School to pioneer community hub

Health, education and social care will be on one site at Whitehawk

A primary school in a deprived area of Brighton is to become a community hub, with nurses, educational psychologists and youth workers working on site.

Brighton and Hove City Council has been awarded £5.3m government funding for new buildings at Whitehawk Primary including classrooms and a dining room.

There will also be buildings for health and social care workers and a library in a new multimedia Discovery Centre.

The council is one of six chosen to pioneer the community hub scheme.

It will be the first time health services have been provided on the same site as education and social care.

"The funding will enable us to develop an exciting project that benefits the whole community in Whitehawk," said director of childrens services Di Smith.

"What is so thrilling is that this project is for all ages.

"The Discovery Centre will be a meeting place for all the community with its mix of services in a spacious, modern building between the school, the GP surgery and children's centre.

Whitehawk headteacher, Daniel Weiner, said closer links to health, cultural and social services would help the school to flourish.

The project is expected to be completed in August 2011, in time for the start of the September term.