Alison Leacock, left, chair of the Salisbury and district Well Woman Centre with trustee Susan Stephenson handing over books from the centre to community librarian Phillip Tomes in the Salisbury Library on Friday. DA4734EVENTS tomorrow mark a first and last for Salisbury's Well Woman Centre.

There will be tears and laughter as old friends and colleagues come together to say their goodbyes as the centre in Castle Street opens for the final time.

For the first time in it its history, men will be welcome.

The Centre had struggled to survive financially but officially closed its doors in December.

Since then chairman Alison Leacock and her colleagues have managed to find homes for many of the centre's resources and meeting places to enable most of the groups who attended the centre to continue elsewhere.

Last Friday, she handed over the centre's library of self-help and reference books to area librarian Phillip Tomes and it will now be housed in Salisbury Library.

Says Alison Leacock: "Our constitution says that everything has to go to like-minded charities and so far it's worked out well.

"It was so sad to see those books that have built up over 20 years go and it will be gut-wrenching tomorrow, but it's a rounding off really."

The centre will open for the last time tomorrow afternoon for people to pop in and say their farewells from 2pm until 5pm.

o Contact numbers for the groups that used to meet at the Well Woman Centre are as follows: Self Harm Group (WISH) - Diana 01722 429445; Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse (Step by Step) - Chrissy 07900 241643; Domestic Violence Group - Bemerton Heath Family Centre 01722 411178 or 07974 819639; Lone Mothers' Group - Riverside Resource Centre - 01722 333552; and Older Women's Group - Alison 01722 415880.

For other queries on health issues, call PALS at Salisbury District Hospital on 0800 374208.