps into the world of work, and encourage collaboration and integration with the local community.

The project includes a wood workshop, sensory room, training kitchen, craft workshop, therapeutic waterbed, clinical space to promote joint-working with the health service, a space to sell cards/crafts and products made by individuals attending the hub, a sensory garden, car wash, and accessible toilet/bathroom.

It will also provide community resources, including a café with outdoor seating terrace, meeting rooms, and a hall/space for community activities.

Cllr Dilwyn Morgan, Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being, said: "I am delighted to see a significant investment in a scheme that is so important to the area, and look forward to seeing the centre re-opening with new facilities.

"Canolfan Dolfeurig has been home to the council's learning disability services for decades. But unfortunately, the condition of the building has deteriorated and it is no longer fit for purpose.

"Maintaining hubs like these is a very important part of the ethos of the learning disabilities service, and a new and suitable way of integrating services with the wider community, creating valuable connections and relationships with residents and organisations.

"I sincerely hope having a modern and suitable hub will also create new opportunities to work closely with the local community and draw members of the public in to the café for refreshments or to hire a room for a meeting."

The project is led and partly funded by Gwynedd Council, sponsored by Welsh Government grant funding.