A MENTAL health centre is undergoing a £500,000 revamp in a bid to double its size and services.

Mind in Furness, on School Street, Barrow, is expanding its current premises to to help create better services for the local community.

The mental health charity is set to undergo a major development in the coming months after two years of planning.

Michael Cassells, project worker for Mind in Furness, said the centre was ‘well in need of an expansion’.

He said: “The building is too overcrowded at the moment.

“There’s not enough space to have private conversations and offer support.

“The renovations will see the building double in capacity and grow into an even bigger charity."

Mr Cassells hopes the refurbishment will help create a ‘comfortable and welcoming’ atmosphere within the centre.

“We want users to feel welcomed as soon as they walk through the door,” he said.

“The new building will provide more space for meetings and conversations and overall better support.

“Hopefully this should relieve the NHS and A&E services in some way.”

The new centre will include a number of extra rooms, allowing for more activity sessions and one-on-one meetings to take place.

Mr Cassells hopes the centre will eventually be open 24 hours a day for residents to use.

He said: “Our aim is for the building to be used 24 hours a day for round-the-clock support.

“Ideally, we would like the NHS, police and other services to work alongside us to provide day and night care.

“We would be ready to reassure anyone struggling with mental health that we are available.

“However, we’d also like to be out in the community working with local employers too.

“There’s lots of plans in the works.”

The centre is set to be closed for six months whilst renovation works are taking place.

However, during that time the team has opened a temporary service at the CVS offices on Hartington Street.