AFTER some 20 years, a Winchester charity that helps the poor and homeless is set to get a purpose-built base.

Work is starting on a new multi-million pound base for the Trinity Centre.

Durngate Place, the former Red Cross building, will be demolished and a £2m facility will arise in its place.

City council leader George Beckett, pictured, symbolically started the demolition.

The charity has operated since 1986, starting off in the Trinity church hall in Upper Brook Street, hence the name. For the first seven years it was in several temporary sites, until 1993 when it moved to a former church hall in St Paul's Hill.

A funding appeal, led by Viscount Lifford, brought in over £2m and an artist's impression, pictured inset, shows what the new building will look like.

The city council is offering the site on the edge of Winnall Moors at a peppercorn rent.

The number of clients using Trinity's services rises each year. Around 50 people currently attend the centre each day, about 17 of whom are rough-sleepers.